Nagoya Grampus facts for kids
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| Full name | Nagoya Grampus | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Grampus G8 |
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| Founded | 1946 as Toyota Motor SC | ||
| Stadium | Toyota Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity |
44,692 | ||
| Owner | Toyota | ||
| Chairman | Toyo Kato | ||
| Manager | Kenta Hasegawa | ||
| League | J1 League | ||
| 2022 | J1 League, 8th of 18 | ||
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Nagoya Grampus (名古屋グランパス) is a Japanese football club. They play in the J1 League, which is the top football league in Japan. The team used to be called Nagoya Grampus Eight (名古屋グランパスエイト).
The club is based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It was started by the Toyota Motor Corp. company in 1939. Nagoya Grampus plays its home games at two stadiums: Mizuho Athletic Stadium (which holds 27,000 people) and the larger Toyota Stadium (which holds 45,000 people) in the city of Toyota.
One of their most successful times was in 1996 when Arsène Wenger, a famous manager who later coached Arsenal, led them. They won the Emperor's Cup and finished second in the J.League that year. On November 20, 2010, the club won its first J.League championship. This was a huge moment for the team!
The team's name comes from two important symbols of Nagoya. Shachihoko are tiger-headed carp statues on Nagoya Castle. The word shachi sounds like the Japanese word for orca, which is a type of whale also called a "grampus." The second symbol is the maru-hachi (circle-eight), which is Nagoya's official emblem. The team's mascot is Grampus-kun, who is an orca.
Contents
Club History
Early Days: Japan Soccer League
The club started as Toyota Motor SC in 1939. In 1972, they were one of the first teams in the JSL's Second Division and won the championship that year. They played in the Japan Soccer League until the J.League started in 1993. In 1990, the club changed its name to "Nagoya Grampus Eight." They stayed in the top league for 26 years until 2016.
Joining the J.League
Nagoya Grampus Eight was one of the first ten teams to join the new J.League in 1993. In 1996, with manager Arsène Wenger, they won the Emperor's Cup and came in second place in the J.League.
In 2008, the team's name changed from "Nagoya Grampus Eight" to just "Nagoya Grampus." That same year, their former player Dragan Stojković became the manager. He led the team to win the J.League championship in 2010. After a tough 2016 season, Grampus was moved down to the J2 League for the first time. But they quickly bounced back! On December 3, 2017, they earned their way back into the J1 League after just one season.
In 2019, Massimo Ficcadenti became the new manager. He led the club to win the J.League Cup in 2021. Now, Kenta Hasegawa is the team's manager.
The Kashima Stadium Challenge
For a long time, Nagoya Grampus had a tough time playing against Kashima Antlers at their home stadium, Kashima Soccer Stadium. Starting from a 5-0 loss in 1993, Grampus lost 22 games in a row there! This included games in the Emperor's Cup and J.League Cup. But finally, after 15 years, on August 23, 2008, Grampus won their first game against Kashima Antlers at their stadium.
Team Connections
- AS Roma (Italy): On November 25, 2022, Nagoya Grampus started a partnership with the Italian club AS Roma.
Team Kit and Sponsors
The team's kit (uniform) is made by Mizuno. They have different sponsors on their shirts and other parts of their uniform. These sponsors include Toyota, Denso, Toyota Tsusho, and others like Goo Net and V Vantelin.
Current Players
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Players on Loan
Sometimes players go to other teams for a while to get more playing time. Here are some Nagoya Grampus players who are currently playing for other clubs:
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Club Staff
Here are some of the people who work behind the scenes to help the team:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Kenta Hasegawa |
| Head coach | Kosuke Takeya |
| Coaches | Tsuyoshi Yoshitake Keiji Yoshimura |
| Analytical coach | Ryosuke Sato Shuta Tsukamoto |
| Goalkeeper coach | Kazumasa Kawano |
| Assistant goalkeeper coach | Seigo Narazaki |
| Performance coach | Daisuke Uematsu |
| Physical coach | Kaito Yamada |
| Chief doctor | Shinya Ishizuka |
| Physiotherapist | Masakazu Mizutani Toru Fujii |
| Chief trainer | Kento Fujita |
| Trainer | Hiroki Kondo Kohei Baba |
| Team side manager | Minoru Mita |
| Side affairs | Shinichi Kitano Shinnosuke Ishizaka Yasuhiro Tanigawa |
| Interpreter | Kota Kurosu Takashi Kurokawa Moon Keon-ho |
Player and Manager Awards
Top Player Awards
- J.League Player of the Year
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Dragan Stojković (1995) * Seigo Narazaki (2010)
- J.League Top Scorer
* 
Ueslei (2003) * 
Joshua Kennedy (2010, 2011) * Jô (2018)
- J.League Best Eleven (Best team of the year)
* Dragan Stojković (1995, 1996, 1999) * Ueslei (2003) * Seigo Narazaki (2003, 2008, 2010, 2011) * Marques (2004) * Yoshizumi Ogawa (2008) * Joshua Kennedy (2010, 2011) * 
Danilson Córdoba (2010) * Marcus Tulio Tanaka (2010, 2011, 2012) * Takahiro Masukawa (2010) * Jungo Fujimoto (2011) * Jô (2018) * Mitchell Langerak (2021)
- J.League Rookie of the Year (Best new player)
* Yoshizumi Ogawa (2008)
- J.League Manager of the Year
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Arsène Wenger (1995) * Dragan Stojković (2010)
World Cup Players
These players were chosen to play for their country in the World Cup while they were playing for Nagoya Grampus:
Takashi Hirano (1998)- Dragan Stojković (1998)
- Seigo Narazaki (2002, 2006, 2010)
- Keiji Tamada (2006, 2010)
- Joshua Kennedy (2010)
- Marcus Tulio Tanaka (2010)
Team Trophies
Nagoya Grampus has won several important championships:
| Trophy | How Many | Years Won |
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| J1 League (Top Japanese League) | 1 | 2010 |
| Japan Soccer League Division 2 (Old Second League) | 1 | 1972 |
| Emperor's Cup (National Cup) | 2 | 1995, 1999 |
| J.League Cup (League Cup) | 2 | 2021, 2024 |
| Japanese Super Cup (Season Opener) | 2 | 1996, 2011 |
| All Japan Senior Football Championship | 2 | 1968, 1970 |
| Konica Cup | 1 | 1991 |
League History Summary
Nagoya Grampus has played in different leagues over the years:
- Regional League (Tokai Adult Soccer League): 1966–1971
- Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1972
- Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1973–1977
- Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1978–1986
- Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1987
- Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1988–1989
- Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1990–1991
- Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 1992–2016
- Division 2 (J2 League): 2017
- Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2018–present
In total, they have spent 33 seasons in the top league, 12 seasons in the second league, and 6 seasons in regional leagues.
More About the Club
- Grampus-kun (The team mascot)
See also
In Spanish: Nagoya Grampus para niños
