Koji Sakamoto facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Koji Sakamoto | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | December 3, 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Yasu, Shiga, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Shizuoka Gakuen High School | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Júbilo Iwata | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2012 | Shonan Bellmare | 456 | (57) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 456 | (57) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Koji Sakamoto (坂本 紘司, Sakamoto Koji, born December 3, 1978) is a former Japanese football player. He was a talented midfielder who played for many years in the J.League, Japan's professional football league.
Contents
Koji Sakamoto: A Football Star
Koji Sakamoto was born in Yasu, Japan, on December 3, 1978. He grew up loving football and worked hard to become a professional player. His journey in football began in high school, leading him to play for some well-known Japanese clubs.
His Early Days and Club Journey
After finishing Shizuoka Gakuen High School, Koji Sakamoto joined Júbilo Iwata, a club in the top-tier J1 League, in 1997. Even though he played a few matches as a substitute forward in the J.League Cup, he didn't get much playing time in regular league games during his years there.
In 2000, Sakamoto moved to Shonan Bellmare, a club in the J2 League. He didn't play any matches in his first year with Shonan Bellmare. However, from 2001, he became a regular player. He mostly played as an offensive midfielder, helping his team score goals.
A Leader on the Field
Koji Sakamoto played for Shonan Bellmare for a long time, from 2000 until he retired in 2012. He was a very important player for the team. In 2007, his role changed, and he started playing as a defensive midfielder. This meant he focused more on stopping the other team from scoring.
However, in 2009, his manager, Yasuharu Sorimachi, moved him back to an offensive midfielder position. That same year, Shonan Bellmare finished in third place in the J2 League. This great performance helped the team get promoted to the J1 League for the 2010 season.
Career Highlights
Even though Shonan Bellmare was relegated back to J2 after just one year in J1 (in 2010), Koji Sakamoto remained a dedicated player. In his final season in 2012, he played many matches as a substitute. He decided to retire from professional football at the end of the 2012 season.
Koji Sakamoto holds a special record at Shonan Bellmare. He played an amazing 456 J.League games for the club. This is the most games played by any player for Shonan Bellmare between 2000 and 2012. He also scored 57 goals during his time with the team. For many years, he was also the team's captain, showing his leadership skills on the field.
External links
- Koji Sakamoto at J.League Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 22: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
See also
In Spanish: Koji Sakamoto para niños
