Vissel Kobe
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional football (soccer)
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...
club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku
Hyogo-ku, Kobe
is one of 9 wards of Kobe in Japan. It has an area of 1 km², and a population of 107,553 . It was voted hypest city in history by Bigbills.com-External links:*...
, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kobe Sports Park, Suma-ku, Kobe, Japan. It is currently used mostly for soccer matches. The stadium holds 45,000. It was built in 1985 for the 1985 Summer Universiade. It hosted the 2006 61st National Sports Festival of Japan main...
in Suma-ku
Suma-ku, Kobe
is one of 9 wards of Kobe City in Japan. It has an area of 30.0 km², and a population of 168,400 .There is a white sandy beach in this ward, which attracts tourists to the Kansai region for sun bathing and popular events during the summer season. The same beach has appeared in the classic...
.
History
The club was founded in 1966 as the semi-professional Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club in Kurashiki, Okayama PrefectureOkayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Okayama.- History :During the Meiji Restoration, the area of Okayama Prefecture was known as Bitchū Province, Bizen Province and Mimasaka Province.- Geography :...
. It was first promoted to the Japan Soccer League
Japan Soccer League
, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...
Division 2 in 1986, and stayed there until the JSL's folding in 1992.
In 1994, the city of Kobe reached an agreement with Kawasaki Steel, the parent company, to move the club to Kobe and compete for a spot in the professional J. League as Vissel Kobe. Vissel is a combination of the words "victory" and "vessel", a nod to Kobe's history as a port city. (Owing to its importance to the city of Kobe, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
, parent company of former team patron Kawasaki Steel, remains a Vissel Kobe sponsor.)
Vissel Kobe began play in 1995 in the Japan Football League
Japan Football League
The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...
, a league below J. League and the supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain Daiei
Daiei
, based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation and ÆON Co., Ltd., another Japanese supermarket chain....
was slated to the club's primary investor. However, the economic downturn following Great Hanshin earthquake
Great Hanshin earthquake
The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake, was an earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale , and Mj7.3 on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20...
forced Daiei to pull out and the city of Kobe would be responsible for operating the club.
After finishing 2nd in JFL in 1996, Vissel was promoted to the J. League and began play in the top division of soccer in 1997. However, due to mismanagement, including the inability to secure investors and sponsors, Vissel has never been a contender for the league title. In December, 2003, mounting financial losses forced the club to file for bankruptcy protection.
In January, 2004, Vissel was sold to Crimson Group, parent company of online merchant Rakuten
Rakuten
operates and manages business to consumer electronic commerce site, Rakuten Ichiba, and consumer to consumer auction site, Rakuten Freemarket. Its business is centered in Japan, although it has began international expansion through acquisitions. The chief executive officer is Hiroshi Mikitani...
, whose president is Kobe native Hiroshi Mikitani. So far, Mikitani's attempts to strengthen the team have met little success. Vissel's first signing under the Mikitani regime, İlhan Mansız
Ilhan Mansiz
İlhan Mansız is a former Turkish football player.-Career:He attracted much attention from female fans due to his fashionable dressing style and hairdo, being listed among other football players such as David Beckham who are often categorized as metrosexuals...
, who was acquired partly to capitalize on his popularity during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, was a massive failure - the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
played just three matches before leaving the team because of a knee injury. Mikitani also alienated supporters by changing the team uniform colors from black and white stripes to crimson
Crimson
Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...
, after his Crimson Group and the color of his alma mater, Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. (The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
, a baseball team also owned by Rakuten but based in Sendai
Sendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
, wear the same colors.)
Vissel finished 13th in the league in 2004, the same position as the previous year, and finished 18th and last place, resulting in automatic relegation from J. League Division 1, or J1, to J2. During the two-year span, Vissel has had five different head coaches. 2006 will be Vissel's first season in J2 after nine years in the top division of soccer in Japan. They finished 3rd in the 2006 season and are promoted to J1 after beating Avispa Fukuoka
Avispa Fukuoka
For the record label, see Avispa. is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1 having been promoted from J. League Division 2 in the 2010 season. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish.-In Fujieda:The club was founded as...
in the promotion/relegation play-offs
J. League Promotion/Relegation Series
In 2004, J. League introduced a series of two test matches called League between the sixteenth-place J. Division 1 club and third-place J.league Division 2 club...
.
