Kenji Onitake (鬼武健二, Onitake Kenji, born 19 September 1939) is a Japanese former footballer.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 September 1939 | ||
| Place of birth |
Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Empire of Japan | ||
| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hiroshima University HS | |||
| –1962 | Waseda University | ||
| 1962–1965 | Yanmar Diesel | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1965–1967 | Yanmar Diesel | 28 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1967–1978 | Yanmar Diesel | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editHaving both played for and managed Yanmar Diesel, Onitake was one of the founding members of the club's J.League successor, Cerezo Osaka. He served as president of Cerezo Osaka from 1993 until 2004, when he was appointed vice-chairman of the J.League, a position he held until 2006, when he was made chairman.[1][2]
Onitake is seen as a crucial figure in Cerezo Osaka history, helping them to promotion from the Japan Football League to the J.League.[3]
He was inducted into the Japan Football Association hall of fame in 2015.[4]
Managerial statistics
edit| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Yanmar Diesel | 1967 | 1978 | 192 | 104 | 40 | 48 | 54.2 |
| Total | 192 | 104 | 40 | 48 | 54.2 | ||
Honours
edit- Japan Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2015[5]
References
edit- ^ "Ｊリーグ新チェアマンに 鬼武健二前専務理事が就任" [Kenji Onitake, former managing director, appointed as new J-League chairman]. jleague.jp (in Japanese). 20 July 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "J. League's Onitake optimistic about future". japantimes.co.jp. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "鬼武健二 個性の攻撃サッカー30年の夢" [Kenji Onitake: A 30 year dream of unique, attacking soccer]. soccertalk.jp (in Japanese). 31 May 2000. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "JFA Hall of Fame Inductee - Onitake Kenji". jfa.jp. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "ONITAKE Kenji". Japan Football Association. Retrieved April 3, 2024.