Urawa Reds boss Maciej Skorża will leave the club after the season, ending a tremendously successful one-year stint in Saitama.

Skorża was hired for the 2023 season with a clear mandate to bring home the club’s third AFC Champions League crown and he did just that. The Polish manager took his side to Saudi Arabia, where they held a very good Al Hilal team to a 1-1 draw before returning to a raucous Saitama Stadium 2002 to win, 1-0, and capture the continental championship.

In addition to his work in the Champions League, Skorża also proved adept in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. He fashioned the league’s best defense, showing an organization and physicality that opposing teams struggled to break down. That defense has taken Urawa into the top three of the table to this point, which would earn them a spot back in Asian competition if they can hold on in the final two matchweeks.