Kashima Antlers facts for kids
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| Full name | Kashima Antlers F.C. Co., Ltd. | ||
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| Founded | 1947 as Sumitomo Metal FC | ||
| Ground | Kashima Soccer Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 40,728 | ||
| Owner | Mercari | ||
| Chairman | Fumiaki Koizumi | ||
| Manager | Masaki Chugo | ||
| League | J1 League | ||
| 2022 | J1 League, 4th of 18 | ||
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Kashima Antlers (鹿島アントラーズ, Kashima Antorāzu) is a professional football club from Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They play in the J1 League, which is the top football league in Japan. The club gets financial support from Mercari, a well-known Japanese online shopping company.
Since the J.League started in 1993, Kashima Antlers has become Japan's most successful football club. They have won many trophies! They have won the J1 League title a record 8 times. They also won the J.League Cup 6 times, the Emperor's Cup 5 times, and the Japanese Super Cup 6 times. This adds up to an amazing nineteen major titles in Japan.
Kashima Antlers also became champions of Asia by winning the AFC Champions League in 2018. They also won the J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship twice, in 2012 and 2013.
The club has played in the FIFA Club World Cup two times. In 2016, they hosted the tournament and made it all the way to the final. They were the first club from Asia to reach the final! They played against Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and lost 4–2 after extra time. Gaku Shibasaki scored both goals for Kashima in that exciting match.
Kashima Antlers is also one of only two clubs that have played in Japan's top professional football league every year since it began in 1993. The other club is Yokohama F. Marinos.
Contents
Club History: The Antlers Story
The name 'Antlers' comes from the city of Kashima (鹿嶋), which means 'Deer Island' in Japanese. The club's badge looks like deer antlers. It also includes the image of a rose thorn, because the rose is the official flower of Ibaraki, the area where the club is located. Deer are friendly animals and are seen as special messengers in some religions. The Kashima Shrine, a famous shrine near the club's home, has kept deer for over 1,300 years as a spiritual symbol.
The club started in 1947 as the Sumitomo Metal Industries Factory Football Club in Osaka. In 1975, it moved to Kashima, Ibaraki. Back then, they played in a semi-professional league called the Japan Soccer League (JSL). They were promoted to the top division of the JSL in 1984.
In 1992, when the J.League became a fully professional league, the club changed its name to Kashima Antlers. They were one of the first ten founding clubs of the new J.League.
Since the J.League started in 1993, Kashima has always been one of the strongest teams in Japan. They were led by the famous former Brazil and Japan coach, Zico, in their early years. Kashima was the first club to win a stage of the J.League in its very first season in 1993.
In 2000, Kashima Antlers made history by becoming the first J.League club to win the "treble". This means they won all three major titles in the same year: the J.League, the J.League Cup, and the Emperor's Cup.
Kashima has continued to set records. In 2007, they became the first club in Japan to win ten domestic titles in the professional era. They were also the first and only club to win the J.League title three times in a row (2007, 2008, 2009). With their wins in the J.League Cup in 2011, 2012, and 2015, Kashima has won a total of seventeen major domestic titles.
Kashima Antlers still has strong connections with the football community in Brazil. This is because of Zico's time at the club. Many Brazilian players and coaches have joined Kashima over the years.
The city of Kashima has about 60,000 people. Because of this, the club also includes the nearby cities of Itako, Kamisu, Namegata, and Hokota as its official hometowns. The total population of these five cities is around 280,000.
Home Stadium: Kashima Soccer Stadium
The Kashima Soccer Stadium has been the home of Kashima Antlers since March 26, 1993. The stadium is important for the local area. There are plans to improve the Kashima Soccer Museum and the Wellness Plaza, which includes a public bath. The club wants the stadium to be a community hub, even on days when there are no matches.
Kashima Stadium is also a very important football ground. It was chosen to host games for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This means it will host international competitions again, just like it did for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In 2008, a 500-meter LED advertising board was put up around the stadium. It was the longest in Asia at the time! In 2017, new large electronic screens were added to improve the experience for fans watching games.
