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Thespa Gunma
ザスパ群馬
Thespa Gunma.jpg
Nickname(s) Thespa (ザスパ, Zasupa)
Founded 1995; 29 years ago (1995) as Liaison Kusatsu
2005; 19 years ago (2005) as Thespa Kusatsu
2013; 11 years ago (2013) as Thespakusatsu Gunma
2024; 0 years ago (2024) as Thespa Gunma
Ground Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma
Maebashi, Gunma
Ground Capacity 15,253
Owner Kusatsu Onsen Football Club
Chairman Tomohiko Nara
Manager Tsuyoshi Otsuki
League J2 League
2023 11th of 22

Thespa Gunma (ザスパ群馬, Zasupa Gunma), formerly Thespakusatsu Gunma (ザスパクサツ群馬, Zasupakusatsu Gunma) is a professional football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club currently plays in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football.

History

The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, one of the most well-known spa resorts in Japan, as Liaison Kusatsu Football Club. The players were students of the specialized training college Higashi Nihon Soccer Academy. When the school closed in 1999 due to financial difficulties, the players decided to stay in Kusatsu and keep the club alive. In 2002, the club was incorporated as K.K. Kusatsu Onsen Football Club with a future promotion to the J. League in mind and adopted the new team name Thespa Kusatsu (ザスパ草津, zasupa kusatsu), meaning "The Spa, Kusatsu".

Because of J. League restrictions on stadiums, they play at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma (Shikishima Athletics Stadium) in nearby Maebashi, the prefectural capital since the club was promoted to J. League Division 2 in the 2005 season.

From 1 February 2013, the club adopted the new name "Thespakusatsu Gunma", to give the impression of the club as a representative of the entire Gunma Prefecture, while still leaving the name "Kusatsu" in it, as well as the logo of the club as it is.

After 12 years spent in the J2 League, Thespakusatsu Gunma was relegated to the J3 League for the first time in their history, having finished as the last-placed team in the 2017 J2 League. Gunma returned to the J2 League ahead of the 2020 season, being promoted back to J2 after two years spent in J3.

On 29 June 2023, Thespakusatsu Gunma new name would be Thespa Gunma.

On 5 October 2023, Thespakusatsu Gunma announcement officially change name and logo to Thespa Gunma from 2024 season due to leaving the name "kusatsu" since 2005 as Thespa Kusatsu.

Record as J. League member

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J. League Cup Emperor's
Cup
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts Attendance/G
As Thespa Kusatsu
2005 J2 12 12th 44 5 8 31 26 82 -56 23 3,959 Not eligible 4th round
2006 13 12th 48 9 15 24 54 86 -32 42 3,736 4th round
2007 13 11th 48 7 21 20 42 71 -29 42 3,808 4th round
2008 15 9th 42 13 14 15 45 52 -7 53 4,215 3rd round
2009 18 10th 51 18 11 22 64 76 -12 65 4,330 3rd round
2010 19 12th 36 14 6 16 36 48 -12 48 4,424 2nd round
2011 20 9th 38 16 9 13 51 51 0 57 3,211 2nd round
2012 22 17th 42 12 11 19 31 15 -14 47 3,341 2nd round
As Thespakusatsu Gunma
2013 J2 22 20th 42 9 13 20 43 61 -18 40 3,571 Not eligible 2nd round
2014 22 18th 42 14 7 21 45 54 -9 49 3,689 4th round
2015 22 18th 42 13 9 20 34 56 -22 48 4,099 1st round
2016 22 17th 42 11 12 19 52 66 -14 45 4,744 2nd round
2017 22 22nd 42 5 5 32 32 32 88 -56 3,832 3rd round
2018 J3 17 5th 32 15 7 10 37 35 2 52 3,346 2nd round
2019 18 2nd 34 18 9 7 59 34 25 63 3,594 2nd round
2020 † J2 22 20th 42 15 4 23 40 62 -22 49 1,709 Did not qualify
2021 † 22 18th 42 9 14 19 35 56 -21 41 2,082 4th round
2022 22 20th 42 11 9 22 36 57 -21 42 3,076 Round of 16
2023 22 11th 42 14 15 13 44 44 0 57 4,116 2nd round
As Thespa Gunma
2024 J2 20 TBA 38 TBC
Key
* Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
  • Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J. League Data Site

