Kazuo Saito facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Kazuo Saito | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | July 27, 1951 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Saitama, Saitama, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1969 | Saitama Urawa Minami High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–1973 | Hosei University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1989 | Mitsubishi Motors | 248 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 248 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1984 | Japan | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Mitsubishi Motors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Kawasaki Frontale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Urawa Reds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | JEF United Chiba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kazuo Saito (斉藤 和夫, Saitō Kazuo, born July 27, 1951) is a famous Japanese football player and manager. He was born in Saitama, Japan. Saito played as a defender for many years. He was also a key player for the Japan national team. After his playing career, he became a successful football manager.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Kazuo Saito started his football journey in his hometown. He was born on July 27, 1951. After finishing his studies at Hosei University, he joined Mitsubishi Motors in 1974. This was his local club.
Success with Mitsubishi Motors
Saito's team, Mitsubishi Motors, was very strong. They finished second in the Japan Soccer League for four years in a row. This was from 1974 to 1977. In 1978, the club had an amazing year. They won three big titles in Japan:
- The Japan Soccer League
- The JSL Cup
- The Emperor's Cup
The team continued to win more trophies. They won the 1980 Emperor's Cup, the 1981 JSL Cup, and the 1982 Japan Soccer League. Saito was a very important player during these successful years. He was even chosen for the "Best Eleven" team three times. This happened in 1975, 1977, and 1978.
End of Club Playing Career
Towards the end of his career, the club faced some challenges. In the 1988–89 season, Mitsubishi Motors finished last. This meant they moved down to Division 2. Kazuo Saito retired from playing in 1989. He played 248 league games for the club and scored 3 goals.
National Team Journey
Kazuo Saito also played for his country, the Japan national team. His first game for Japan was on January 28, 1976. This match was against Bulgaria.
Key International Matches
Saito was a regular player for Japan in important tournaments. He played in the qualification games for the 1976 Summer Olympics. He also played in the 1978 World Cup qualification matches. In 1978, he was part of the Japan team for the Asian Games.
Final Games for Japan
After 1978, Saito did not play for the national team for six years. He returned to play for Japan in 1984. His last game for the national team was during the 1984 Summer Olympics qualification. In total, Kazuo Saito played 32 games for Japan.
Coaching and Management Career
After retiring as a player in 1989, Kazuo Saito started a new chapter as a football manager. He took over as manager for Mitsubishi Motors. This club later became known as Urawa Reds.
Early Managerial Success
In the 1989–90 season, Saito led Mitsubishi Motors to victory. They won the championship in Division 2. This win meant the club was promoted back to Division 1. He stayed as manager until 1992.
Coaching Different Clubs
Saito continued his coaching career with various teams. He worked as a coach for Urawa Reds and JEF United Ichihara. In 1997, he became the manager for Kawasaki Frontale. He returned to manage Urawa Reds again in 2000. From 2010, he joined JEF United Chiba as a coach. In 2014, he briefly managed JEF United Chiba as a temporary coach.
Club Statistics
| Club performance | League | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | League | |||
| 1974 | Mitsubishi Motors | JSL Division 1 | 15 | 0 |
| 1975 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 1976 | 17 | 1 | ||
| 1977 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 1978 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 1979 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 1980 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 1981 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 1982 | 18 | 0 | ||
| 1983 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1984 | 15 | 0 | ||
| 1985/86 | 21 | 0 | ||
| 1986/87 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 1987/88 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 1988/89 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Total | 248 | 3 | ||
National Team Statistics
| Japan national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1976 | 14 | 0 |
| 1977 | 5 | 0 |
| 1978 | 9 | 0 |
| 1979 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | 0 | 0 |
| 1981 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | 0 | 0 |
| 1984 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 32 | 0 |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Urawa Reds | 2000 | 2000 | 40 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 70.00 |
| JEF United Chiba | 2014 | 2014 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00 |
| Total | 42 | 29 | 3 | 10 | 69.05 | ||
External Links
- Japan National Football Team Database
- Kazuo Saito at J.League Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
See also
In Spanish: Kazuo Saito para niños
