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Kawasaki Frontale

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Kawasaki Frontale
File:KawasakiFrontale.png
Full nameKawasaki Frontale
Nickname(s)Grêmio from Japan
Founded1955; 69 years ago (1955) as Fujitsu SC
GroundKawasaki Todoroki Stadium,
Nakahara, Kawasaki, Japan
Capacity26,232
OwnerFujitsu
ChairmanYoshihiro Warashina
ManagerToru Oniki
LeagueJ1 League
2019J1 League, 4th of 18
WebsiteClub website
Current season

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.

History

The team was founded in 1955 as Fujitsu Soccer Club. It was one of many city clubs that comprised the Japan Soccer League, including Yomiuri (later Tokyo Verdy 1969), Toshiba (later Consadole Sapporo) and NKK SC (now defunct). They first made the JSL First Division 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 Second Division (1972), Japan Football League Division 1 (1992) and J.League Division 2 (1999).

File:KawasakiFrontale.gif
Old Crest

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 division one, 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.

Todoroki Athletics Stadium

Records and statistics

Further information: List of Kawasaki Frontale records and statistics

Uniforms

Players

Current Squad

The Kawasaki Frontale squad for the 2019 J1 League

As of 23 February 2020.[2]

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 South Korea KOR Jung Sung-ryong
2 DF Japan JPN Kyohei Noborizato
4 DF Brazil BRA Jesiel
5 MF Japan JPN Shogo Taniguchi
6 MF Japan JPN Hidemasa Morita
7 DF Japan JPN Shintaro Kurumaya
8 MF Japan JPN Yasuto Wakizaka
9 FW Brazil BRA Leandro Damião
10 MF Japan JPN Ryota Oshima
11 FW Japan JPN Yu Kobayashi (captain)
13 DF Japan JPN Miki Yamane
14 MF Japan JPN Kengo Nakamura
15 DF Japan JPN Zain Issaka
16 MF Japan JPN Tatsuya Hasegawa
17 DF Brazil BRA Diogo Mateus
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF Japan JPN Kaoru Mitoma
19 MF Japan JPN Manabu Saitō
20 FW Japan JPN Taisei Miyashiro
21 GK Japan JPN Hiroki Mawatari
22 MF Japan JPN Hokuto Shimoda
23 GK Japan JPN Eisuke Fujishima
24 GK Japan JPN Shunsuke Ando
25 MF Japan JPN Ao Tanaka
26 DF Japan JPN Kaito Kamiya
27 GK Japan JPN Kenta Tanno
28 MF Japan JPN Koki Harada
30 FW Japan JPN Reo Hatate
34 MF Japan JPN Kazuya Yamamura
41 MF Japan 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
44 FW Brazil BRA Caio César (at V-Varen Nagasaki)
— GK Japan JPN William Popp (at Oita Trinita)
— DF Japan JPN Jefferson Tabinas (at FC Gifu)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Japan JPN Koji Miyoshi (at Royal Antwerp)
— FW Japan JPN Shuhei Akasaki (at Nagoya Grampus)

International Players

Japan
AFC/OFC/CAF
CONMEBOL
CONCACAF

World Cup players

World Cup 2010
World Cup 2014
World Cup 2018

Managers (1997– )

Manager Nat. Tenure
Kazuo Saito  Japan 1997 (resigned in halfway)
Jose  Brazil 1997 (till the season end)
Beto  Brazil 1998–99 (resigned in halfway)
Ikuo Matsumoto  Japan 1999 (till the season end)
Zeca  Brazil 2000 (resigned in halfway)
Toshiaki Imai  Japan 2000 (after Zeca, resigned)
Hiroshi Kobayashi  Japan 2000 (till the season end)
Yoshiharu Horii  Japan Jan 1, 2001 – June 30, 2001 (resigned in halfway)
Nobuhiro Ishizaki  Japan July 1, 2001 – Dec 31, 2003 (after Horii)
Takashi Sekizuka  Japan Jan 1, 2004 – April 30, 2008 (resigned in halfway, by sickness)
Tsutomu Takahata  Japan May 1, 2008 – Dec 31, 2008 (till the season end)
Takashi Sekizuka  Japan Jan 1, 2009 – Dec 31, 2009 (returned)
Tsutomu Takahata  Japan Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2010 (returned)
Naoki Soma  Japan Jan 1, 2011 – April 11, 2012 (sacked in halfway)
Tatsuya Mochizuki  Japan April 12, 2012 – April 22, 2012 (interim)
Yahiro Kazama  Japan April 23, 2012 – December 31, 2016
Toru Oniki  Japan February 1, 2017 –

Honours

Kawasaki Frontale (Professional Era – 1997 to present)

Fujitsu SC (Amateur Era – 1955 to 1996)

League history

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

Total (as of 2011): 10 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 Clasico (using the Spanish word "Clasico" as used in derbies in Spain and Latin America). The two clubs first met in 1991 in the old Japan Soccer League Second Division and were rivals for promotion to the J.League in the 1990s. They co-founded the new J2 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 Second Division 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

  1. ^ was a former New Zealand international, however is now a naturalized Japanese citizen as of 2013.[3]

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. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Football: All White says sayonara for now". NZ Herald. 17 August 2014.
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