News

We are pleased to announce that Koji Nakata, Atsushi Yanagisawa, and Toru Araiba will be awarded the Antlers Distinguished Service Award for their many years of contributions to the club. Please also note that the award ceremony is scheduled to take place during halftime of the "ENCORE supported by JIM BEAM Koji Nakata, Atsushi Yanagisawa, Toru Araiba Joint Retirement Match (kick-off at 14:00 / Kashima)" on Sunday, July 5th. □ Award Ceremony Match: ENCORE supported by JIM BEAM Koji Nakata, Atsushi Yanagisawa, Toru Araiba Joint Retirement Match Date and Venue: Sunday, July 5, 2015, halftime (Kashima Soccer Stadium) □ Antlers Distinguished Service Award ・Recipient: Koji Nakata (Played for Antlers from 1998-2003 and 2008-2014. Born July 9, 1979) ・Reason for Award: After joining Antlers in 1998, he secured a regular position under coach Toninho Cerezo in 2000 and contributed to the club's unprecedented achievement of winning three domestic titles in the J.League. He then developed into an indispensable player both offensively and defensively with his exceptional soccer sense. Throughout his career, he won a total of 11 major domestic titles. He also played for the Japan national team at various age levels. He was a runner-up in the 1999 World Youth Championship and contributed to the team reaching the quarterfinals as a key player in the Sydney Olympics the following year. He participated in two consecutive FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006, making significant contributions not only to the club but also to the development of Japanese football. ・Recipient: Atsushi Yanagisawa (Played for Antlers from 1996-2003 and 2006-2007. Born May 27, 1977) ・Reason for Award: Of his 108 career J.League goals, 80 were scored for Antlers. In 1997, in his second year with the club, he earned a regular position and scored numerous goals with his natural movement and shooting ability. In 1998, he scored a career-high 22 goals in a single season. He contributed to winning numerous titles, including the domestic triple crown in 2000 and two consecutive J.League titles in 2001. As a member of the Japan national team, he participated in the FIFA World Cups in 2002 and 2006, attracting significant attention in international competitions. After winning the Emperor's Cup in 2007, he transferred from the club, much to the regret of the fans behind the goal. Since then, he continued to play at the top level until the end of the 2014 season. Although he retired from active play at Vegalta Sendai, his contributions to Antlers, where he played for 11 years, and to Japanese football are immense. ・Recipient: Toru Araiba (Played for Antlers from 2004-2012. Born July 12, 1979) ・Reason for Award: He showed his talent early in his professional career, playing 30 matches for Gamba Osaka in his rookie year. After an injury in his fourth year, he transitioned to left-back, creating an unprecedented image of a full-back with his super-attacking style. In 2004, he moved to Antlers in pursuit of a "championship" and inherited the "number 7" jersey. His aggressive attacking runs down the wing made him an indispensable player in establishing Antlers' traditional style of wing attacks. After achieving the long-desired J.League annual championship in 2007, he played 369 official matches in his nine years at the club and won seven domestic titles. During that time, he left a brilliant legacy at Antlers, including contributing to the first three consecutive J.League titles in history. ・Award: Commemorative plaque □ Reference Materials -What is the Antlers Distinguished Service Award?- Established in 2008 to honor individuals who have contributed to the club's development. Recipients of the Distinguished Service Award are enshrined in the "Antlers Hall of Fame" within the Kashima Soccer Museum, and with the addition of these three individuals, the number of recipients has now reached 17. -Antlers Distinguished Service Award Recipients- (in alphabetical order) Yutaka Akita, Alcindo, Oswaldo de Oliveira, Hisashi Kurosaki, Zico, Jorginho, Naoki Soma, Denny Ishio, Toninho Cerezo, Akira Narahashi, Yoshiyuki Hasegawa, Bismarck, Yasuhito Honda, Masakatsu Miyamoto