Record as J. League member
| Season | Div. | Tms. | Pos. | Attendance/G | J. League Cup J. League Cup J. 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... |
Emperor's Cup Emperor'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... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | J1 | 17 | 16 | 6,567 | Group Stage | 4th Round |
| 1998 | J1 | 18 | 17 | 7,686 | Group Stage | 3rd Round |
| 1999 | J1 | 16 | 10 | 7,691 | 1st Round | 3rd Round |
| 2000 | J1 | 16 | 13 | 7,512 | 2nd Round | Semi-final |
| 2001 | J1 | 16 | 12 | 13,872 | 2nd Round | 4th Round |
| 2002 | J1 | 16 | 14 | 10,467 | Group Stage | 3rd Round |
| 2003 | J1 | 16 | 13 | 11,195 | Group Stage | Quarter-final |
| 2004 | J1 | 16 | 11 | 15,735 | Group Stage | 4th Round |
| 2005 | J1 | 18 | 18 | 14,913 | Group Stage | 4th Round |
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 3 | 6,910 | - | 3rd Round |
| 2007 | J1 | 18 | 10 | 12,460 | Group Stage | 5th Round |
| 2008 | J1 | 18 | 10 | 12,981 | Group Stage | 5th Round |
| 2009 | J1 | 18 | 14 | 13,068 | Group Stage | 4th Round |
| 2010 | J1 | 18 | 15 | 12,824 | Group Stage | 3rd Round |
Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
- Attendance/G = Average league attendance
Current squad
As of July 17, 2011Notable players
Ryuji BandoRyuji Bando
is a Japanese football player. He is a forward and currently plays for Cerezo Osaka.-Career:After the graduation from Kotogaoka High School, he joined J. League side Gamba Osaka in 1998. He was transferred to Consadole Sapporo in 2000 and helped them to promote to J. League Division 1. He moved to...
Akihiro Endo Takashi Hirano
Takashi Hirano
Takashi Hirano is a former Japanese international footballer.-Club:Hirano attended Shimizu Commercial High School, where he won the All-Japan High School Championship in 1991....
Takuya Jinno
Takuya Jinno
is a retired Japanese football player. He was a left-footed forward.-Career:Jinno was educated at and played for Shutoku High School. After graduating in 1989, he joined Japan Soccer League side Nissan Motors. When Japan's first-ever professional league J. League Division 1 started in 1993, Nissan...
Shoji Jo
Shoji Jo
is a retired Japanese football player.He was born on the island of Hokkaidō and began his footballing career with JEF United in 1994. He quickly established himself, scoring twelve goals in his first season; he scored his first goal on his debut against Gamba Osaka on 12 March...
Keiji Kaimoto
Keiji Kaimoto
is a former Japanese football player who was a defender.After graduating from Tōkai University, he joined Japan Football League side Vissel Kobe in 1995. He was transferred to Nagoya Grampus Eight in 2001, then to Albirex Niigata in 2005....
Ryuji Michiki Atsuhiro Miura Kazuyoshi Miura
Kazuyoshi Miura
----Kazuyoshi Miura , often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993, an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation. He is currently with...
Shigeyoshi Mochizuki
Shigeyoshi Mochizuki
is a retired Japanese football player. He was capped 14 times for the Japanese national team and scored the winning goal in Asian Cup 2000 Final, Japan vs Saudi Arabia.Mochizuki played for Vissel Kobe and JEF United Ichihara in the J. League....
Masayuki Okano
Masayuki Okano
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Gainare Tottori.He was capped 25 times and scored 2 goals for the Japanese national team between 1995 and 1999, including 29 minutes as a substitute against Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup....
Matthew Bingley
Matthew Bingley
Matthew Bingley is a former Australian football player. A utility who can play in midfield or defence, he has played over 300 matches in nearly 20 years at the highest level of domestic football in Australia...
Bismarck
Bismarck Barreto Faria
Bismarck Barreto Faria, best known as Bismarck is a former Brazilian football player.-Career:...
Emerson Thome
Emerson Thome
Emerson Augusto Thome is a Brazilian former football player who last played for Vissel Kobe.He first came to England towards the end of the 1997-1998 season when moving to Sheffield Wednesday from Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, who signed him from Tirsense in 94/95, when the "jesuítas" stood one...
Oséas Roger Santos
Carlos Alberto Souza dos Santos
Carlos Alberto Souza dos Santos, best known as Santos is a retired Brazilian footballer.Carlos Alberto Santos made nearly 200 Campeonato Brasileiro appearances for Goiás and Botafogo....
Patrick Mboma Pavel Horváth
Pavel Horváth
Pavel Horváth is a Czech footballer who plays for FC Viktoria Plzeň as a midfielder.-Club career:After making his professional debut with AC Sparta Prague, Horváth moved to lowly FK Baumit Jablonec in search of more opportunities, which led to a return to the capital, with SK Slavia, scoring 27...
Ivo Ulich
Ivo Ulich
- Career :Ulich, a midfielder, has played for Slavia Prague, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Vissel Kobe and Dynamo Dresden. He retired from football in 2008, but has stayed with Dynamo Dresden as a scout.Ulich spent most of his Gambrinus liga career at Slavia Prague...
