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, born April 24, 1956) is a famous Japanese football player and manager. He was a strong defender who played many games for the Japan national team. He is known for his long career and for winning many championships.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Hisashi Kato was born in Rifu, Miyagi, Japan. He started his football journey at Waseda University. After finishing university, he joined a team called Yomiuri in 1980. This team later became known as Verdy Kawasaki.
Golden Era with Verdy Kawasaki
Kato played a big part in the team's success. During his time, Verdy Kawasaki had a "golden era." They won the Japan Soccer League five times, the JSL Cup twice, and the Emperor's Cup three times. These were major football championships in Japan.
In 1992, a new league called the J1 League was created. Hisashi Kato's team won the 1992 J.League Cup. In 1993, he played in the first game of the new J1 League. Later that year, he moved to Shimizu S-Pulse.
Return and Retirement
In July 1994, Kato returned to Verdy Kawasaki. The team won the J1 League that year. He retired from playing football at the end of 1994, when he was 38 years old. He played 243 league games and scored 11 goals. He was also chosen as one of the best players in the league (Best Eleven) nine times!
Playing for Japan
Hisashi Kato first played for the Japan national team on November 19, 1978. He was still a student at Waseda University at the time. His first game was against the Soviet Union.
He played in important tournaments like the 1978 and 1982 Asian Games. From 1984, he became the captain of the national team. He led Japan in many qualification games for big events. These included the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1986 World Cup.
Kato also played in the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics qualification. In 1987, Japan did not qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics. After this, he retired from playing for the national team. He played 61 games for Japan and scored 6 goals.
Coaching and Management Career
After his playing career, Hisashi Kato became a football manager.
Early Coaching Roles
In 1997, he became the manager for his old team, Verdy Kawasaki. However, he left the role in July of that year. In 2000, he managed J2 League club Shonan Bellmare. Even though the team finished 8th, he was replaced at the end of the season.
Leading Kyoto Sanga FC
In 2007, he joined Kyoto Sanga FC, another J2 League club, as a general manager. Later that year, he took over as the team's manager in October. He helped the club finish 3rd in 2007, which meant they were promoted to the J1 League. He stayed with the team until July 2010.
Awards and Recognition
Hisashi Kato received several awards for his amazing football 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 added to the Japan Football Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for people who have made a huge impact on Japanese football.
See also
In Spanish: Hisashi Katō para niños
