Cerezo Osaka

Cerezo Osaka
セレッソ大阪
Full nameCerezo Osaka
NicknameSakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Founded1957 (1957) as Yanmar Diesel SC
StadiumYodoko Sakura Stadium
Capacity24,481
OwnerYanmar
ChairmanHiroaki Morishima
ManagerArthur Papas[1]
LeagueJ1 League
2025J1 League, 10th of 20
Websitecerezo.co.jp

Cerezo Osaka (セレッソ大阪, Seresso Ōsaka) is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name (Spanish: Cerezo, lit. 'cherry blossom') also represents the flower of the city of Osaka.[2] The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. There exists a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka.

Cerezo have won 4 Emperor's Cup, 1 J.League Cup and 2 Japanese Super Cup titles in the club history.

History

Beginnings (1957–1992)

The club, originally called Yanmar Diesel, started in 1957 as the company team of Yanmar and was an original founder ("Original Eight"[a]) of the now-disbanded Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965.

With four Japanese league titles to its credit, it was a mainstay of the JSL Division 1 until 1990 when it was first relegated, and joined the former Japan Football League (JFL) in 1992. Yanmar Diesel enjoyed considerable success during the 1960s and 1970s, winning multiple league titles.

Privatised and registered under a new name (1993–present)

With the establishment of the professional J.League in 1993, the club initially did not join the new top division. In 1994, the team was restructured and rebranded as Cerezo Osaka, adopting its current identity and representing the city of Osaka after a public contest.[3].

In 1994, they won the Japan Football League championship and was promoted to the J1 League in 1995. This also coincided with a run to the finals of the Emperor's Cup, which they lost to Bellmare Hiratsuka.

Cerezo joined the J1 League in 1995, beginning in the top division. The club quickly established itself as a competitive side and finished as runners-up in the 2000 and 2005 J1 League seasons, narrowly missing out on the title on both occasions. During this period, Cerezo became known for developing talented players, including several who would go on to represent the Japan national team. Despite their strong performances, the club was unable to secure a major trophy, contributing to a reputation for near misses.

Relegation and fluctuations (2006–2016)

Following their near-title success in 2005, Cerezo experienced a period of instability. The club was relegated from the J1 League in 2006, marking the beginning of a cycle of promotion and relegation between the top two divisions. Despite these challenges, Cerezo continued to produce notable talents, including future global superstar, Shinji Kagawa, who emerged from the club’s youth system and later achieved success in Europe. The club also had spells of strong performance upon returning to J1, but consistency remained an issue.

Taste of silverware (2017–2018)

A major turning point came in 2017 when Cerezo achieved the most successful season in its history. The club won both won the 2017 J.League Cup, and the 2017 Emperor's Cup, securing their first major domestic trophies. On 4 November 2017, Cerezo won their thefirst major title in their club history, defeating Kawasaki Frontale 2–0 in the J.League Cup final. On 1 January 2018, Cerezo won the 2017 Emperor's Cup, securing their second major title. The final match was against Yokohama F. Marinos, where Cerezo won 2–1 in extra time with Kota Mizunuma scoring the winner.

The success continued in 2018 where on 10 February 2018, Cerezo won the 2018 Japanese Super Cup winning 3–2 against Kawasaki Frontale, further establishing themselves as a competitive force in domestic football. In May 2018, the club changed its incorporated name from Osaka Football Club Co., Ltd. to Cerezo Osaka Co., Ltd.

Stabilisation in the top flight (2019–2024)

Following their cup successes, Cerezo Osaka entered a period of relative stability in the J1 League. The club consistently finished in mid- to upper-table positions and remained competitive in domestic competitions. Cerezo continued to focus on youth development and attacking football, while also integrating experienced players into the squad. Although they did not add further major trophies during this period, the club maintained its reputation as a well-run and competitive side within Japanese football.

In 2022, the club got close to winning the J.League Cup for their second title, but blew a 1–0 lead to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in injury time after Hiroshima player Pieros Sotiriou scored two goals in the 96th and 101st minutes of the match to give the opponent the J.League Cup.

On 1 February 2023, Cerezo signed their boyhood academy player and former Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United player, Shinji Kagawa on a two-years contract.

Continued competitiveness (2025–present)

In 2025, Cerezo remained an established club in the J1 League, competing regularly in the top half of the table. The team continued to develop young talents while maintaining a balanced squad capable of challenging stronger opponents.

Although a league title remained elusive, Cerezo consistent performances and emphasis on player development ensured their continued relevance in Japanese football. The club also remained competitive in domestic cup competitions, aiming to replicate the successes achieved in 2017.

