Koji Nakata
Encyclopedia
Kōji Nakata is a Japanese football (soccer)
player who played at both the Football World Cup 2002, and the Football World Cup 2006. He currently plays for Kashima Antlers
in the J. League
.
, as he is known to most non-Japanese fans, is a left-footed midfielder.
A very versatile player, Nakata has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders for Japan. Although his preferred position is at defensive midfield, his versatility means he can also operate as left wing-back, his normal position with FC Basel
.
In 2004, during the Asian Cup final versus China
, Nakata gained notoriety amongst Chinese fans by scoring the second Japanese goal with his hand. Despite Chinese protests, the goal was still allowed. The Chinese media refer to this incident as the "Hand of Koji" incident, alluding to Diego Maradona's
infamous hand of god goal.
Nakata moved from Japanese giants Kashima Antlers
to France
at the start of 2005 when former Japan national team
manager Philippe Troussier
, then the Olympique Marseille coach, signed him in a deal. After an understandbly unhappy season in France (Troussier was sacked just a few months later), the frozen-out Nakata jumped at the chance to leave and by early 2006 had moved to Switzerland
's top team FC Basel
where he played as a defender. Kōji was highly rated by Japan coach Zico
and is sometimes compared to Junichi Inamoto
, also a defensive midfielder for Japan. He returned to J. League
club Kashima Antlers
in July 2008.
In October 2008 Nakata unerwent knee surgery, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the 2008 J. League season after appearing in 12 games.
|1998||rowspan="7"|Kashima Antlers
||J. League||5||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||||||5||1
|-
|1999||rowspan="6"|J. League Division 1||17||4||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||20||4
|-
|2000||29||4||5||2||2||2||||||36||8
|-
|2001||25||8||3||1||6||0||colspan="2"|-||34||9
|-
|2002||29||6||5||0||3||0||||||37||6
|-
|2003||18||3||colspan="2"|-||2||2||3||0||23||5
|-
|2004||21||1||3||2||2||0||colspan="2"|-||26||3
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="2"|Olympique Marseille
||rowspan="2"|Ligue 1
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2005–06||4||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||*5||0||10||0
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="3"|FC Basel
||rowspan="3"|Swiss Super League
||10||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||10||1
|-
|2006–07||34||1||5||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0||48||1
|-
|2007–08||18||1||2||1||colspan="2"|-||5||0||25||2
|-
|2008||rowspan="3"|Kashima Antlers
||rowspan="3"|J. League Division 1||9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||2||0||12||0
|-
|2009||22||1||4||0||1||0||2||0||29||1
|-
|2010
||32||3||6||1||1||0||6||2||45||6
207||31||28||6||19||4||13||2||267||43
9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||5||0||15||0
62||3||7||1||colspan="2"|-||14||0||83||4
278||34||35||7||20||4||32||2||365||47
* Includes Intertoto Cup
|-
|2000||7||0
|-
|2001||13||0
|-
|2002||13||0
|-
|2003||7||0
|-
|2004||6||2
|-
|2005||8||0
|-
|2006||2||0
|-
|2007||1||0
|-
!Total||57||2
|}
Olympique Marseille
FC Basel
Japan National Team
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who played at both the Football World Cup 2002, and the Football World Cup 2006. He currently plays for Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
in the J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
.
Football career
The 'other Nakata'Hidetoshi Nakata
, is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S...
, as he is known to most non-Japanese fans, is a left-footed midfielder.
A very versatile player, Nakata has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders for Japan. Although his preferred position is at defensive midfield, his versatility means he can also operate as left wing-back, his normal position with FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
.
In 2004, during the Asian Cup final versus China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Nakata gained notoriety amongst Chinese fans by scoring the second Japanese goal with his hand. Despite Chinese protests, the goal was still allowed. The Chinese media refer to this incident as the "Hand of Koji" incident, alluding to Diego Maradona's
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
infamous hand of god goal.
Nakata moved from Japanese giants Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the start of 2005 when former Japan national team
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
manager Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier
Philippe Troussier is a former French football player and now a manager.-Coaching career:Troussier is known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso...
, then the Olympique Marseille coach, signed him in a deal. After an understandbly unhappy season in France (Troussier was sacked just a few months later), the frozen-out Nakata jumped at the chance to leave and by early 2006 had moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's top team FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
where he played as a defender. Kōji was highly rated by Japan coach Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
and is sometimes compared to Junichi Inamoto
Junichi Inamoto
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal...
, also a defensive midfielder for Japan. He returned to J. League
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
club Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
in July 2008.
In October 2008 Nakata unerwent knee surgery, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the 2008 J. League season after appearing in 12 games.
