Kashima Antlers


The Kashima Antlers are a professional football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese e-commerce company.
Since the J.League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have proven themselves to be by far Japan's most successful football club in terms of trophies won, having won the J1 League title a record 9 times, the J.League Cup a record 6 times, the Emperor's Cup 5 times and the Japanese Super Cup a record 6 times for an unprecedented twenty major domestic titles. Continentally, Kashima became Asian champions when they won the AFC Champions League in 2018. The club also won the J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship on 2 occasions in 2012 and 2013.
Internationally, Kashima has made two appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup where in the 2016 edition, the club qualified as the host of the tournament. Kashima notably became the only club to qualify from the first round until the 2016 [FIFA Club World Cup final|final] where they would go on to lose to 2015–16 UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid 4–2 after extra time with Gaku Shibasaki scoring both goals for Kashima.
Kashima are also one of only two clubs to have competed in Japan's top flight football every year since it was professionalized.

Namesake

The name 'Antlers' is derived from the city of Kashima.
The club crest not only resembles deer antlers but it also reflects the image of a rose thorn as it is the official flower of Ibaraki, the home prefecture of the club. Deer are amiable animals and are viewed in some religions as spiritual messengers.
In fact, Kashima Shrine, one of the most famous shrines in Japan and located in close proximity to the club headquarters, has kept and raised deer for more than 1,300 years as a spiritual symbol.

History

Founded in 1947 as Sumitomo Metal Industries Factory Football Club in Osaka and moved to Kashima, Ibaraki in 1975. It played in the semi-professional Japan Soccer League. They were promoted to the JSL's top flight in 1984, but never made much of an impact, going down in 1985/86, returning in 1986/87 and going down again in 1988/89. Its last standing in the JSL was 2nd in the Second Division for 1991/92. In October 1991, Kashima Antlers Co., Ltd. was established with investment from 43 companies from 5 local governments.
After the formation of the fully professional J.League, Sumitomo, like all other clubs, stripped the corporate brand from the club's name and reformed as the Kashima Antlers in April 1992. Kashima was essentially promoted to the new top flight, as many JSL First Division clubs decided to relegate themselves being unprepared for professionalism..

1996–2002: Domestic treble and back-to-back league champions

Since the J.League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima Antlers have consistently been amongst the strongest clubs in the country, holding several distinctions and records. Led by former Brazil national team star and Japan national team coach Zico in the club's formative years, Kashima Antlers were the first club to win a J.League stage, claiming the 1st stage of the inaugural season in 1993. In 1996, Kashima Antlers won their first ever league title in the first division, However in 1997, they failed to defend their league title where they ended up as runners-up in the league after losing to Júbilo Iwata 4–2 on aggregate in the Suntory Championship. However, Kashima Antlers went on to win the Emperor's Cup, Japanese Super Cup and J.League Cup in the same year. In 1998, Kashima Antlers went on to win the league title again.
This laid a platform for continuous greatness and long after the Kashima icon had departed, in 2000 Kashima became the first J.League club to achieve the "treble", by winning all three major titles: J.League, J.League Cup, and Emperor's Cup in the same year.

2007–2016: Three peats champions and rise of Kashima Antlers

In recent times, by clinching the 2007 season league title, Kashima Antlers became the first and only club in Japan to have won ten domestic titles in the professional era. In 2008, Kashima Antlers became the first and only club to successfully defend the league titles on two occasions. In 2009, Kashima Antlers became the first and only club to win three consecutive J.League titles. With victories in back to back J.League Cups in 2011, 2012 and most recently followed by their 2015 victory, Kashima extended their unmatched record of major domestic titles in the professional era to seventeen.File:ACL Final by Tasnim 3.jpg|thumb|Kashima Antlers celebrate after winning the 2018 AFC Champions League at the Azadi Stadium vs Persepolis|335x335pxTo this day, Kashima has maintained strong ties with the football community in Brazil, a fact borne out of Zico's past affiliation with the club. Kashima's Brazilian connection has manifested itself in both the club's player transfer and coaching policy resulting in only three non-Brazilian foreign players and predominantly Brazilian managers signing for Kashima since the inception of the J.League.
The population of Kashima city is a mere 60,000 and for that reason club has also adopted the surrounding cities of Itako, Kamisu, Namegata and Hokota as its official hometowns, all in Ibaraki Prefecture. The combined population of five cities is 280,000. Antlers home games are played at Kashima Soccer Stadium, one of the 2002 FIFA World Cup venues with capacity of 40,000.
During the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, Kashima became the first Asian club to reach the 2016 FIFA [Club World Cup final|FIFA Club World Cup final] and notably became the only club to qualify from the first round until the final following a 3–0 victory over South American winners, Atlético Nacional. In the final, after a 2–2 draw against European champions Real Madrid after 90 minutes, they were beaten 4–2 after extra time.

