Nagoya Grampus

Nagoya Grampus
名古屋グランパス
Full name Nagoya Grampus Eight
Nickname(s) Grampus
Founded 1983 (as Nagoya FC)
Ground Mizuho Athletic Stadium (27,000)
Toyota Stadium (45,000)
Chairman Toyo Kato
Manager Dragan Stojković
League J. League Division 1
2011 2nd
Home colours
Away colours
Current season

Nagoya Grampus (名古屋グランパス Nagoya Guranpasu?) (formerly Nagoya Grampus Eight) are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939, the club shares its home games between Mizuho Athletic Stadium (capacity 27,000 and the J.League's oldest-serving stadium) and the much larger Toyota Stadium (capacity 45,000).

Grampus are one of only five teams to have competed in Japan's top flight of football every year since its inception in 1993. The team previously had its most successful season in 1995 when it was managed by current Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, winning the prestigious Emperor's Cup and finishing runners-up in the J.League, and which featured, among others, Dragan Stojković and Gary Lineker on the team, until it was eclipsed in 2010 on November 20, 2010, when the club won their first ever J. League trophy, under the management of Wenger protégé and former Grampus player Dragan Stojković.[1]

The team's name was derived from the two most prominent symbols of Nagoya: the two golden grampus dolphins on the top of Nagoya Castle (which can be more accurately described as shachihoko, a mythological creature part of the local folklore), and the Maru-Hachi (Circle eight), the city's official symbol.

The use of an orca in the team's logo is likely a reference to the fact that the kanji for shachichoko (鯱) can be pronounced "shachichoko" (the aforemention mythical creature) or "shachi" (orca).

Contents

History

Toyota Motor S.C. was initially overshadowed by its colleague Toyota Automated Loom Works F.C. (founded in 1946 and which was one of the founding members of the JSL) but when Toyota ALW were relegated to regional leagues in 1968, Toyota Motor saw an opportunity to rise at their expense. In 1972 Toyota Motors were founding members of the JSL's Second Division and its inaugural champions. They remained in the JSL until the J. League's founding in 1993. They were relegated to the JSL Division 2 in 1977. After a brief return in 1987-88, they were promoted for good in 1989-90 and remain in the top flight ever since. In 1996, Arsene Wenger led Grampus to the 1996 Emperor's Cup and a runners-up finish in the J.League, the club's best ever finish. The team's name "Nagoya Grampus Eight" was changed to just "Nagoya Grampus" at the start of the 2008 season. In 2008, Nagoya appointed former player Dragan Stojković as manager. They finished in 3rd place and qualified for the AFC Champions League for the first time. Stojković has since led the club to winning the J.League in the 2010 season, featuring a squad consisting of Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Mu Kanazaki, Seigo Narazaki, Yoshizumi Ogawa, Keiji Tamada and Joshua Kennedy.[1]

Record as J. League member

Season Div. Tms. Pos. Attendance/G J. League Cup Emperor's Cup Asia
1992 - - - - Semi-final 1st Round - -
1993 J1 10 9 19,858 Group Stage Quarter-final - -
1994 J1 12 11 21,842 1st Round 2nd Round - -
1995 J1 14 3 21,463 - Winners - -
1996 J1 16 2 21,699 Group Stage 3rd Round - -
1997 J1 17 9 14,750 Semi-final 3rd Round CWC Runners-up
1998 J1 18 5 13,993 Group Stage Semi-final - -
1999 J1 16 4 14,688 Semi-final Winners - -
2000 J1 16 9 14,114 Semi-final 4th Round - -
2001 J1 16 5 16,974 Semi-final 3rd Round CWC Quarter-final
2002 J1 16 6 16,323 Group Stage 4th Round - -
2003 J1 16 7 16,768 Semi-final 4th Round - -
2004 J1 16 7 15,712 Semi-final 5th Round - -
2005 J1 18 14 13,288 Group Stage 5th Round - -
2006 J1 18 7 14,924 Group Stage 5th Round - -
2007 J1 18 11 15,585 Group Stage 5th Round - -
2008 J1 18 3 16,555 Semi-final Quarter-final - -
2009 J1 18 9 15,928 Quarter-final Runners-up CL Semi-final
2010 J1 18 1 19,979 Group Stage Quarter-final -
2011 J1 18 2 16,741 Semi-final Quarter-final CL Round of 16
Key

Players

Current squad

As of November 1, 2011 Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Seigo Narazaki
3 DF Mitsuru Chiyotanda
4 DF Marcus Tulio Tanaka
5 DF Takahiro Masukawa
6 DF Shohei Abe
7 MF Naoshi Nakamura
8 MF Jungo Fujimoto
10 MF Yoshizumi Ogawa
11 FW Keiji Tamada
14 MF Keiji Yoshimura
16 FW Joshua Kennedy
18 FW Kensuke Nagai
20 MF Danilson Córdoba
21 GK Koji Nishimura
22 MF Koji Hashimoto
25 MF Mu Kanazaki
No. Position Player
26 DF Tatsuya Arai
27 MF Sho Hanai
28 MF Taishi Taguchi
32 DF Hayuma Tanaka
33 MF Ryota Isomura
34 MF Makito Yoshida
35 MF Teruki Tanaka
38 MF Alessandro Santos
50 GK Yoshinari Takagi
DF Yōsuke Ishibitsu
DF Daniel
DF Kazuki Sato
MF Ryouta Tanabe
MF Taisuke Mizuno
FW Miki Takahara

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Toru Hasegawa (to Tokushima Vortis)
DF Akira Takeuchi (to JEF United Chiba)
MF Yoshiki Hiraki (to Shonan Bellmare)
FW Yuki Maki (to Shonan Bellmare)
FW Tomohiro Tsuda (to Tokushima Vortis)

2012 Season Transfers

In: Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
DF Yōsuke Ishibitsu (Transferred from Vissel Kobe)
DF Daniel (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
DF Kazuki Sato (Promoted from youth team)
MF Ryouta Tanabe (Drafted from Mitsubishi Yowa Youth)
MF Taisuke Mizuno (Promoted from youth team)
FW Miki Takahara (Promoted from youth team)

Out: Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
23 DF Genta Matsuo (Released)
29 FW Hikaru Kuba (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)

World Cup players

1998 FIFA World Cup

2002 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

2010 FIFA World Cup

International Players

Japan
AFC
CONMEBOL
UEFA

Managers

Manager Nat. Tenure
Ryuzou Hiraki  Japan 1992-93
Gordon Milne  England 1994
Tetsuro Miura  Japan 1994
Arsène Wenger  France 1995-96
José Alberto Costa  Portugal 1996
Carlos Queiroz  Portugal 1996-97
Koji Tanaka  Japan 1997-99
Daniel Sanchez  France 1999
Mazaroppi  Brazil 1999
João Carlos  Brazil 1999-01
Tetsuro Miura  Japan 2001
Zdenko Verdenik  Slovenia 2002-03
Nelsinho  Brazil 2003-05
Hitoshi Nakata  Japan 2005
Sef Vergoossen  Netherlands 2006-07
Dragan Stojković  Serbia 2008-

‡ As caretaker manager

Honours

1996, 2011
1968, 1970
1972
1991

League history

References

External links