Sagan Tosu facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Sagan Tosu Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sagan | ||
| Founded | 1997 | ||
| Stadium | Ekimae Real Estate Stadium Tosu, Saga |
||
| Stadium capacity |
24,130 | ||
| Chairman | Minoru Takehara | ||
| Manager | Akio Kogiku | ||
| League | J1 League | ||
| 2022 | J1 League, 11th of 18 | ||
|
|
|||
Sagan Tosu (サガン鳥栖, Sagan Tosu) is a professional football club from Tosu, Saga Prefecture, Japan. The team currently plays in the J2 League, which is the second-highest football league in Japan. They were moved down from the J1 League in 2024.
The name Sagan is a special word that has a few meanings. One meaning is "sandstone" in Japanese. This idea shows how many small parts can come together to make one strong thing, just like a football team. Also, Sagan Tosu can mean "Tosu of Saga (Prefecture)" in the local dialect.
Contents
Club History and Achievements
Starting the Team
Sagan Tosu was created in February 1997. It took over from a previous team called Tosu Futures that had financial problems. Sagan Tosu joined the Japan Football League from 1997 to 1998. They also played in the J. League Cup in 1997.
In 1999, the club became one of the first ten teams in the new J. League Division 2 (J2). They stayed in this league for many years. Slowly, Sagan Tosu became a stronger club in Japan, especially with their new President, Minoru Takehara.
Rising to the J1 League
At the end of the 2011 season, Sagan Tosu earned a promotion to the J1 League, the top league in Japan. Many people thought they would quickly go back down to J2. But in their first J1 season in 2012, they surprised everyone! They stayed between 5th and 11th place for most of the season.
They even had a chance to qualify for the 2013 AFC Champions League. This is a big tournament for top clubs in Asia. However, they lost their last game and finished in 5th place. In 2012, Sagan Tosu also became the first club in Asia to partner with Warrior Sports, a company that sponsors famous clubs like Liverpool.
Cup Success and International Players
In 2013, Sagan Tosu reached the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup for the first time. This was a big achievement for a club from the Kyushu region. That same year, they invited the A-League team Sydney FC to Japan. Famous Italian player Alessandro Del Piero also came with them.
The 2014 season was their most successful in the J1 League. They were even at the top of the league table several times. However, their coach, Yoon Jung-Hwan, left the team in August. The club also started a partnership with the Italian club Juventus for a youth tour in Japan.
A very exciting moment happened on July 10, 2018. The club signed Fernando Torres, a famous Spanish player. He had won the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League. Torres played 35 games for Sagan Tosu and scored 5 goals before he retired from football.
On October 19, 2024, Sagan Tosu was officially moved down to the J2 League. This happened after they lost to Kyoto Sanga. They had been in the top league for 13 years.
Team Uniforms and Colours
Home Kits Over the Years
| Home kits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
          |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
  |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
Away Kits Over the Years
| Away kits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
     |
     |
 |
     |
     |
     |
     |
    |
     |
     |
     |
     |
   |
     |
    |
     |
     |
     |
     |
     |
Special Edition Kits
| Alternative kits | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
     |
     |
    |
  Hawk Festival Memorial |
     Ladies Day |
    Hawk Festival Memorial |
     |
     Hawk Festival Memorial |
     20th Anniversary |
   |
    Hawk Festival Memorial |
     |
     |
     Falcon Festival Commemoration |
   F. Torres retirement game commemoration |
 F. Torres Retirement Match |
     25th Anniversary |
|||
Current Team Players
This section lists the players who are currently part of the Sagan Tosu squad.
|
|
Players on Loan to Other Teams
These players are still part of Sagan Tosu but are playing for other clubs for a period of time.
|
|
Special Retired Jersey Number
- 17
Sakata Michitaka – This number was retired to honor a former professor from Saga University. He helped a lot with starting Tosu Futures and bringing the team back as Sagan Tosu. He passed away on January 7, 2000. The number 17 marks the day he died.
Club Staff and Coaches
Here are the main people who work for the club for the 2025 season.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Akio Kogiku |
| Assistant manager | Naoya Kikuchi |
| Coaches | Yuzuru Suwabe Naoyuki Iwata Yoshizumi Ogawa Cho Dong-geon |
| Goalkeeping coach | Takuya Muro |
| Physical coach | Tadashi Noda |
| Analyst | Shota Tamaki Yutaro Hamada |
| Chief trainer | Toru Kawaguchi |
| Athletic trainer | Atsushi Shiga |
| Trainer | Daisuke Adachi Masahiro Hirano Masashi Maeda |
| Interpreter |  Alesso Mariani Lee Kang-haeng Naoto Muramatsu Ryuki Yamamoto |
| Competent | Yoshito Tsuichihara |
| Deputy officer | Naoki Egawa Ayaki Goto |
| Equipment manager | Yoshiki Sugimoto |
| Chief doctor | Kyota Nishifuru |
Team Managers Through the Years
This table shows the different managers who have led the Sagan Tosu team.
| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Takashi Kuwahara |  Japan |
1 February 1993 | 31 January 1995 |
| Hiroshi Sowa | Japan |
1 February 1997 | 31 January 2000 |
| Kazuhiro Kōso | Japan |
1 February 2000 | 31 January 2002 |
| Hiroshi Soejima | Japan |
1 February 2002 | 31 January 2003 |
| Yoshinori Sembiki | Japan |
1 February 2003 | 31 January 2004 |
| Ikuo Matsumoto | Japan |
1 February 2004 | 31 January 2007 |
| Yasuyuki Kishino | Japan |
1 February 2007 | 31 January 2010 |
| Ikuo Matsumoto | Japan |
1 February 2010 | 31 January 2011 |
| Yun Jeong-hwan |  South Korea |
1 February 2011 | 7 August 2014 |
| Megumu Yoshida | Japan |
8 August 2014 | 31 January 2015 |
| Hitoshi Morishita | Japan |
1 February 2015 | 31 January 2016 |
| Massimo Ficcadenti |  Italy |
1 February 2016 | 18 October 2018 |
| Kim Myung-hwi | South Korea |
19 October 2018 | 31 January 2019 |
| Luis Carreras |  Spain |
1 February 2019 | 4 May 2019 |
| Kim Myung-hwi | South Korea |
4 May 2019 | 20 December 2021 |
| Kenta Kawai | Japan |
1 February 2022 | 8 August 2024 |
| Kosuke Kitani | Japan |
9 August 2024 | present |
League and Cup Results
This table shows how Sagan Tosu has performed in different leagues and cups over the years.
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | J. League Cup | Emperor's Cup | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | P | W (OTW/PKW) | D | L (OTL/PKL) | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | ||
| 1997 | JFL | 16 | 11th | 30 | 12 (1/0) | – | 17 | 38 | 54 | –16 | 38 | — | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 1998 | 16 | 8th | 30 | 11 (3) | – | 16 | 40 | 55 | –15 | 39 | — | 3rd round | ||
| 1999 | J2 | 10 | 8th | 36 | 11 (1) | 2 | 20 (2) | 52 | 64 | –12 | 37 | 3,385 | 1st round | 3rd round |
| 2000 | 11 | 6th | 40 | 13 (2) | 5 | 15 (5) | 41 | 52 | –11 | 48 | 3,714 | 1st round | 3rd round | |
| 2001 | 12 | 10th | 44 | 8 (2) | 4 | 28 (2) | 45 | 82 | –37 | 32 | 3,479 | 1st round | Round of 16 | |
| 2002 | 12 | 9th | 44 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 41 | 64 | –23 | 41 | 3,890 | Not eligible | 3rd round | |
| 2003 | 12 | 12th | 44 | 3 | 11 | 30 | 40 | 89 | –49 | 20 | 3,172 | 1st round | ||
| 2004 | 12 | 11th | 44 | 8 | 11 | 25 | 32 | 66 | –34 | 35 | 3,610 | 4th round | ||
| 2005 | 12 | 8th | 44 | 14 | 10 | 20 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 52 | 7,855 | 4th round | ||
| 2006 | 13 | 4th | 48 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 64 | 49 | 15 | 79 | 7,465 | 4th round | ||
| 2007 | 13 | 8th | 48 | 21 | 9 | 18 | 63 | 66 | –3 | 72 | 6,114 | Round of 16 | ||
| 2008 | 15 | 6th | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 50 | 51 | –1 | 64 | 7,261 | Quarter-finals | ||
| 2009 | 18 | 5th | 51 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 71 | 51 | 20 | 88 | 5,939 | Round of 16 | ||
| 2010 | 19 | 9th | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 42 | 41 | 1 | 51 | 6,633 | 3rd round | ||
| 2011 | 20 | 2nd | 38 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 68 | 34 | 34 | 69 | 7,731 | 2nd round | ||
| 2012 | J1 | 18 | 5th | 34 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 48 | 39 | 9 | 53 | 11,991 | Group stage | 2nd round |
| 2013 | 18 | 12th | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 54 | 63 | –9 | 46 | 11,515 | Group stage | Semi-finals | |
| 2014 | 18 | 5th | 34 | 19 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 33 | 8 | 60 | 14,137 | Group stage | Round of 16 | |
| 2015 | 18 | 11th | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 37 | 54 | –17 | 40 | 13,450 | Group stage | Quarter-finals | |
| 2016 | 18 | 11th | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 36 | 37 | –1 | 46 | 12,636 | Group stage | Round of 16 | |
| 2017 | 18 | 8th | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 41 | 44 | –3 | 47 | 14,194 | Group stage | 3rd round | |
| 2018 | 18 | 14th | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 34 | –5 | 41 | 15,000 | Group stage | Quarter-finals | |
| 2019 | 18 | 15th | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 32 | 53 | –21 | 36 | 15,050 | Group stage | Quarter-finals | |
| 2020 † | 18 | 13th | 34 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 37 | 43 | –6 | 36 | 4,675 | Group stage | Did not qualify | |
| 2021 † | 20 | 7th | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 53 | 35 | 8 | 59 | 7,276 | Group stage | Round of 16 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 11th | 34 | 9 | 15 | 10 | 45 | 44 | 1 | 42 | 9,358 | Group stage | Round of 16 | |
| 2023 | 18 | 14th | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 43 | 47 | –4 | 38 | 10,230 | Group stage | 3rd round | |
| 2024 | 20 | 20th | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 48 | 68 | –20 | 35 | 9,800 | Group stage (9) | Round of 16 | |
| 2025 | J2 | 20 | TBD | 38 | 1st round | TBD | ||||||||
- Key
- P = Total games played.
- W = Games won.
- D = Games drawn (tied).
- L = Games lost.
- F = Goals scored by the team.
- A = Goals scored against the team.
- GD = Goal difference (Goals For minus Goals Against).
- Pts = Total points earned.
- Attendance/G = Average number of fans at home games.
- OTW / PKW = Wins in overtime or by penalty kicks (used in older seasons).
- OTL / PKL = Losses in overtime or by penalty kicks (used in older seasons).
- † In 2020 and 2021, fewer fans could attend games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Source: J.League Data Site
See also
In Spanish: Sagan Tosu para niños
