Kawasaki Frontale

Kawasaki Frontale (川崎フロンターレ, Kawasaki Furontāre) is a Japanese professional football club based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.

Kawasaki Frontale
川崎フロンターレ
Full nameKawasaki Frontale
Nickname(s)Grêmio from Japan
Azzurro Nero (Blue-black)
Founded1955 (1955) (as Fujitsu SC)
GroundKawasaki Todoroki Stadium,
Nakahara, Kawasaki, Japan
Capacity26,232
OwnerFujitsu
ChairmanYoshihiro Warashina
ManagerToru Oniki
LeagueJ1 League
2021J1 League, 1st of 20 (Champions)
WebsiteClub website

History
Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium

The club was founded in 1955 as Fujitsu Soccer Club. It was one of many city clubs that comprised the Japan Soccer League (JSL), including Yomiuri (later Tokyo Verdy 1969), Toshiba (later Consadole Sapporo) and NKK SC (now defunct). They first made the JSL Division 1 in 1977, only to be relegated the next season afterwards and would not return to the top flight until 2000, when they were first promoted to the rebranded J1.

The club co-founded the Japanese second tier three times under its three names: JSL Division 2 (1972), Japan Football League Division 1 (1992) and J.League Division 2 (1999).

Fujitsu's club became professional in 1997, and changed its name – "Frontale" means "frontal" in Italian. The club old crest and colours are based on those of Brazilian side Grêmio, because both clubs have cooperated since 26 March 1997.[1] The club joined the second division of the J.League in 1999, and became the champion of the division. But in the next season, it sank to the bottom of J.League Division 1, and was relegated. In 2004, they were champions of J2 and won promotion to J1 for the second time. With the former rival city clubs out of the way due to relocation or liquidation, Frontale began building its power base in the city.

In 2006, they achieved runner-up position in J1, their highest league position up to that time. In 2007, this club attended the AFC Champions League, and made important success, as the first Japanese club for qualifying its group stage, before Urawa Red Diamonds. But Kawasaki lost in the quarter finals, against Iranian Sepahan, in a penalty shoot-out after two scoreless games.

At long last, after two other second-place finishes in 2008 and 2009, Kawasaki finally won the title in 2017, coming from behind to upstage bitter rivals Kashima Antlers after they were held to a draw at Júbilo Iwata, 16 seasons and 40 years after their first promotion to the top division.

Kawasaki has advanced steadily, and provides players for the Japan national football team. At first, defender Yoshinobu Minowa was selected in 2005. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, midfielder Kengo Nakamura and forward Kazuki Ganaha became new internationals, especially Kengo Nakamura found his position, and played both in his club and national team till now. Then goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima debuted in East Asian Cup 2008, but he allowed one goal for his J.League teammate, Chong Tese, who plays in the Korea DPR national football team. In May, Shuhei Terada was also selected for the Japan national team.

Kit history

Colour, sponsors and manufacturers
Season(s)Main Shirt SponsorCollarbone SponsorAdditional Sponsor(s)Kit Manufacturer
2018Fujitsu- /
RENOSY		- /
Fujitsu BSC		SMBC Nikko SecuritiesFujitsu FsasFujitsu MarketingPFUPuma
2019RENOSYFujitsu BSC
2020Fujitsu Marketing /
Fujitsu Japan
2021Anker JapanFujitsu Japan- /
Matsuo Komuten

Records and statistics
Further information: List of Kawasaki Frontale records and statistics

Current squad
As of 12 February 2022[2] [3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  KOR Jung Sung-ryong
2 DF  JPN Kyohei Noborizato (3rd captain)
3 MF  JPN Koki Tsukagawa
4 DF  BRA Jesiel
5 DF  JPN Shogo Taniguchi (captain)
6 MF  BRA João Schmidt
7 DF  JPN Shintaro Kurumaya
8 MF  JPN Kento Tachibanada
9 FW  BRA Leandro Damião (2nd captain)
10 MF  JPN Ryota Oshima
11 FW  JPN Yu Kobayashi
13 DF  JPN Miki Yamane
14 MF  JPN Yasuto Wakizaka (4th captain)
15 DF  JPN Asahi Sasaki
16 MF  JPN Tatsuki Seko
17 MF  JPN Kazuki Kozuka
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF  THA Chanathip Songkrasin
19 FW  JPN Daiya Tono
20 FW  JPN Kei Chinen
21 GK  JPN Shunsuke Ando
22 GK  JPN Yuki Hayasaka
23 FW  BRA Marcinho
24 FW  JPN Ten Miyagi
25 MF  JPN Renji Matsui
26 FW  JPN Takatora Einaga
27 GK  JPN Kenta Tanno
28 FW  JPN Taiyo Igarashi
29 DF  JPN Kota Takai
30 DF  JPN Shuto Tanabe
31 MF  JPN Kazuya Yamamura
41 MF  JPN Akihiro Ienaga

