Hisashi Kato facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Hisashi Kato | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | April 24, 1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rifu, Miyagi, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1974 | Sendai Daini High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1978 | Waseda University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1993 | Verdy Kawasaki | 216 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 20 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Verdy Kawasaki | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 243 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1987 | Japan | 61 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Verdy Kawasaki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Shonan Bellmare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Kyoto Sanga FC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hisashi Kato (加藤 久, Kato Hisashi), born on April 24, 1956, is a famous Japanese football player and manager. He was known for being a strong defender. Kato also played many games for the Japanese national team.
Contents
Hisashi Kato's Club Journey
Hisashi Kato was born in Rifu, Miyagi, Japan. After finishing university, he joined a football club called Yomiuri in 1980. This club later became known as Verdy Kawasaki.
Winning Championships with Verdy Kawasaki
Kato's time with Yomiuri/Verdy Kawasaki was very successful. The team won the Japan Soccer League championship five times. They also won the JSL Cup twice and the Emperor's Cup three times. This period was known as a "golden era" for the club.
In 1992, a new league called the J1 League was created in Japan. Verdy Kawasaki won the 1992 J.League Cup that year. In 1993, during the first season of the J1 League, Kato played in the opening match. However, he did not play much after that.
Moving to Shimizu S-Pulse and Retirement
In July 1993, Kato moved to another team called Shimizu S-Pulse. He played there for a short time. In July 1994, he returned to Verdy Kawasaki. The club won the J1 League championship that year. Kato retired from playing football at the end of the 1994 season when he was 38 years old.
Throughout his club career, Hisashi Kato played in 243 league games and scored 11 goals. He was chosen as one of the "Best Eleven" players in the league nine times.
Playing for the National Team
Hisashi Kato first played for the Japanese national team on November 19, 1978. At that time, he was still a student at Waseda University. His first game was against the Soviet Union.
Key International Games
Kato played for Japan in the 1978 and 1982 Asian Games. From 1984, he became the captain of the national team. He led the team in important matches, including the qualifiers for the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1986 World Cup. He also played in the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics qualifiers.
In 1987, Japan did not qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics. After this, Kato decided to retire from the national team. He played a total of 61 games for Japan and scored 6 goals.
His Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Hisashi Kato became a football manager.
Managing Verdy Kawasaki and Shonan Bellmare
In 1997, Kato became the manager for Verdy Kawasaki, his former club. However, he resigned in July of that year. In 2000, he took on the role of manager for J2 League club Shonan Bellmare. The team finished in 8th place, and he left the club at the end of the 2000 season.
Leading Kyoto Sanga FC to Promotion
In 2007, Kato joined Kyoto Sanga FC, another J2 League club, as a general manager. Later that year, in October, he became the team's manager. He successfully led Kyoto Sanga FC to finish in 3rd place in 2007, which meant the team was promoted to the J1 League. He continued as manager until July 2010.
Awards and Recognition
Hisashi Kato received several awards during his career:
- Japan Soccer League Best Eleven: He was chosen as one of the best players in the league nine times. This happened in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1991-92.
- Japan Football Hall of Fame: In 2018, Hisashi Kato was honored by being inducted into the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This is a special recognition for people who have made a big impact on Japanese football.
See also
In Spanish: Hisashi Katō para niños
