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) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1984 | Japan | 32 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Mitsubishi Motors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Kawasaki Frontale | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Urawa Reds | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | JEF United Chiba | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Kazuo Saito (斉藤 和夫, Saitō Kazuo, born July 27, 1951) is a famous Japanese football player and coach. He played as a defender for the Japanese national team. After his playing days, he became a football manager for several teams.
Contents
Kazuo Saito's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
Kazuo Saito was born in Saitama, Japan, on July 27, 1951. After finishing his studies at Hosei University, he joined his local football club, Mitsubishi Motors, in 1974. This was the start of his long and successful club career.
Winning Championships
In his early years with Mitsubishi Motors, the team was very strong. They finished in second place in the Japan Soccer League for four years in a row, from 1974 to 1977.
The year 1978 was amazing for Saito and his team. They won all three major football titles in Japan:
- Japan Soccer League
- JSL Cup
- Emperor's Cup
The club continued to win more trophies. They won the Emperor's Cup again in 1980 and the JSL Cup in 1981. In 1982, they also won the Japan Soccer League title once more.
Later Years and Retirement
Kazuo Saito played for Mitsubishi Motors for many years. He was a key player for the team. However, in the 1988–89 season, the club had a tough time and ended up at the very bottom of the league. This meant they were moved down to Division 2.
Saito decided to retire from playing football in 1989. He played a total of 248 games in the league and scored 3 goals during his time as a player. He was recognized as one of the best players, being chosen for the "Best Eleven" team in 1975, 1977, and 1978.
Playing for Japan's National Team
Debuting for His Country
Kazuo Saito also had a great career playing for the Japan national football team. He made his first appearance for Japan on January 28, 1976, in a match against Bulgaria.
Key International Matches
He quickly became a regular player for the national team. He played in important matches like the qualification rounds for the 1976 Summer Olympics and the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He was also chosen to represent Japan at the 1978 Asian Games.
Final Games for Japan
After 1978, Saito didn't play for the national team for six years. However, he returned in 1984 for the 1984 Summer Olympics qualification matches. These games were his last for the Japanese national team. In total, he played 32 games for Japan.
Kazuo Saito's Coaching Career
Becoming a Manager
After retiring as a player in 1989, Kazuo Saito didn't leave football. He became a manager for his old club, Mitsubishi Motors. He took over from Kuniya Daini.
Leading Teams to Success
In his first season as manager (1989–90), he led Mitsubishi Motors to win the championship in Division 2. This meant the team was promoted back to Division 1. He stayed as manager until 1992.
Over the years, Saito worked as a coach for different clubs, including Urawa Reds and JEF United Ichihara. In 1997, he became the manager for Kawasaki Frontale. He returned to manage Urawa Reds again in 2000.
Later Coaching Roles
From 2010, he joined JEF United Chiba as a coach. In 2014, he briefly took over as the main manager for JEF United Chiba as a caretaker, after Jun Suzuki left.
See also
In Spanish: Kazuo Saito para niños