Team image

Mascots

The club's mascots are a wolf named Lobby (from Spanish lobo, meaning wolf) and Madame Lobina, Lobby's mother.[4]

On February 22, 2020, host and TV personality Roland was appointed Cerezo's "Official CereMan".[5]

Rivalries

Main article: Osaka derby

Cerezo's biggest rival is fellow Osaka club Gamba Osaka. The matches played between Cerezo and Gamba are referred to as the Osaka derby.

In the manga series Captain Tsubasa, a character named Teppei Kisugi becomes a professional football player and joins Cerezo Osaka.[6]

Stadium

The hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. Yodoko Sakura Stadium, is the home ground of Cerezo Osaka. Located within Nagai Park in Osaka, the stadium has served as the club’s primary venue since its opening in 1987. It has a seating capacity of approximately 24,481 spectators and is designed specifically for football, providing an intimate atmosphere with stands close to the pitch.

The stadium was extensively renovated between 2019 and 2021 to modernise its facilities and enhance the matchday experience. In addition to league matches in the J1 League, the stadium has hosted fixtures in domestic cup competitions such as the Emperor's Cup and the J.League Cup. Its football-specific design and modern facilities have made it one of the prominent venues in Japanese club football.

Cerezo Osaka has also occasionally used the nearby Nagai Stadium for matches requiring a larger capacity, particularly during high-profile fixtures, such as derby matches and cup ties.[7]

Training ground

The club practices at Minami Tsumori Sakura Sports Park, Maishima Sports Island, and Amagasaki Yanmar Diesel Ground.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Cerezo's club colour is pink, like the cherry blossoms that the club's name is based on. Combination colours have been navy blue and black. This year, the uniform colour is pink (home) and white (away) for the outfield players and black (home), pink (away) and green for the goalkeepers.

During the Yanmar Diesel days in the late 1970s to mid-1980s, the uniform was all-red reminiscent Mexican club Deportivo Toluca.

Sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Main sponsors
1983–2005 Mizuno Nippon Ham
2006–2014 Yanmar
2015–2024 Puma
2025–present Mizuno

Kit evolution

Affiliated clubs

Players

First-team squad

As of 27 February 2026.[9][10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  JPN Kōki Fukui
2 DF  JPN Takumi Nakamura
3 DF  JPN Hayato Tanaka (on loan from Kashiwa Reysol)
4 DF  JPN Rikito Inoue
5 MF  JPN Hinata Kida
6 DF  JPN Kyōhei Noborizato
7 MF  JPN Satoki Uejō
8 MF  JPN Shinji Kagawa
9 FW  JPN Solomon Sakuragawa
10 MF  JPN Shunta Tanaka (captain)
11 FW  BRA Thiago Andrade
13 FW  JPN Motohiko Nakajima
14 MF  JPN Yumeki Yokoyama
16 DF  JPN Hayato Okuda
17 MF  JPN Reiya Sakata
18 MF  JPN Nelson Ishiwatari
19 MF  JPN Shion Homma (on loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 GK  KOR Kim Jin-hyeon
23 GK  JPN Kōsuke Nakamura
26 MF  JPN Eiji Kubo
27 DF  MAS Dion Cools
34 MF  JPN Rui Ōsako
35 MF  JPN Kyohei Yoshino
39 FW  JPN Wigi Kanemoto
42 MF  JPN Teppei Shiojiri Type 2
43 DF  JPN Chimezie Kai Ezemokwe Type 2
44 DF  JPN Shinnosuke Hatanaka (captain)
46 GK  JPN Ken Isibor
48 MF  JPN Masaya Shibayama
66 DF  JPN Ayumu Ōhata
77 MF  BRA Lucas Fernandes
97 DF  JPN Travis Takahashi
99 FW  AUS Kusini Yengi (on loan from Aberdeen)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  JPN Keita Konomi (at Giravanz Kitakyushu)
— GK  JPN Go Kamabayashi (at Matsumoto Yamaga)
— FW  JPN Kengo Furuyama (at FC Imabari)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  JPN Kōsei Okazawa (at Fujieda MYFC)
— DF  JPN Niko Takahashi (at Almere City)

Management and staff

Club officials for 2025.[11]

Position Name
Manager Arthur Papas
Assistant manager Raffaele Napoli
Coaches Hussein Skenderovic
Tsutomu Komatsu
Bruno Quadros
Analytical coach Shuta Tsukamoto
Yuki Yoshimura
Goalkeeping coach Koji Inada
Head of performance Yusuke Fukuhara
Physical coach Takeshi Ikoma
Athletic performance coach Hikaru Fujii
Physiotherapists Atsushi Kitaura
Akihiro Sasaki
Trainers Koji Hanaki
Haruki Wada
Interpreters Takanori Shirasawa
Kazuyuki Ishikawa
Bruno Hideo Owada
Chief secretary Atsushi Imanishi
Team secretary Shoki Kokawa
Lee Song-in
Kitman Tomoharu Nagahisa

Honours

As both Yanmar Diesel (1957–1993) and Cerezo Osaka (1993–present)

Type Honours Titles Season
League Japan Soccer League Division 1 4 1971, 1974, 1975, 1980
Japan Soccer League Cup 3 1973 (shared), 1983, 1984
All Japan Senior Football Championship 1 1976
Japan Football League 1 1994
Cup Emperor's Cup 4 1968, 1970, 1974, 2017
J.League Cup 1 2017
Japanese Super Cup 2 1981, 2018
Regional Queen's Cup 1 1976

Records and statistics

As of 18 March 2026.

