Takafumi Hori facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Takafumi Hori | ||
| Date of birth | September 10, 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1983–1985 | Kamakura High School | ||
| 1986–1989 | Meiji University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1990–1992 | Toshiba | 41 | (9) |
| 1992–1998 | Urawa Reds | 158 | (11) |
| 1999–2001 | Shonan Bellmare | 95 | (7) |
| Total | 294 | (27) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011 | Urawa Reds | ||
| 2017–2018 | Urawa Reds | ||
| 2021–2022 | Tokyo Verdy | ||
| 2023 | Vegalta Sendai | ||
|
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Takafumi Hori (堀 孝史, Hori Takafumi, born September 10, 1967) is a Japanese football manager and former footballer. He is currently the assistant manager of J2 League club Yokohama FC. His brother, Naoto Hori, is also a footballer.
Contents
Takafumi Hori's Football Journey
Takafumi Hori was born in Atsugi, Japan, on September 10, 1967. He became a well-known football player and later a successful coach. He played as a midfielder for several Japanese clubs.
Playing Days
After finishing his studies at Meiji University, Hori began his professional career in 1990. He joined a team called Toshiba. Right from his first season, he became an important player. He often played as an offensive midfielder, helping his team score goals.
In 1992, Takafumi Hori moved to Urawa Reds. Here, he played many games as a defensive midfielder. This role meant he helped protect his team's goal. In 1995, a new manager, Holger Osieck, officially changed his position to defensive midfielder.
By 1998, Hori was not playing as much. So, in 1999, he joined Bellmare Hiratsuka, which later became Shonan Bellmare. He played many matches there and helped the club, especially since they had many young players. He retired from playing football at the end of the 2001 season.
Becoming a Coach
After he stopped playing, Takafumi Hori started a new career as a coach. He began coaching at Shonan Bellmare in 2002. In 2005, he moved back to Urawa Reds. He mostly worked with the youth teams there, helping young players develop their skills.
In 2011, the main team at Urawa Reds was not doing well. Their manager, Željko Petrović, was replaced. Takafumi Hori was asked to step in as the new manager in October. He managed five matches and successfully helped the club stay in the J1 League, which is Japan's top football league.
From 2012, he became a coach under the new manager, Mihailo Petrović. In July 2017, Petrović was replaced, and Hori became the manager again. Under his leadership, the club achieved a huge victory. They won the 2017 AFC Champions League for the first time in ten years! This is a very important competition for clubs in Asia.
Because of this big win, Takafumi Hori was also named the AFC Coach of the Year in 2017. However, the team's performance was not as good in 2018. He was replaced as manager in April of that year.
Big Wins and Awards
Takafumi Hori has achieved some great things in his coaching career.
- AFC Champions League:
- Urawa Red Diamonds: 2017
- AFC Coach of the Year:
- 2017
See also
In Spanish: Takafumi Hori para niños
