Kenta Hasegawa

Kenta Hasegawa (長谷川 健太, Hasegawa Kenta, born September 25, 1965) is a Japanese professional football manager and former player who is the manager of J1 League club of Nagoya Grampus.

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Kenta Hasegawa
長谷川 健太

Personal information
Full name	Kenta Hasegawa
Date of birth	(1965-09-25) September 25, 1965 (age 59)
Place of birth	Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
1981–1983	Shimizu Higashi High School
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1984–1987	University of Tsukuba
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1991	Nissan Motors	33	(9)
1992–1999	Shimizu S-Pulse	207	(45)
Total		240	(54)
International career
1989–1995	Japan	27	(4)
Managerial career
2005–2010	Shimizu S-Pulse
2013–2017	Gamba Osaka
2018–2021	FC Tokyo
2022–	Nagoya Grampus
Medal record Yokohama Marinos Winner Japan Soccer League 1988/89 Winner Japan Soccer League 1989/90 Runner-up Japan Soccer League 1990/91 Winner JSL Cup 1988 Winner JSL Cup 1989 Winner JSL Cup 1990 Winner Emperor's Cup 1988 Winner Emperor's Cup 1989 Runner-up Emperor's Cup 1990 Shimizu S-Pulse Runner-up J1 League 1999 Winner J.League Cup 1996 Runner-up J.League Cup 1992 Runner-up J.League Cup 1993 Runner-up Emperor's Cup 1998
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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Hasegawa was educated at and played for Shimizu Higashi High School. He won the national high school championship with his teammates including Katsumi Oenoki and Takumi Horiike. He continued his study and football at University of Tsukuba where he won the Kanto University League title in 1987.

After graduating from the university in 1988, he joined Japan Soccer League side Nissan Motors (current Yokohama F. Marinos). He contributed to the club winning the Emperor's Cup twice in 1988 and 1989. When Japan's first-ever professional league J1 League started, Shimizu S-Pulse was founded in his local city. He joined the club in 1992 and re-united with his high school teammates Oenoki and Horiike. He helped the club to win the J.League Cup in 1996. He retired as a Shimizu player after the club won the second stage of the J1 League 1999 season. He played 207 league matches and scored 45 league goals in 7 seasons at Shimizu.

Hasegawa was capped 27 times and scored 4 goals for the Japan national team between 1989 and 1995.^[1] His first international appearance came on January 20, 1989 in a friendly against Iran in Teheran. He scored for the first time for his country on June 11, 1989 in a 1990 World Cup qualification against Indonesia at Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium in Tokyo. He was a member of the Japan squad who participated in the 1994 World Cup qualification for the 1994 World Cup. In the crucial last match, Hasegawa was substituted in the 59th minute by Masahiro Fukuda and watched from the bench a late Iraqi equaliser dashed Japan's hope to qualify for the finals in the US, the match that the Japanese fans now refer to as the Agony of Doha.

After retiring from the game, Hasegawa started working as a pundit for national television NHK. He was also installed as the general manager of two university clubs, Hamamatsu University and Fuji Tokoha University (2000–2001). He became the manager of Hamamatsu University and lead them to win the Tokai University League title and the Shizuoka Prefectural qualification for the Emperor's Cup. He acquired the S-class coaching license that was required to manage a J1 League club in 2004 and became the manager of his old club Shimizu S-Pulse in 2005. The club struggled and narrowly escaped relegation in the 2005 season but they fought back strongly in the 2006 season and finished 4th in the league; a position equaled in 2007.^[2] In 2008 Hasegawa led S-Pulse to the final of the J.League Cup and a fifth-placed finish in the league, a placing which included them being the strongest performing team in the second half of the season. He was rewarded with an extended contract which will keep him at S-Pulse until 2010.^[3] He left Shimizu after he led the club to the final of 2010-11 Emperor's Cup when his contract was expired.

Hawegawa was appointed as a manager at J2 League club Gamba Osaka in 2013. The club won the champions in 2013 and was promoted to J1 League. In 2014, the club won all three major title in Japan; J1 League, J.League Cup and Emperor's Cup. He also was selected J.League Manager of the Year awards. In 2015, the club won the champions at Emperor's Cup and 2nd place at J1 League and J.League Cup. He resigned end of 2017 season.

In 2018, Hasegawa signed with FC Tokyo. In 2021, after a three year spell in which the club finished 6th, 2nd, 6th, and 9th in four respective seasons, Hasegawa resigned after an 8 - 0 loss to 2nd place Yokohama F. Marinos.^[4]

Shortly after the conclusion of the J1 league's 21/22 season, Hasegawa signed a contract with J1 league club Nagoya Grampus.^[5]

In popular manga and anime series Chibi Maruko-chan, a boy called Kenta kun occasionally makes an appearance.^[8] He loves football and is a classmate of title character Chibi Maruko. Momoko Sakura, the author of the manga, created this character after Hasegawa. Sakura and Hasegawa attended the same primary school during the same period.