Kenji Onitake

Kenji Onitake
Personal information
Date of birth (1939-09-19) 19 September 1939 (age 85)
Place of birth Hiroshima, Hiroshima,
Empire of Japan
Height 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Hiroshima University HS
0000–1962 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

Kenji Onitake (鬼武健二, Onitake Kenji, born 19 September 1939) is a Japanese former footballer.

Career

Having 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

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
P W D L Win %
Yanmar Diesel 1967 1978 192 104 40 48 054.2
Total 192 104 40 48 054.2

Honours

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "J. League's Onitake optimistic about future". japantimes.co.jp. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "JFA Hall of Fame Inductee - Onitake Kenji". jfa.jp. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. ^ "ONITAKE Kenji". Japan Football Association. Retrieved April 3, 2024.