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La...
Choi Sung-Yong
Choi Sung-Yong
Choi Sung-Yong is a South Korean former football wingback and midfielder.He played in all of South Korea’s matches at the 1998 World Cup and was also a member of the 2002 World Cup squad...
Ha Seok-Ju Kim Do-Hoon Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-Il
Kim Nam-il or Kim Namil is a South Korean footballer. Kim is a defensive midfielder for Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premier League. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup....
Budimir Vujačić
Budimir Vujacic
Budimir Vujačić is a retired Montenegrin footballer. Mainly a left back, he could also operate as a central defender.-Club career:...
Lee Baxter
Lee Baxter
Lee Baxter is a Swedish football goalkeeper and goalkeeper coach of Anglo-Scottish descent who currently plays for AIK. His former clubs includes Rangers, Malmö FF, Sheffield United and IFK Göteborg...
Jan Jönsson
Jan Jönsson
Jan Jönsson is a former Swedish football player, currently a football coach for Rosenborg.-Coaching career:Between 1993 and 1994 he was inaugurated as the Sanfrecce Hiroshima assistant coach with Stuart Baxter manager who became acquainted in Halmstad.Then, he is inaugurated as a coach with the...
Thomas Bickel
Thomas Bickel
Thomas Bickel is a retired Swiss football midfielder.He was capped 52 times and scored 5 goals for the Swiss national team between 1986 and 1995, including three games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.-Club career statistics:...
Ziad Tlemcani
Ziad Tlemcani
Ziad Tlemcani is a retired Tunisian football player who played for Espérance in Tunisia, Vitória S.C. in Portugal and Vissel Kobe in Japan...
İlhan Mansız
Ilhan Mansiz
İlhan Mansız is a former Turkish football player.-Career:He attracted much attention from female fans due to his fashionable dressing style and hairdo, being listed among other football players such as David Beckham who are often categorized as metrosexuals...
Managers
| Manager | Nat. | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Stuart Baxter Stuart Baxter Stuart Baxter is a Scottish football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England, Scotland, Australia, Sweden and in the United States... |
1997 | |
| Hiroshi Kato | 1997 | |
| Benito Floro | 1998 | |
| Ryoichi Kawakatsu | 1999-02 | |
| Hiroshi Matsuda | 2002 | |
| Hiroshi Soejima | 2003 | |
| Ivan Hašek Ivan Hašek Ivan Hašek is a retired Czech footballer who played as a central midfielder.He spent 11 years of his career with Sparta Prague, appearing in more than 300 official games with the club, and later acting as its manager.... |
2004 | |
| Hiroshi Kato | 2004 | |
| Hideki Matsunaga Hideki Matsunaga Hideki Matsunaga is a former Japanese football player.-References:*... |
2005 | |
| Émerson Leão Émerson Leão Émerson Leão is a Brazilian manager and former football player. He is one of the all-time best Brazilian goalkeepers. A documentary video produced by FIFA, FIFA Fever, called him the third-most impressive defense player of all time. He was born in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo.-Playing career:He was... |
2005 | |
| Pavel Řehák | 2005 | |
| Stuart Baxter Stuart Baxter Stuart Baxter is a Scottish football manager and former player. During his years as a professional player he played for a number of clubs in England, Scotland, Australia, Sweden and in the United States... |
2006 | |
| Hiroshi Matsuda | 2006-08 | |
| Caio Júnior | 2009-June 09 | |
| Masahiro Wada(interim) | July 2009-Aug 09 | |
| Toshiya Miura Toshiya Miura Toshiya Miura is a Japanese football manager.-References:*... |
Aug 2009-Sep 2010 | |
| Masahiro Wada | Sep 2010-present | |
League history
- Chugoku Soccer League: 1978-1985 (as Kawasaki Steel Mizushima)
- Division 2 (Japan Soccer LeagueJapan Soccer League, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...
Div. 2): 1986-1991 (Kawasaki Steel Mizushima until 1987; Kawasaki Steel afterwards) - Division 3 (Old JFL Div. 2): 1992-1993 (as Kawasaki Steel)
- Division 2 (Old JFL): 1994-1996 (Kawasaki Steel 1994; Vissel Kobe since 1995)
- Division 1 (J. League): 1997-2005
- Division 2 (J. League Division 2J. League Division 2The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...
): 2006 - Division 1 (J. League Division 1): 2007-present
Total (as of 2011): 14 seasons in the top tier, 10 seasons in the second tier, 2 seasons in the third tier and 8 seasons in the Regional Leagues.
In popular culture
A fictional character named Kazuki Sorimachi in the popular Captain TsubasaCaptain Tsubasa
, also known as Flash Kicker, is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, becomes a professional soccer player and joins Vissel Kobe.