Kit and Colours
| Season(s) | Kit manufacturer | Main shirt sponsor | Collarbone sponsor | Additional sponsor(s) | ||||
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| 2017 | Nike | Lixil | — | Yellow Hat | Riso Kagaku Corporation | Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal | Eyeful Home | — |
| 2018 | Mercari | |||||||
| 2019 | Nippon Steel | |||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||
| 2021 | Merpay / kaneka | Connect | ||||||
| 2022 | kaneka | |||||||
| 2023 | Takasago Thermal Engineering | |||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||
Kit Evolution: Home Kits
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Kit Evolution: Away Kits
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Kit Evolution: Alternative Kits
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   2009 ACL |
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Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Kashima Antlers Youth Team
The main U-18 team of Kashima Antlers plays in the Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League. This is the top league for U-18 teams from professional soccer clubs and high schools in Japan.
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Club Honours: Trophies Won
Kashima Antlers has won many important football titles. Here are some of their biggest achievements:
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| All Japan Senior Football Championship | 1 | 1973 |
| Japan Soccer League (Second tier) | 2 | 1984, 1986–87 |
| J1 League | 8 | 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016 |
| Emperor's Cup | 5 | 1997, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2016 |
| J.League Cup | 6 | 1997, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2015 |
| A3 Champions Cup | 1 | 2003 |
| Japanese Super Cup | 6 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2017 |
| J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship | 2 | 2012, 2013 |
| AFC Champions League | 1 | 2018 |
Club Slogans Through the Years
Kashima Antlers has used different slogans each year to inspire their team and fans. Here are some of them:
| Year | Slogan |
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| 1998 | CHALLENGE |
| 1999 | NEXT |
| 2000 | Glory Again– 原点からの挑戦– (Challenge from the Beginning) |
| 2001 | - 勝利主義 Antlersism – FOR NEXT 10 YEARS (Doctrine of Victory) |
| 2002 | - 進化 Antlersism – STAIRWAY TO THE WORLD (Evolution) |
| 2003 | OVER'03 – カシマからアジア、そして世界へ – (From Kashima to Asia, then to the World) |
| 2004 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2004 – 奪冠10 – (Take the Crown 10) |
| 2005 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2005 – 反撃宣言 – (Declaration of Counter-Attack) |
| 2006 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2006 – 一新制覇 – (Brand New Conquest) |
| 2007 | FOOTBALL DREAM'07 – 魂 Spirits – |
| Year | Slogan |
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| 2008 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2008 – DESAFIO 挑戦 – (Challenge) |
| 2009 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2009 – PROGRESSO 飛躍 – (Progress) |
| 2010 | FOOTBALL DREAM 2010 – Evolução 新化 – (Evolution) |
| 2011 | FOOTBALL DREAM NEXT |
| 2012 | SMILE AGAIN with PRIDE |
| 2013 | RENASCIMENTO – 誇りを胸に – (Rebirth – Carrying Pride in Our Hearts) |
| 2014 | SPECTACLE – 戦 – (Battle) |
| 2015 | RISE TO THE CHALLENGE – 覚悟 – (Ready) |
| 2016 | FOOTBALL DREAM ともに (Together) |
| 2017 | FOOTBALL DREAM つなぐ (Connected) |
| Year | Slogan |
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| 2018 | FOOTBALL DREAM こえる (Surpassing) |
| 2019 | FOOTBALL DREAM かわる (Changing) |
| 2020 | FOOTBALL DREAM みせる (On Display) |
| 2021 | FOOTBALL DREAM しんか (Evolution) |
| 2022 | FOOTBALL DREAM いどむ (Challenge) |
| 2023 | FOOTBALL DREAM ひとつに (Be the One) |
| 2024 | FOOTBALL DREAM かける (Hang on) |
Images for kids
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2018 AFC Champions League champions
See also
- List of world champion football clubs and vice-world champions in football
