Yutaka Akita facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 6 August 1970 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nagoya, Aichi, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Kochi United (manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hosei Junior High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Aichi High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Aichi Gakuin University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2003 | Kashima Antlers | 334 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 57 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Kyoto Sanga | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 405 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2003 | Japan | 44 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Kyoto Sanga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Machida Zelvia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Iwate Grulla Morioka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Kochi United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yutaka Akita (born August 6, 1970) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He was known as a strong defender. He played for the Japan national team until 2003. Today, he is the manager of Kochi United.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Yutaka Akita was a very strong and physical player. He was known for being one of the best at heading the ball in the J1 League. Many people thought he was one of the top defenders of his time.
Time with Kashima Antlers
Akita played for Kashima Antlers for ten years, starting in 1993. He was a key player for the team. During his time there, he helped them win many important titles:
- The J1 League four times.
- The J.League Cup three times.
- The Emperor's Cup twice.
He was also chosen for the J1 League's Best Eleven team four times. This shows how important he was as a defender.
Later Club Teams
In early 2004, Akita left Kashima Antlers. He moved back to his hometown of Nagoya and joined Nagoya Grampus Eight. He played there for three seasons. In 2007, he moved to J2 League team Kyoto Sanga FC. In November 2007, Akita announced he was retiring from playing football.
International Matches for Japan
Yutaka Akita played for the Japan national team. His first game was on October 24, 1995, against Saudi Arabia.
Major Tournaments
- He played in the 1996 Asian Cup.
- From mid-1997, he became a regular player for Japan.
- He helped Japan qualify for the 1998 World Cup for the first time in their history. He played in all of Japan's matches at that World Cup.
- He also played in the 1999 Copa América, playing every minute of every game.
- In 2002, he was chosen for Japan's team for the 2002 World Cup. However, he did not play in any matches during that tournament.
After the 2002 World Cup, he became a regular player again under the new manager, Zico. His last game for Japan was on June 8, 2003, against Argentina. He played a total of 44 games for Japan and scored 4 goals.
Coaching and Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Akita started coaching.
Early Coaching Roles
- He began his coaching career at Kyoto Sanga FC in 2008.
- In July 2010, he became the manager of Kyoto Sanga FC. However, the club was moved down to the J2 League, and he left at the end of that season.
- He joined Tokyo Verdy in 2012. Later that year, he became the manager for FC Machida Zelvia. He left that role in June 2013.
Iwate Grulla Morioka
On December 4, 2019, Akita became the manager of Iwate Grulla Morioka for the 2020 season. He led the club to a big achievement on December 6, 2021. His team drew 1-1 against Azul Claro Numazu in the final game, which meant they were promoted to the J2 League for the first time ever! Akita left the club after the 2022 season when they were moved back down to the J3 League.
Kochi United SC
On December 22, 2024, it was announced that Yutaka Akita would become the manager of Kochi United starting from the 2025 season. Kochi United had just been promoted to the J3 League.
Honours and Awards
Yutaka Akita achieved many successes during his football career, both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player
- Kashima Antlers
- J1 League Champion: 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002
- J.League Cup Winner: 1997, 2000, 2002
- Emperor's Cup Winner: 1997, 2000
Individual Awards
- J1 League Best Eleven (chosen as one of the best players in the league): 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001
- Selected to AFC All Star Team: 1998
As a Manager
- Iwate Grulla Morioka
- J3 League Runner-up: 2021 (This meant they were promoted to J2 League!)
See also
In Spanish: Yutaka Akita para niños
