is a Japanese former

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

Career

Having both played for and managed

Yanmar Diesel is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, constru ...

, Onitake was one of the founding members of the club's J.League successor,

Cerezo Osaka 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 ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of 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. Onitake is seen as a crucial figure in Cerezo Osaka history, helping them to promotion from the

Japan Football League The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership am ...

to the J.League. He was inducted into the Japan Football Association hall of fame in 2015.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Japan Football Hall of Fame is housed at the Japan Football Museum ( :ja:日本サッカーミュージアム), in JFA House in Bunkyo, Tokyo. The Hall aims to celebrate the achievements of the all-time top Japanese football players, managers, and other persons who have been ...

: Inducted in 2015

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onitake, Kenji 1939 births Living people Japanese men's footballers Men's association football forwards Cerezo Osaka players Japan Soccer League players Association football people from Hiroshima