Yūto Satō facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yuto Sato | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | March 12, 1982 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | JEF United Ichihara | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | JEF United Chiba | 158 | (26) | ||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Kyoto Sanga FC | 62 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 2010–2019 | JEF United Chiba | 356 | (10) | ||||||||||
| Total | 441 | (37) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Japan | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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Yuto Sato (佐藤 勇人, Satō Yūto) is a Japanese football player who has now retired. He was born on March 12, 1982. Yuto played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both in defense and attack. He even played for the Japan national team once! Interestingly, his brother, Hisato Sato, is also a famous football player.
Contents
Yuto Sato's Football Journey
Starting His Club Career
Yuto Sato was born in Kasukabe, Japan. He started his football journey with the youth team of JEF United Ichihara. In 2000, he officially joined the main team. This team later changed its name to JEF United Chiba.
From 2002, Yuto began playing many matches as a defensive midfielder. This role means he helped protect his team's goal. By 2003, he became a regular player, meaning he played almost every game. Under a new coach named Ivica Osim, JEF United finished in third place in the league.
Winning Championships
Yuto's time at JEF United was very successful. The team won the J.League Cup twice in a row! They lifted the trophy in 2005 and again in 2006. This was a big achievement for Yuto and his team.
Moving to Kyoto Sanga FC
In 2008, Yuto Sato moved to a different club called Kyoto Sanga FC. He continued to be a regular player there for two seasons, showing his skill and importance on the field.
Returning to JEF United Chiba
In 2010, Yuto decided to return to his old club, JEF United Chiba. At this time, JEF United had moved down to the J2 League, which is the second division of Japanese football. Yuto continued to play regularly and helped his team try to get back into the top league.
For three years in a row (from 2012 to 2014), JEF United made it to the Promotion Playoffs. These are special games where teams compete to move up to the J1 League. However, even with Yuto's efforts, the team couldn't quite make it back to the top division.
End of His Playing Career
In October 2019, Yuto Sato announced that the 2019 season would be his last as a professional player. After he stopped playing, in January 2020, he took on a new role as a "Club Officer" for JEF United Chiba. This means he now helps represent the club in different ways, even though he's not playing on the field anymore.
Playing for His Country
Japan National Team Debut
In August 2006, while Yuto was playing for JEF United Chiba, he got a special call-up. He was chosen to play for the Japan national team! The coach who selected him was Ivica Osim, who had also been his coach at JEF United.
On August 16, Yuto Sato played his first game for Japan. It was a match against the Yemen national team. Playing for your country is a huge honor for any football player.
See also
In Spanish: Yūto Satō para niños
