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Stefan Ishizaki
Stefan Ishizaki (2015).jpg
Stefan Ishizaki in 2015
Personal information
Full name Stefan Daisuke Ishizaki
Date of birth (1982-05-15) 15 May 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth Stockholm, Sweden
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder
Number 24
Youth career
Rågsveds
AIK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2004 AIK 103 (17)
2004 Genoa (loan) 4 (0)
2005 Vålerenga 15 (2)
2006–2013 Elfsborg 183 (48)
2014–2015 LA Galaxy 50 (6)
2015–2017 AIK 59 (6)
2018–2019 Elfsborg 47 (3)
Total 461 (82)
National team
1997–1999 Sweden U16 29 (4)
2000 Sweden U18 3 (1)
2001–2004 Sweden U21 21 (5)
2001–2012 Sweden 13 (0)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 May 2018.
† Appearances (Goals).

Stefan Daisuke Ishizaki (Japanese: ステファン 大輔 石崎; born 15 May 1982) is a Swedish former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both defend and attack.

Stefan started his career with AIK in the late 1990s. He later played for several other teams, including Genoa, Vålerenga, and LA Galaxy. He finished his playing career at Elfsborg in 2019. Stefan also played for the Swedish national team 13 times between 2001 and 2012.

Stefan Ishizaki's Club Career

Early Days at AIK

Stefan was born in Sweden. His mother was Swedish, and his father was Japanese. He began playing football at Rågsveds before joining a big Swedish club, AIK, in 1999.

He played his first game for AIK in the same year in the Svenska Cupen, which is a cup competition. He came on as a substitute in the final game. AIK won the final, making Stefan the youngest player in Sweden to win the Cup. He was only 16 years and 364 days old!

Stefan's first league game was in the 2000 season. He quickly became a regular player for AIK. He had a great game against Helsingborg, scoring a goal and helping with two others. He had some injuries early in his career, but he recovered fully.

Time in Italy with Genoa

In 2004, Stefan was loaned to Genoa, an Italian club in Serie B. A loan means he played for them for a short time before returning to his original team. He didn't play many games for Genoa. The club had the chance to buy him permanently, but they didn't.

Playing in Norway for Vålerenga

After his loan, Stefan moved to Norway to play for Vålerenga in 2005. He helped Vålerenga win the league title. This was a big achievement because it stopped their rivals, Rosenborg, from winning the league for the 14th time in a row! It was Vålerenga's first title since 1984.

Success with Elfsborg

Stefan came back to Sweden in 2006 and joined Elfsborg. He was an important player for them. In his first season, he helped Elfsborg win the league title.

He stayed with Elfsborg for many years and was very successful. He won several medals with the team, including another league title in 2012. He signed a new five-year contract with the club in 2010.

Adventure in America with LA Galaxy

Stefan Ishizaki vs Seattle Sounders 2014 cropped
Ishizaki playing for LA Galaxy

In 2014, Stefan moved to the United States to play for the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer (MLS). This is the top football league in the US. While playing for the Galaxy, he helped them win the 2014 MLS Cup. He was a starter in the final game. Stefan left the club in July 2015 to return to Sweden and be with his family.

Back to AIK and Elfsborg

On 10 July 2015, Stefan signed a new contract with his old club, AIK. He played for AIK until the end of the 2017 season.

After leaving AIK, Stefan returned to Elfsborg for the 2018 season. He played for two more years before announcing his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2019 season.

Stefan Ishizaki's International Career

Because Stefan's father was Japanese and his mother was Swedish, he could choose to play for either the Swedish national team or the Japanese national team. In the early 2000s, he decided to play for Sweden.

He played for Sweden's youth teams, including the Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21 teams. He was part of the Sweden U21 team that played in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. They reached the semifinals but lost after a penalty shootout. Stefan successfully scored his penalty kick in that game.

For the senior national team, Stefan played 13 games for Sweden between 2001 and 2012. He never played in a major international tournament like the World Cup or European Championship.

Career Statistics

Club Performance

Club Performance League Cup Other Cups Continental Total
Club Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sweden Allsvenskan Svenska Cupen Other Cups UEFA Total
AIK 2000 21 3 0 0 0 0 21 3
2001 18 3 0 0 0 0 18 3
2002 25 5 0 0 0 0 4 0 29 5
2003 24 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 28 2
2004 15 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 4
Total 103 17 0 0 0 0 8 0 111 17
Italy Serie B Coppa Italia Other Cups UEFA Total
Genoa (loan) 2003–04 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Norway Tippeligaen Norgesmesterskapet Other Cups UEFA Total
Vålerenga 2005 15 2 0 0 10 2 4 0 29 4
Total 15 2 0 0 10 2 4 0 29 4
Sweden Allsvenskan Svenska Cupen Other Cups UEFA Total
Elfsborg 2006 25 4 0 0 7 1 32 5
2007 25 8 0 0 1 0 11 1 37 9
2008 21 8 0 0 5 0 2 0 28 8
2009 22 6 1 0 0 0 6 1 29 7
2010 13 6 0 0 0 0 5 2 18 8
2011 25 6 3 0 0 0 5 0 33 6
2012 25 8 0 0 0 0 5 0 30 8
2013 27 2 2 0 0 0 11 0 40 2
Total 183 48 6 0 13 1 45 4 247 53
United States MLS US Open Cup Other Cups CONCACAF Total
LA Galaxy 2014 30 5 2 0 32 5
2015 20 1 0 0 20 1
Total 50 6 2 0 52 6
Sweden Allsvenskan Svenska Cupen Other Cups UEFA Total
AIK 2015 9 1 0 0 4 1 13 2
2016 27 4 0 0 6 0 33 4
2017 23 1 4 0 6 1 33 2
Total 59 6 4 0 0 0 16 2 79 8
Elfsborg 2018 26 1 2 0 28 1
2019 21 2 0 0 21 2
Total 47 3 2 0 49 3
Career total 461 83 10 0 23 3 73 6 571 91

International Appearances

Games and goals for the Swedish National Team
National team Year Apps Goals
Sweden 2001 1 0
2002 0 0
2003 4 0
2004 0 0
2005 1 0
2006 2 0
2007 2 0
2008 1 0
2009 0 0
2010 1 0
2011 0 0
2012 1 0
Total 13 0

Honours and Achievements

Stefan Ishizaki won several important titles during his career:

With AIK

  • Svenska Cupen: 1999 (a major cup competition in Sweden)

With Vålerenga

  • Eliteserien: 2005 (the top football league in Norway)

With Elfsborg

  • Allsvenskan: 2006, 2012 (the top football league in Sweden)

With LA Galaxy

  • MLS Cup: 2014 (the championship trophy for Major League Soccer in the USA)
  • Western Conference: 2014 (LA Galaxy won their conference before the MLS Cup)

See also

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