Honours

Thespa Gunma honours
Honour No. Years Notes
Gunma Prefecture Division 4 1 1995 as Liaison Kusatsu
Gunma Prefecture Division 3 1 1996
Gunma Prefecture 2nd Division A 1 1997
Gunma Prefecture Division 2 B 1 2001
Gunma Prefecture Division 1 1 2002 as Thespa Kusatsu
Kantō Division 2 1 2003

Current squad

As of 31 January 2024.

No. Position Player
2 Japan DF Hayate Shirowa
3 Japan DF Ryuya Ohata
4 Japan DF Yuma Funabashi
5 Japan MF Chie Edoojon Kawakami
6 Japan MF Tatsuya Uchida
7 Japan MF Masashi Wada
8 Japan FW Yuya Takazawa
9 Japan FW Shuto Kitagawa
10 Japan MF Ryo Sato
11 Japan FW Ryuji Sugimoto
13 Japan GK Issei Kondo
15 Japan MF Koki Kazama
17 Japan MF Atsuki Yamanaka
18 Japan FW Luna Iwamoto
19 Japan FW Sena Saito (on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
21 Japan GK Masatoshi Kushibiki
No. Position Player
22 Japan DF Yuriya Takahashi
23 Japan FW Shu Hiramatsu
24 Japan DF Shuichi Sakai
25 Japan DF Rikiru Nakano
27 Japan MF Ren Fujimura
29 Japan DF Ryota Tagashira
30 Japan FW Toranosuke Onoseki
33 Japan MF Hajime Hosogai
35 Japan MF Taishi Tamashiro
36 Japan DF Daiki Nakashio
39 Japan GK Kohei Maki
40 Japan FW Kosuke Sagawa (on loan from Tokyo Verdy)
41 Japan MF Takatora Einaga (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
42 Japan GK Ryo Ishii
50 Japan DF Kenta Kikuchi

Out on loan

No. Position Player
Japan MF Keita Toyama (on loan at Tiamo Hirakata)
Japan MF Yudai Tanaka (on loan at Tiamo Hirakata)

Coaching staff

For the 2023 season.

Position Name
Manager Japan Tsuyoshi Otsuki
Assistant manager Japan Akira Muto
First-team coach Japan Kentaro Yoshida
Japan Shunsuke Nakano
Goalkeeper coach Japan Hidetoyo Watanabe
Trainer Japan Ryo Murakami
Japan Yutaka Yamamoto
Physical coach Japan Yutaka Aoki
Conditioning coach Japan Koki Katakai
General manager Japan Kosuke Hara
Japan Riku Takahashi
Japan Ryota Osawa

Managerial history

Manager Nationality Tenure
Start Finish
Ratko Stevović  Montenegro 1995 1997
Naoki Kimura  Japan 1998 1999
Ratko Stevović  Montenegro 2000 2001
Ryōsuke Okuno  Japan 1 February 2002 31 January 2004
Satoshi Tezuka  Japan 1 January 2005 31 December 2005
Shigeharu Ueki  Japan 1 February 2006 31 January 2009
Tōru Sano  Japan 1 February 2009 31 January 2010
Hiroshi Soejima  Japan 1 February 2010 31 January 2013
Tadahiro Akiba  Japan 1 February 2013 31 January 2015
Hiroki Hattori  Japan 1 January 2015 31 December 2016
Hitoshi Morishita  Japan 1 February 2017 31 January 2018
Keiichirō Nuno  Japan 1 February 2018 31 January 2020
Ryōsuke Okuno  Japan 1 February 2020 4 July 2021
Kiyokazu Kudō  Japan 5 July 2021 31 January 2022
Tsuyoshi Otsuki  Japan 1 February 2022 present

Kit evolution

Home kits - 1st
2003 - 2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 -
Away kits - 2nd
2003 - 2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 -

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Thespakusatsu Gunma para niños

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