Koji Nakajima facts for kids
Nakajima with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Koji Nakajima | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | August 20, 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sakai, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Sendai Ikuei High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Vegalta Sendai | 83 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2008 | JEF United Chiba | 96 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 99 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 278 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Koji Nakajima (中島 浩司, Nakajima Koji, born August 20, 1977) is a former Japanese football player. He was known for playing as a defensive midfielder or a center back. Nakajima played for several top clubs in Japan during his career. He won important championships before he retired in 2013.
Contents
Koji Nakajima's Football Journey
Koji Nakajima was born in Sakai, Japan, on August 20, 1977. After finishing high school, he started his professional football career in 1996. He joined a team called Brummel Sendai, which later became known as Vegalta Sendai.
Early Career at Vegalta Sendai
From 1997, Nakajima played many games as a defensive midfielder for Vegalta Sendai. His team was promoted to the J2 League in 1999. However, he started to play less often after that. By 2001, he wasn't playing in any matches. Even when the club moved up to the J1 League in 2002, he didn't get to play. He left the club at the end of 2002.
Success with JEF United Chiba
In 2003, Nakajima joined JEF United Ichihara, a team in the J1 League. The manager, Ivica Osim, really liked his playing style. Nakajima became an important player, not just as a defensive midfielder but also as a center back.
Winning the J.League Cup
With JEF United Chiba, Nakajima helped his team win the J.League Cup twice! They won in 2005 and again in 2006. He continued to play many matches even after manager Osim left. However, when a new manager, Alex Miller, arrived in May 2008, Nakajima's playing time decreased.
Joining Sanfrecce Hiroshima
In 2009, Koji Nakajima moved to Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Here, he became a regular player once more. He played as both a defensive midfielder and a center back. His team achieved second place in the 2010 J.League Cup.
J1 League Championships
From 2012, Nakajima didn't play as many matches. However, he was still part of the team when Sanfrecce Hiroshima won the J1 League championship two years in a row! They won in 2012 and again in 2013. Koji Nakajima retired from football at the end of the 2013 season.
See also
In Spanish: Kōji Nakajima para niños