Club Team Career Stats
|-|1998||rowspan="7"|Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
||J. League||5||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||||||5||1
|-
|1999||rowspan="6"|J. League Division 1||17||4||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||20||4
|-
|2000||29||4||5||2||2||2||||||36||8
|-
|2001||25||8||3||1||6||0||colspan="2"|-||34||9
|-
|2002||29||6||5||0||3||0||||||37||6
|-
|2003||18||3||colspan="2"|-||2||2||3||0||23||5
|-
|2004||21||1||3||2||2||0||colspan="2"|-||26||3
|-
|2004–05||rowspan="2"|Olympique Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
||rowspan="2"|Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|2005–06||4||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||*5||0||10||0
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="3"|FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
||rowspan="3"|Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
||10||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||10||1
|-
|2006–07||34||1||5||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0||48||1
|-
|2007–08||18||1||2||1||colspan="2"|-||5||0||25||2
|-
|2008||rowspan="3"|Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
||rowspan="3"|J. League Division 1||9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||2||0||12||0
|-
|2009||22||1||4||0||1||0||2||0||29||1
|-
|2010
2010 J. League Division 1
The 2010 J. League Division 1 season was the 46th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 18th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 6 and ended on December 4....
||32||3||6||1||1||0||6||2||45||6
207||31||28||6||19||4||13||2||267||43
9||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0||5||0||15||0
62||3||7||1||colspan="2"|-||14||0||83||4
278||34||35||7||20||4||32||2||365||47
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
Appearances in major competitions
| Team | Competition | Category | Appearances | Goals | Team Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | |||||
| AFC Youth Championship 1998 AFC Youth Championship 1998 The Asian Football Confederation's 1998 AFC Youth Championship was held from October 17 to October 31, 1998 in Chiangmai, Thailand. The tournament was won by for the ninth time by South Korea in the final against Japan.-Group A:-Group B:... |
U-19 | 2nd Place | ||||
| 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship The 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:... |
U-20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2nd Place | |
| 2000 Summer Olympics Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra... |
U-23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Quarter-finals | |
| 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
Senior | 2nd Place | ||||
| 2002 FIFA World Cup 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Senior | 4 | 0 | 0 | Round of 16 | |
| 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Senior | 1 | 1 | 0 | Group Stage | |
| 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... |
Senior | 1 | 3 | 2 | Champions | |
| 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
Senior | 0 | 2 | 0 | Group Stage | |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Senior | 0 | 1 | 0 | Group Stage | |
Goals for Senior National Team
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | August 3, 2004 | Jinan Jinan Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
4-3 | Won | 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... Semi-Final |
|
| 2. | August 7, 2004 | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
3-1 | Won | 2004 AFC Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian Cup The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.... Final |
|-
|2000||7||0
|-
|2001||13||0
|-
|2002||13||0
|-
|2003||7||0
|-
|2004||6||2
|-
|2005||8||0
|-
|2006||2||0
|-
|2007||1||0
|-
!Total||57||2
|}
Teams
Kashima Antlers- A3 Champions CupA3 Champions CupA3 Champions Cup was an annual football tournament sanctioned by the East Asian Football Federation. It began in 2003, involving the league champions of China, Japan and South Korea. The host nation also invited an additional team, making this a four team tournament. South Korea was the most...
- 2003 - J. LeagueJ. LeagueThe or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
Division 1 - 1998J. League 1998Statistics of J. League in the 1998 season.-First stage:-Second stage:- Suntory Championship :-----Relegation playoffs:On the aggregate table, JEF United Ichihara, Avispa Fukuoka, and Vissel Kobe had earned within the 15th-18th places in the tables for both 1997 and 1998, while Consadole Sapporo...
, 2000J. League 2000The 2000 season was the 8th season of the J-League Division 1. The league began on March 11 and ended on November 26.At the end of the season the second stage winner Kashima Antlers won the Suntory Championship against Yokohama F-Marinos who won the first stage....
, 2001J. League 2001The 2001 season was the 9th season since the establishment of the J-League. The league began on March 10 and ended on November 24.At the end of the season the second stage winner Kashima Antlers won the Suntory Championship against Jubilo Iwata who won the first stage.-Clubs:Following sixteen clubs...
, 2008J. League 2008The 2008 J. League Division 1 season is the 44th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 16th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season began on March 8 and ended on December 6....
, 2009J. League 2009The 2009 J. League Division 1 season is the 45th season of the top-flight club football in Japan and the 17th season since the establishment of J1 League. The season started on March 7, 2009 and ended on December 5, 2009.... - Emperor's CupEmperor's Cup, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...
- 2000, 2010 - J. League CupJ. League CupJ. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...
- 2000, 2002
Olympique Marseille
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
- 2005
FC Basel
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
- 2007/08 - Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
- 2005/06, 2006/07 (Runner-up) - Swiss Cup - 2006/07, 2007/08
- Uhren CupUhrencupThe Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
- 2006
Japan National Team
- FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
- 20012001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
(Runner-up) - FIFA World Youth Championship - 19991999 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:...
(Runner-up) - AFC Asian CupAFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...
- 20042004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....