Makoto Hasebe facts for kids
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Hasebe with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Makoto Hasebe | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 January 1984 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fujieda, Shizuoka, Japan | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
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Current team
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Japan (assistant coach) | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | Aojima Higashi SSS | ||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Aojima Junior High School | ||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Fujieda Higashi High School | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 2002–2007 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 149 | (12) | ||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | VfL Wolfsburg | 135 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2014–2024 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 235 | (2) | ||||||||||
| Total | 533 | (19) | |||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2018 | Japan | 114 | (2) | ||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||
| 2024– | Japan (assistant coach) | ||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Makoto Hasebe (長谷部 誠, Hasebe Makoto, born 18 January 1984) is a famous Japanese football coach and former player. He played as a centre-back (a defender in the middle) or a defensive midfielder (a player who protects the defense). Today, he is an assistant coach for the Japan national team.
Hasebe started his professional football journey with Urawa Red Diamonds in 2002. He moved to Germany in 2008 to play in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. There, he won a league title with VfL Wolfsburg in the 2008–09 season. Later, he joined 1. FC Nürnberg and then Eintracht Frankfurt in 2014. At Frankfurt, he played over 300 matches and won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and the UEFA Europa League title.
Makoto Hasebe also played for the Japan national team from 2006 to 2018. He played 114 international games, making him one of Japan's most experienced players. He was the team captain from 2010 until he retired from international football in 2018. He led Japan in three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018) and two AFC Asian Cups (2011, 2015). He was the captain when Japan won the 2011 Asian Cup.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting with Urawa Red Diamonds
After finishing high school in 2002, Makoto Hasebe joined Urawa Red Diamonds, a professional football club in Japan. By 2003, he became a regular player for their main team. He often played as a defensive midfielder, working with another player named Keita Suzuki.
In 2004, he received the J.League Cup New Hero Award. He was also chosen for the J.League team of the year. The fans of Urawa also picked him as their Player of the Year. His team, the Reds, won the J1 League championship in 2006 for the first time ever. They also won their first Asian title in the 2007 AFC Champions League.
Moving to VfL Wolfsburg
In January 2008, Hasebe moved to Germany to play for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. He was the first Japanese player to join this team. In 2009, he made history again by becoming only the second Japanese player to win the Bundesliga title.
Hasebe extended his contract with Wolfsburg until 2012. On September 17, 2011, he even played as a goalkeeper for the last nine minutes of a match against 1899 Hoffenheim. On December 3, 2011, he played his 100th Bundesliga match.
Time at 1. FC Nürnberg
On September 2, 2013, Hasebe signed a three-year contract with 1. FC Nürnberg. He played for them for one season.
Success with Eintracht Frankfurt
Hasebe joined Eintracht Frankfurt for the 2014–15 season and quickly became a key player. He almost never missed a game in his first year. In the 2015–16 season, he continued to play as a midfielder.
In late 2016, under new coach Niko Kovač, Hasebe started playing as a centre-back (a central defender). He played in the DFB-Pokal final that season, but his team lost.
In the 2017–18 season, Eintracht Frankfurt finished eighth in the Bundesliga. They also reached the DFB-Pokal final again. In May 2018, his team won the cup by beating FC Bayern Munich 3–1. This win qualified them for the UEFA Europa League.
In the 2018–19 Europa League, Hasebe played every minute of all 14 matches. His team beat strong clubs like Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, and Benfica Lisbon. They reached the semi-finals but lost to Chelsea FC in a penalty shootout.
Because of his great performances, he was recognized as an "International Class" player by kicker magazine. On June 6, 2020, Hasebe played his 309th Bundesliga game. This meant he had played more Bundesliga matches than any other Asian player, passing South Korean Cha Bum-kun.
At the start of the 2020–21 season, Hasebe was the oldest player in the Bundesliga at 36 years old. He often served as captain for Eintracht Frankfurt. On May 18, 2022, Hasebe won the UEFA Europa League title with Frankfurt, coming on as a substitute in the final against Rangers F.C..
After his 40th birthday in January 2024, Hasebe became one of only five players to play in the Bundesliga at age 40 or older. On April 17, 2024, Hasebe announced he would retire from professional football at the end of the 2023–24 season. He played around 700 games in his 22-year career, including 380 Bundesliga matches. This makes him the third non-German player with the most Bundesliga appearances. He played his last game at 40 years and 121 days old, becoming Frankfurt's oldest player in Bundesliga history.
International Career for Japan
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Makoto Hasebe played his first game for the Japan senior national team on February 11, 2006. This was a friendly match against the USA. Even though he played a few games, he was not chosen for the 2006 World Cup.
After the 2006 World Cup, Hasebe started playing more regularly for Japan. From May 2008 onwards, he was often in the squad as a defensive midfielder.
Hasebe was the captain on the field for Japan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also captained the team at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He led the team in three World Cup tournaments. He announced his retirement from international football after Japan lost to Belgium in the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. At the 2010 World Cup, Hasebe played all four matches, and Japan reached the knockout stage.
After the 2010 World Cup, Hasebe continued to be captain under a new manager. In 2011, Japan won the Asian Cup. He played all six matches and scored a goal against Syria. He played three matches in the 2014 World Cup, but Japan was eliminated in the group stage.
Hasebe played all four matches at the 2015 Asian Cup, where Japan was knocked out in the quarter-finals. He had some injuries in 2017, which limited his playing time. He was part of the squad for the 2018 World Cup. He played all four matches as a defensive midfielder. Japan reached the knockout stage but lost in the Round of 16. After this World Cup, he retired from the national team, having played a total of 114 games and scoring two goals.
Achievements and Awards
Urawa Red Diamonds
- AFC Champions League: 2007
- J1 League: 2006
- J1 League 2nd Stage: 2004
- Emperor's Cup: 2005, 2006
- J.League Cup: 2003
- Japanese Super Cup: 2006
VfL Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09
Eintracht Frankfurt
- DFB-Pokal: 2017–18; runner-up: 2022–23
- UEFA Europa League: 2021–22
- UEFA Super Cup runner-up: 2022
Japan
- AFC Asian Cup: 2011
- Kirin Cup: 2008, 2009, 2011
Individual Awards
- J.League Best XI: 2004
- J.League Cup New Hero Award: 2004
- AFC Asian International Player of the Year: 2018
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
- VDV Team of the Season: 2018–19
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2018–19
See also
In Spanish: Makoto Hasebe para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