Top 10 all-time appearances
Rank Player Years Club appearance
1 Kim Jin-hyeon 2009–present 638
2 Hiroaki Morishima 1991–2008 532
3 Yusuke Maruhashi 2009–2023 485
4 Noriyuki Sakemoto 2003–2018 356
5 Akinori Nishizawa 1995–2000, 2001,

2002–2006, 2009

353
6 Yoichiro Kakitani 2006–2014,

2016–2021

308
7 Riku Matsuda 2016–2024 298
8 Hiroshi Kiyotake 2010–2012,

2017–2024

294
9 Tatsuya Yamashita 2006–2010,

2012–2019,

2022–2024

291
10 Hotaru Yamaguchi 2009–2015,

2016–2018

279
Kota Fujimoto 2005–2019
Top 10 all-time scorers
Rank Player Club appearance Total goals
1 Hiroaki Morishima 532 161
2 Akinori Nishizawa 353 113
3 Yoichiro Kakitani 308 75
4 Yoshito Ōkubo 175 71
5 Kenyu Sugimoto 239 70
6 Shinji Kagawa 222 65
7 Tatsuya Furuhashi 170 53
8 Hiroshi Kiyotake 294 48
9 Takashi Inui 151 46
10 Rui Komatsu 165 44

Managerial history

[12]

Manager Period Honours
Paulo Emilio 1 January 1994–31 December 1995 – 1994 Japan Football League
Hiroshi Sowa 1 January 1996–31 December 1996
Levir Culpi 1 February 1997–31 December 1997
Yasutaro Matsuki 1 January 1998–31 December 1999
René Desaeyere 1 February 1999–31 January 2000
Hiroshi Soejima 1 February 2000–19 August 2001
João Carlos 20 August 2001–4 November 2001
Akihiro Nishimura 5 November 2001–6 October 2003
Yuji Tsukada 7 October 2003–1 January 2004
Petar Nadoveza 2 January 2004–1 February 2004
Fuad Muzurović 1 February 2004–22 March 2004
Albert Pobor 23 March 2004–28 June 2004
Shinji Kobayashi 1 July 2004–17 April 2006
Yuji Tsukada (2) 18 April 2006–31 December 2006
Satoshi Tsunami 1 January 2007–7 May 2007
Levir Culpi (2) 8 May 2007–31 December 2011
Sérgio Soares 1 January 2012–26 August 2012
Levir Culpi (3) 27 August 2012–11 December 2013
Ranko Popović 1 January 2014–9 June 2014
Marco Pezzaiuoli 16 June 2014–8 September 2014
Yuji Okuma 8 September 2014–16 December 2014
Paulo Autuori 1 January 2015–17 November 2015
Kiyoshi Okuma 17 November 2015–31 January 2017
Yoon Jong-hwan 1 February 2017–31 December 2018 – 2017 Emperor's Cup

– 2017 J.League Cup

– 2018 Japanese Super Cup

Miguel Ángel Lotina 1 February 2019–31 January 2021
Levir Culpi (4) 1 February 2021–26 August 2021
Akio Kogiku 26 August 2021–11 October 2024
Arthur Papas 17 December 2024–present

