Thespa Gunma
- For the club in Kusatsu, Shiga, see MIO Biwako Kusatsu.
| File:Thespakusatsu Gunma logo.png | |||
| Nickname(s) | Thespa (ザスパ, Zasupa) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 | ||
| Ground | Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma Maebashi, Gunma | ||
| Capacity | 15,253 | ||
| Owner | Kusatsu Onsen Football Club | ||
| Chairman | Tomohiko Nara | ||
| Manager | Keiichiro Nuno | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2019 |  2nd in J3 League (promotion) | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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Thespakusatsu Gunma (ザスパクサツ群馬, zasupa kusatsu Gunma) is a professional football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club plays in the J3 League, the third division of professional football in Japan.
History
The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, one of the most well-known spa resorts in Japan, in 1995 as Liaison Kusatsu Football Club.[1] The players were the students of specialized training college Higashi Nihon Soccer Academy. When the school was closed in 1999 due to financial difficulties, the players decided to stay in Kusatsu and keep the club alive. In 2002, the club was incorporated as K.K. Kusatsu Onsen Football Club with a future promotion to J. League in mind and adopted new team name Thespa Kusatsu (ザスパ草津, zasupa kusatsu), which name basically meant "The Spa, Kusatsu.".[1]
Because of J. League restrictions on stadiums, they play at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma (Shikishima Athletics Stadium) in nearby Maebashi, the prefectural capital since the club was promoted to J. League Division 2 from 2005 season.[2]
From 1 February 2013, the club has adopted the new name as "Thespakusatsu Gunma", to give out the impression of the club as representative of entire Gunma Prefecture, while still leaving the name of "Kusatsu" in it, as well as the logo of the club as is.[3][4]
Current squad
As of May 9th, 2020.[5]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Record as J. League member
| Season | Div. | Tms. | Pos. | Attendance/G | Emperor's Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 12 | 3,959 | 4th round |
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 12 | 3,736 | 4th round |
| 2007 | J2 | 13 | 11 | 3,808 | 4th round |
| 2008 | J2 | 15 | 9 | 4,215 | 3rd round |
| 2009 | J2 | 10 | 18 | 4,330 | 3rd round |
| 2010 | J2 | 19 | 12 | 4,424 | 2nd round |
| 2011 | J2 | 20 | 9 | 3,211 | 2nd round |
| 2012 | J2 | 22 | 17 | 3,341 | 2nd round |
| 2013 | J2 | 22 | 20 | 3,571 | 2nd round |
| 2014 | J2 | 22 | 17 | 3,689 | 4th round |
| 2015 | J2 | 22 | 18 | 4,099 | 1st round |
| 2016 | J2 | 22 | 17 | 4,744 | 2nd round |
| 2017 | J2 | 22 | 22 | 3,832 | 3rd round |
| 2018 | J3 | 17 | 5 | 3,346 | 2nd Round |
- Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
- Attendance/G = Average league attendance
- Source: J. League Data Site
Managers
Ratko Stevović 1995–1997, 2000–2001
Chikashi Suzuki 1998- Naoki Kimura 1999
- Ryosuke Okuno 2002–2003
- Shigeharu Ueki 2004, 2006–2008
- Satoshi Tezuka 2005
- Toru Sano 2009
- Hiroshi Soejima 2010–2012
- Tadahiro Akiba 2013–2014
- Hiroki Hattori 2015–2016
- Hitoshi Morishita 2017
- Keiichiro Nuno 2018-2019
- Ryosuke Okuno 2020-
References
- ^ a b "Club guide; Thespa Kusatsu". J. League. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "Two JFL clubs apply for J. League entry". Japan Times. September 30, 2004. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
- ^ Ken Matsushita (February 12, 2014). "Classifying the J2 teams from top to bottom". ONE World Sports. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ チーム名・ロゴ・マスコット [Team name, Emblem, Mascot] (in Japanese). Thespakusatsu Gunma. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- ^ "2018 Season Member". Thespakusatsu Gunma. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
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External links
- Official Site (in Japanese)
