Takahiro Shimotaira facts for kids

Takahiro Shimotaira (下平 隆宏, Shimotaira Takahiro, born December 18, 1971) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the J2 League club V-Varen Nagasaki.

Playing Career: A Midfielder's Journey

Takahiro Shimotaira was born in Gonohe, Aomori, Japan, on December 18, 1971. After finishing high school, he began his professional football journey. In 1990, he joined the Japan Soccer League club Hitachi. This club later became known as Kashiwa Reysol.

Becoming a Regular Player

By 1991, Shimotaira had become a regular player for his team. He played as a defensive midfielder, helping to protect his team's goal. In 1992, the Japan Soccer League changed. His club then joined the new Japan Football League.

Reaching the Top League

In 1995, Kashiwa Reysol achieved a big goal. They were promoted to the J.League Division 1, which is Japan's top football league. A major highlight of his playing career came in 1999. That year, his team won the J.League Cup, a significant tournament.

Shimotaira spent eleven seasons with Kashiwa Reysol. During this time, he played in over 250 games. He also scored eight goals for the club.

Moving to FC Tokyo and Retirement

In May 2001, Shimotaira moved to another club, FC Tokyo. By September of that year, he was chosen to be the team's captain. This showed how much his new team trusted his leadership.

He returned to Kashiwa Reysol in 2003. He played for two more seasons before deciding to retire. Takahiro Shimotaira ended his playing career at the end of the 2004 season, at the age of 32.

Coaching Career: Leading Teams to Success

After retiring as a player, Shimotaira began a new chapter in football: coaching. He started his coaching career at Kashiwa Reysol in 2005.

Starting at Kashiwa Reysol

For many years, from 2005 to 2015, he worked with the youth teams. He also served as a scout, looking for new talented players. In 2016, he became a manager for the main team. He worked under another manager, Milton Mendes.

In March 2016, Shimotaira took over as the main manager. The club finished 8th in the league that year. In 2017, he led Kashiwa Reysol to a strong 4th place finish. This success meant the team qualified for the 2018 AFC Champions League, a major Asian club competition. However, the team's results were not as good at the start of the 2018 season. He left the club in May 2018.

Success with Yokohama FC

In 2019, Shimotaira joined J2 League club, Yokohama FC. He started as a head coach. In May, he became the team's new manager. Yokohama FC was in 14th place when he took over.

Shimotaira worked hard and led the team to an amazing turnaround. They finished the season in 2nd place. This earned them promotion to the J1 League, Japan's top division. It was the first time Yokohama FC had been in the J1 League in 13 years!

Managing Oita Trinita

In December 2021, it was announced that Shimotaira would become the manager of Oita Trinita. This club was in the J2 League. In his first season in 2022, Oita Trinita finished 5th. They almost got promoted but missed out after a close play-off game.

In his second season, 2023, Oita finished 9th. Shimotaira decided to step down from his role at the end of that season.

New Challenge at V-Varen Nagasaki

In February 2024, Shimotaira was announced as the new manager for V-Varen Nagasaki. This happened just nine days before the start of the season. Under his leadership, V-Varen Nagasaki had a very strong start to the season.

Shimotaira's excellent work was recognized in April 2024. He was awarded the J2 League manager of the month award. This was because his team won all five of their games that month.

Honours

Player

Kashiwa Reysol

• J.League Cup: 1999

Manager

V-Varen Nagasaki

• J2 League Manager of the Month award: April 2024

See also

In Spanish: Takahiro Shimotaira para niños