Season by season record

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J.League
Cup		 Emperor's
Cup		 ACL
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W(OTW/PKW) D L(OTL/PKL) F A GD Pts Attendance/G
1995 J1 14 8th 52 25(0/0) - 11(0/2) 43 44 -1 41 12,097 – 2nd round Did not qualify
1996 16 13th 30 10 - 20 38 56 -18 30 8,229 Group stage Round of 16
1997 17 11th 32 13(1/2) - 10(5/1) 53 56 -3 43 9,153 Group stage Round of 16
1998 18 9th 34 14(1/0) - 17(1/1) 56 79 -23 44 9,864 Group stage 3rd round
1999 16 6th 30 15(4/0) - 10(1/0) 64 45 19 53 10,216 2nd round Round of 16
2000 16 5th 30 14(3/0) - 11(2/0) 54 49 5 48 13,548 2nd round Quarter-finals
2001 16 16th 30 5(3/0) 2 18(0/0) 41 70 -29 21 11,857 1st round Runners-up
2002 J2 12 2nd 44 25 12 7 93 53 40 87 7,952 Not eligible Round of 16
2003 J1 16 9th 30 12 4 14 55 56 -1 40 13,854 Group stage Runners-up
2004 16 15th 30 6 8 16 42 64 -22 26 14,323 Group stage 4th round
2005 18 5th 34 16 11 7 48 40 8 59 17,648 Quarter-finals Semi-finals
2006 18 17th 34 6 9 19 44 70 -26 27 13,026 Quarter-finals 4th round
2007 J2 13 5th 48 24 8 16 72 55 17 80 6,627 Not eligible 4th round
2008 15 4th 42 21 6 15 81 60 21 69 10,554 4th round
2009 18 2nd 51 31 11 9 100 53 47 104 9,912 2nd round
2010 J1 18 3rd 34 17 10 7 51 31 20 61 15,026 Group stage Round of 16
2011 18 12th 34 11 10 13 67 53 14 43 14,145 Quarter final Semi-finals Quarter-finals
2012 18 14th 34 11 9 14 47 53 -6 42 16,815 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Did not qualify
2013 18 4th 34 16 11 7 53 32 21 59 18,819 Quarter-finals Round of 16
2014 18 17th 34 7 10 17 36 48 -12 31 21,627 Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Round of 16
2015 J2 22 4th 42 18 13 11 57 40 17 67 12,232 Not eligible 1st round Did not qualify
2016 22 4th 42 23 9 10 62 46 16 78 12,509 3rd round
2017 J1 18 3rd 34 19 6 9 64 43 22 63 20,970 Winner Winner
2018 18 7th 34 13 11 10 39 38 1 50 18,542 Quarter final Round of 16 Group stage
2019 18 5th 34 18 5 11 39 29 14 59 21,518 Play-offs Round of 16 Did not qualify
2020 † 18 4th 34 18 6 10 46 37 9 60 7,014 Quarter final Did not qualify
2021 † 20 12th 38 13 9 16 47 51 -4 48 5,351 Runners up Semi-finals Round of 16
2022 18 5th 34 13 12 9 46 40 6 51 11,427 Runners up Quarter-finals Did not qualify
2023 18 9th 34 15 4 15 39 34 5 49 17,074 Group stage Round of 16
2024 20 10th 38 13 13 12 43 48 -5 52 17,903 Playoff round 3rd round
2025 20 10th 38 14 10 14 60 55 -5 52 18,654 Playoff round 4th round
2026 J1 10 TBD 18 N/A N/A
2026-27 20 TBD 38 TBD TBD
Key
  • Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
  • Attendance/G = Average league home attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced due to COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J.League Data Site

Continental record

As of 24 June 2021
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2011 AFC Champions League Group G Arema Malang 2–1 4–0 2nd
Shandong Luneng Taishan 4–0 0–2
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 1–0 0–1
Round of 16 Gamba Osaka 1–0
Quarter-finals Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 4–3 1–6 5–9
2014 Group F Pohang Steelers 0–2 1–1 2nd
Shandong Taishan 1–3 2–1
Buriram United 4–0 2–2
Round of 16 Guangzhou 1–5 1–0 2–5
2018 Group G Jeju United 2–1 1–0 3rd
Guangzhou 0–0 1–3
Buriram United 2–2 0–2
2021 Play-off round Melbourne City Cancelled
Group J Guangzhou 5–0[b] 2–0[b] 1st
Kitchee 2–1[b] 0–0[b]
Port 1–1[b] 3–0[b]
Round of 16 Pohang Steelers 0–1
  1. ^ The original clubs of the Japan Soccer League in 1965 were Mitsubishi Motors, Furukawa Electric, Hitachi, Yanmar, Toyo Kogyo, Yahata Steel, Toyota Industries and Nagoya Mutual Bank.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Played at a neutral venue.

League history

Notes

References

  1. ^ "Arthur Pappas Appointed Head Coach". www.cerezo.jp/. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Club Guide Profile". Archived from the original on 2020-04-27. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
  3. ^ "Cerezo Osaka Profile". Cerezo Osaka official website. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  4. ^ セレッソ大阪とは (in Japanese). Cerezo Osaka. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "ローランド、セレッソ大阪「公認セレ男」に就任！！". 20 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  6. ^ "Captain Tsubasa Database (キャプ翼DB)". captaintsubasa.wiki.fc2.com. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  7. ^ Stadium Information, Link to stadiums.
  8. ^ "Borussia Dortmund and Cerezo Osaka Announce Official Club Partnership". www.bvb.de. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  9. ^ "トップチーム選手" (in Japanese). Cerezo Osaka. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  10. ^ 2024シーズン キャプテン、副キャプテンについて. cerezo.jp (in Japanese). Cerezo Osaka. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Coaching staff for 2025 season". www.cerezo.jp. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Club history". セレッソ大阪 沿革. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
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