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 () also represents the flower of the city of Osaka. The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. There exists a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka.
The club excels at player development; many players—most notably Shinji Kagawa and Takumi Minamino—have moved from this club to Europe and gone on to shine at top-tier clubs.
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") 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.
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 first 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.
On February 22, 2020, host and TV personality Roland was appointed Cerezo's "Official CereMan".
Rivalries
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 popular culture In the manga series Captain Tsubasa, a character named Teppei Kisugi becomes a professional football player and joins Cerezo Osaka.
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., Link to stadiums.
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 +PeriodKit manufacturerMain sponsors1983–2005 Mizuno Nippon Ham2006–2014 Yanmar2015–2024 Puma2025–present Mizuno
Kit evolution Home Kits - 1st
Away Kits - 2nd
Special Kits - 3rd
Affiliated clubs
BG Pathum United (March 2012–present) Borussia Dortmund (January 2026–present)
Players
First-team squad
Out on loan
Management and staff Club officials for 2026.
PositionNameManager Pablo MachínAssistant manager Jose SchneiderCoaches Yasuaki Oshima Ryo Shigaki Rui Komatsu Shuta Tsukamoto Analytical coach Shunsuke Nakano Yuki YoshimuraGoalkeeping coach Koji Inada Sasakata KazukoHead of performance Yusuke FukuharaPhysical coach Takeshi IkomaAthletic performance coach Tanaka YusukePhysiotherapists Atsushi Kitaura Akihiro SasakiTrainers Koji Hanaki Haruki WadaInterpreters Takanori Shirasawa Kazuyuki Ishikawa Bruno Hideo Owada Murray ShionChief secretary Atsushi ImanishiTeam secretary Shoki Kokawa Lee Song-inKitman Tomoharu Nagahisa
Honours As both Yanmar Diesel (1957–1993) and Cerezo Osaka (1993–present) +TypeHonoursTitlesSeasonLeagueJapan Soccer League Division 141971, 1974, 1975, 1980Japan Soccer League Cup31973 (shared), 1983, 1984All Japan Senior Football Championship11976Japan Football League11994CupEmperor's Cup41968, 1970, 1974, 2017J.League Cup12017Japanese Super Cup21981, 2018RegionalQueen's Cup11976
Records and statistics As of 18 March 2026. +Top 10 all-time appearancesRankPlayerYearsClub appearance1 Kim Jin-hyeon 2009–present6382 Hiroaki Morishima1991–20085323 Yusuke Maruhashi2009–20234854 Noriyuki Sakemoto2003–20183565 Akinori Nishizawa1995–2000, 2001, 2002–2006, 20093536 Yoichiro Kakitani2006–2014, 2016–20213087 Riku Matsuda2016–20242988 Hiroshi Kiyotake2010–2012, 2017–20242949 Tatsuya Yamashita2006–2010, 2012–2019,
2022–202429110 Hotaru Yamaguchi2009–2015, 2016–2018279 Kota Fujimoto2005–2019 +Top 10 all-time scorersRankPlayerClub appearanceTotal goals1 Hiroaki Morishima5321612 Akinori Nishizawa3531133 Yoichiro Kakitani308754 Yoshito Ōkubo175715 Kenyu Sugimoto239706 Shinji Kagawa222657 Tatsuya Furuhashi170538 Hiroshi Kiyotake294489 Takashi Inui1514610 Rui Komatsu16544
Biggest wins: 11–0 vs Ventforet Kofu (22 May1994) Heaviest defeats: 0–11 vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (7 November 1965) Youngest ever debutant: Yoichiro Kakitani ~ 16 years 10 months 23 days old (On 26 November 2006 vs Omiya Ardija) Oldest ever player: Yoshito Ōkubo ~ 39 years 6 months 3 days old (On 12 December 2021 vs Urawa Red Diamonds) Youngest goal scorers: Yoichiro Kakitani ~ 17 years 3 months 25 days old (On 28 April 2007 vs Thespa Gunma) Oldest goal scorers: Yoshito Ōkubo ~ 39 years 2 months 30 days old (On 8 September 2021 vs Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo)
Award winners As of the end of the 2025 season. J.League Top Scorer:
Hwang Sun-hong (1999)
J.League Best XI
Hiroaki Morishima (1995, 2000) Akinori Nishizawa (2000) Motohiro Yoshida (2005) Tatsuya Furuhashi (2005) Hiroshi Kiyotake (2006) Yoichiro Kakitani (2013) Hotaru Yamaguchi (2013, 2017) Kenyu Sugimoto (2017) Seiya Maikuma (2023) J.League Best Young Player:
Takumi Minamino (2013) Ayumu Seko (2020)
Individual Fair Play Award: Yoichiro Kakitani (2013, 2017)
J.League Goal of the Year:
Yoichiro Kakitani against Kashima Antlers (30 November 2013)
J.League Manager of the Year:
Yoon Jong-hwan (2017)
J2 League Top Scorer: Shinji Kagawa (2009)
Managerial history
ManagerPeriod Honours Paulo Emilio 1 January 1994–31 December 1995 – 1994 Japan Football League Hiroshi Sowa1 January 1996–31 December 1996 Levir Culpi1 February 1997–31 December 1997 Yasutaro Matsuki1 January 1998–31 December 1999 René Desaeyere1 February 1999–31 January 2000 Hiroshi Soejima1 February 2000–19 August 2001 João Carlos20 August 2001–4 November 2001 Akihiro Nishimura5 November 2001–6 October 2003 Yuji Tsukada7 October 2003–1 January 2004 Petar Nadoveza2 January 2004–1 February 2004 Fuad Muzurović1 February 2004–22 March 2004 Albert Pobor23 March 2004–28 June 2004 Shinji Kobayashi1 July 2004–17 April 2006 Yuji Tsukada (2)18 April 2006–31 December 2006 Satoshi Tsunami1 January 2007–7 May 2007 Levir Culpi (2)8 May 2007–31 December 2011 Sérgio Soares1 January 2012–26 August 2012 Levir Culpi (3)27 August 2012–11 December 2013 Ranko Popović1 January 2014–9 June 2014 Marco Pezzaiuoli16 June 2014–8 September 2014 Yuji Okuma8 September 2014–16 December 2014 Paulo Autuori1 January 2015–17 November 2015 Kiyoshi Okuma17 November 2015–31 January 2017 Yoon Jong-hwan1 February 2017–31 December 2018 – 2017 Emperor's Cup – 2017 J.League Cup