International affiliation

In 2017, Kashima established a base in New York where the club main objective is to investigate and apply advanced cases from the digital domain of the Major League Soccer while there are also opportunities to gather information in terms of player management and competition factors. Another reason comes in the form of establishing relationships to learn international strategy directly from the likes of FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich. The relationship building hasn't solely been with European clubs, and for the past two years regular meetings have been held at the head offices of MLS in order to deepen ties with the league and its clubs.

Stadium

has been the home ground of Kashima since 26 March 1993. The Kashima Soccer Museum, opened in 2004 is set for wide-scale renewal, while the Wellness Plaza, established in 2006, is also in line for similar improvements, including the installation of a public bath. There is a real awareness of furthering stadium use on non-matchdays to ensure Kashima Stadium is a hub for the local region.
On the other hand, the importance of Kashima Stadium as a sacred football ground will also increase. The stadium was selected as a host venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where it hosted international competition for the first time since the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Ahead of that, the stadium will also host the Ibaraki National Sports Festival this year, at which athletes will gather from all over the country.
In 2008 a 500-metre LED wraparound advertising board, the longest in Asia, was installed at the front of the second tier. In 2017, the latest large electronic screens were added to both the north and south stands as part of the commitment to improving the viewing environment for visitors.

Honours

As both Sumitomo Metal FC and Kashima Antlers
HonourNo.Years
J1 League91996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2025
Japan Soccer League Division 221984, 1986–87
Emperor's Cup51997, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2016
J.League Cup61997, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2015
Japanese Super Cup61997, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2017
All Japan [Senior Football Championship]11973
AFC Champions League Elite12018
J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship22012, 2013
A3 Champions Cup12003

Personnel awards

World Cup players

The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup, while playing for Kashima Antlers:

Olympic players

The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Kashima Antlers:

Slogans


YearSlogan
1998CHALLENGE
1999NEXT
2000Glory Again– 原点からの挑戦–
2001- 勝利主義 Antlersism – FOR NEXT 10 YEARS
2002- 進化 Antlersism – STAIRWAY TO THE WORLD
2003OVER'03 – カシマからアジア、そして世界へ –
2004FOOTBALL DREAM 2004 – 奪冠10 –
2005FOOTBALL DREAM 2005 – 反撃宣言 –
2006FOOTBALL DREAM 2006 – 一新制覇 –
2007FOOTBALL DREAM'07 –
魂 Spirits –



YearSlogan
2008FOOTBALL DREAM 2008 – DESAFIO 挑戦 –
2009FOOTBALL DREAM 2009 – PROGRESSO 飛躍 –
2010FOOTBALL DREAM 2010 – Evolução 新化 –
2011FOOTBALL DREAM NEXT
2012SMILE AGAIN with PRIDE
2013RENASCIMENTO – 誇りを胸に –
2014SPECTACLE – 戦 –
2015RISE TO THE CHALLENGE – 覚悟 –
2016FOOTBALL DREAM ともに
2017FOOTBALL DREAM つなぐ



YearSlogan
2018FOOTBALL DREAM こえる
2019FOOTBALL DREAM かわる
2020FOOTBALL DREAM みせる
2021FOOTBALL DREAM しんか
2022FOOTBALL DREAM いどむ
2023FOOTBALL DREAM ひとつに
2024FOOTBALL DREAM かける
2025FOOTBALL DREAM ONE