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  JPN Zain Issaka (On loan at Yokohama FC)
— DF  JPN Kaito Kamiya (On loan at Fujieda MYFC)
— MF  JPN Koki Harada (On loan at Nagano Parceiro)
— FW  JPN Taisei Miyashiro (On loan at Sagan Tosu)

Personnel awards

World Cup players

The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup, while playing for Kawasaki Frontale:

Olympic players

The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Kawasaki Frontale:

Club officials
Position Name
Manager Toru Oniki
Assistant manager Yu Nikaido
Assistant manager Yuki Yoshida
First Team coach Shuhei Terada
First team coach Mitsuhiro Toda
Goalkeeper coach Daijiro Takakuwa
Physical coach Yosuke Shinoda
Athletic Trainer Seki Tomohisa
Athletic Sweat Shirt Toshiyuki Tokorozawa
Hiroyuki Otahara
Doctor Hiroshi Iwaso
Hidetaka Goto
Shinji Matsubara
Eisaburo Honda
Kensuke Kimura
Trainer Ibuki Yamaura
Naoya Kinoshima
Hopeiro Ito Hiroyuki
Interpreter Kazuya Nakayama
Takanori Shirasawa
Kim Myong-ho
Narit Jampalee
Scouting Tatsuru Mukojima
Yusuke Tasaka
Center Tsutomu Shimizu Yasuhiro
Associate Tsutomu Akito Kobayashi

Managerial history

Managers of the club since 1997
ManagerNat.Tenure
Kazuo Saito Japan1997 (resigned in halfway)
Everaldo Pierrotti Brazil1997 (till the season end)
Beto Brazil1998–99 (resigned in halfway)
Ikuo Matsumoto Japan1999 (till the season end)
Zeca Brazil2000 (resigned in halfway)
Toshiaki Imai Japan2000 (after Zeca, resigned)
Hiroshi Kobayashi Japan2000 (till the season end)
Yoshiharu Horii JapanJan 1, 2001 – June 30, 2001 (resigned in halfway)
Nobuhiro Ishizaki JapanJuly 1, 2001 – Dec 31, 2003 (after Horii)
Takashi Sekizuka JapanJan 1, 2004 – April 30, 2008 (resigned in halfway, by sickness)
Tsutomu Takahata JapanMay 1, 2008 – Dec 31, 2008 (till the season end)
Takashi Sekizuka JapanJan 1, 2009 – Dec 31, 2009 (returned)
Tsutomu Takahata JapanJan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010 (returned)
Naoki Soma JapanJan 1, 2011 – April 11, 2012 (sacked in halfway)
Tatsuya Mochizuki JapanApril 12, 2012 – April 22, 2012 (interim)
Yahiro Kazama JapanApril 23, 2012 – December 31, 2016
Toru Oniki JapanFebruary 1, 2017 –

Honours

As Kawasaki Frontale (1997–present)

As Fujitsu SC (1955–1996)

League history
  • Regional (Kanto Soccer League): 1967–71 (as Fujitsu)
  • Division 2 (JSL Div. 2): 1972–76 (as Fujitsu)
  • Division 1 (JSL Div. 1): 1977–78
  • Division 2 (JSL Div. 2): 1979–91
  • Division 2 (former JFL Div. 1): 1992–98 (as Fujitsu 1992–95; Fujitsu Kawasaki 1996; Kawasaki Frontale 1997–)
  • Division 2 (J2): 1999
  • Division 1 (J1): 2000
  • Division 2 (J2): 2001–04
  • Division 1 (J1): 2005–

Total (as of 2021): 20 seasons in the top tier, 30 seasons in the second tier and 5 seasons in the Regional Leagues.

Rivalries

Frontale's rivalry with FC Tokyo is known as the Tamagawa Clásico (using the Spanish word "Clásico" as used in derbies in Spain and Latin America). The two clubs first met in 1991 in the old Japan Soccer League Division 2 and were rivals for promotion to the J.League in the 1990s. They co-founded the new J2 League in 1999 and were promoted together the same year, and although Frontale were immediately relegated, they were promoted again in 2005 and have regularly met since then.

Frontale also has a Tamagawa rivalry with Tokyo Verdy 1969, which was originally also based in Kawasaki and moved to Chofu, Tokyo in 2000. The two were co-founders of the JSL Division 2 in 1972 and, although spent 20 seasons (1979 to 1999) in separate tiers, rekindled the rivalry in the late 1990s as Kawasaki fans deserted Verdy to support Frontale, seen as a more community-focused club, and since then their fortunes have reversed as Frontale is a top flight mainstay while Verdy sunk into the second tier beginning in 2005.

Other rivals include Kashima Antlers, Urawa Red Diamonds, Yokohama F. Marinos and Shonan Bellmare.

Notes

    References
    1. "川崎フロンターレ、「グレミオ」と姉妹クラブ関係を締結". pr.fujitsu.com. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
    2. "選手・スタッフ". frontale.co.jp (in Japanese). Kawasaki Frontale. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
    3. "2022「キャプテン・副キャプテン」決定のお知らせ". frontale.co.jp (in Japanese). Kawasaki Frontale. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.