Kashima Antlers
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| Full name | Kashima Antlers F.C. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 (Sumitomo Metals FC) |
| Ground |
Kashima Soccer Stadium Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan |
| Capacity | 40,728 |
| Chairman | Shigeru Ibata |
| Manager | Masatada Ishii |
| League | J1 League |
|
2016 2016 |
J1 League, 1st (champions) Emperor's Cup, champions |
| Website | Club home page |
Kashima Antlers (鹿島アントラーズ Kashima Antorāzu?) are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J1 League with financial backing from the Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal.
Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island".
Since the J. League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have proved by far Japan's most successful club team, having won the J. League title a record eight times, the J. League Cup a record six times and the Emperor's Cup four times for an unprecedented total of eighteen major domestic titles. Kashima have finished in the top five of the league for over seventy percent of all seasons played to date, recorded an average end of season league placing of third and captured a major domestic title in over sixty percent of all seasons played to date.
Kashima are the current J. League Champions are also one of only two teams to have competed in Japan's top flight of professional football every year since its inception (the other being Yokohama F. Marinos).
The name ‘Antlers’ is derived from the city of Kashima, which literally translates to ‘Deer Island’. The club crest not only resembles deer antlers but it also reflects the image of 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, have kept and raised deer for more than 1,300 years as spiritual symbol. Deer are affectionate animals but are also known for their courageous character as they battle each other head to head with lethal antlers.
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Wikipedia