is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

retired

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player. He played as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

for the Japan national team. His brother Hisato Sato is also footballer.

Club career

Sato was born in Kasukabe on March 12, 1982. He joined

J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...

club

JEF United Ichihara , full name and also known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chiba, capital of Chiba Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football. History Furukawa Electric SC (19 ...

(later ''JEF United Chiba'') from youth team in 2000. He debuted in 2000 and played many matches as defensive midfielder from 2002. In 2003, he completely became a regular player and JEF United finished at the 3rd place under new manager

Ivica Osim Ivan Osim (6 May 1941 – 1 May 2022), best known as Ivica Osim, was a Bosnian professional Football player, footballer and Manager (association football), football manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Bosnian football managers of all ...

. After that, JEF United won the champions in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

and 2006 J.League Cup. In 2008, Sato moved to

Kyoto Sanga FC is a Japanese professional football club based in Kyoto. The club plays in the J1 League, the top tier of football in the country. Its name "Sanga" comes from the Sanskrit word ''sangha'', a term meaning "group" or "club" and often used to deno ...

. He played as regular player in 2 seasons. In 2010, Sato re-joined

JEF United Chiba , full name and also known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chiba, capital of Chiba Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football. History Furukawa Electric SC (19 ...

which club was relegated to

J2 League The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yasud ...

from 2010 season. He played as regular player and JEF United qualified for Promotion Playoffs to J1 for 3 years in a row (

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

). However the club missed promotion for J1. In October 2019, he announced he would play the last season for the club. In January 2020, he became "Club Officer", representing the club in several occasions.

National team career

In August 2006, when Sato played for

, he was selected Japan national team under new manager

who is manager for JEF United until July 2006. On August 16, Sato debuted for Japan against

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

.Japan National Football Team Database
/ref>

Club statistics

.Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社
"2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑"
10 February 2016, Japan, (p. 191 out of 289)

National team statistics

References

External links

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*

1982 births Living people Association football people from Saitama Prefecture Japanese men's footballers Japan men's international footballers J1 League players J2 League players JEF United Chiba players Kyoto Sanga FC players Japanese twins Men's association football midfielders People from Kasukabe, Saitama 21st-century Japanese sportsmen {{Japan-footy-midfielder-1980s-stub