In the 2025 season, the first year under Akio Kogiku’s coaching system, Sagan Tosu finished 8th in J2. They also missed the playoffs and were unable to return to J1 in one year. However, the next year and a half will be a valuable time to rebuild the team, including the Centenary League. Players who sympathize with the style envisioned by the coach gather together and once again pursue the “two rabbits” of content and results.
13New players. Active offseason reinforcement strategy
Winning J2 and returning to J1 in one year. In the 2025 season, we fought for Sagan Tosu with that goal in mind and finished in 8th place. Not only did they not win the championship, they were unable to finish in second place throughout the season, which is within the automatic promotion range, and they did not even reach the J1 promotion playoff range. It was a disappointing season given the goals he had set, but Tosu took active steps in the offseason to make a comeback.
Due to the transition to the autumn/spring system, the Centenary League will be held for approximately half a year before the 26-27 season. The transfer market was generally quiet, perhaps due to the regulation that does not allow for promotion or relegation, but Tosu added 13 new players. Three players were promoted from Tosu U-18, but 10 players were added in double digits by transfers from other clubs alone, making this a significant change in players compared to the league as a whole.
“For the past few years, we have expected to some extent that we would be targeted (for players) by J1, and in that sense, we expected there to be some turnover, although not as much as last year.”
Coach Akio Kogiku reflected on the lineup of players during this off-season. Last season, manager Kogiku was the manager of Cerezo Osaka, so he was not able to have much involvement in the formation of the players. In addition, many players left the team when the team was demoted from J1 to J2, and it cannot be denied that the new manager was at a disadvantage in terms of organization, and this fact had a considerable impact on the team’s failure to start the season. Coach Kogiku, who has experience in scouting and other reinforcements at Cebu Osaka, spoke about reinforcement strategies before the off-season.
“In my case, because of my experience in the training team, I want to be able to talk to players in person and participate in meetings via Zoom.I think players want to hear about the manager’s philosophy on soccer (when transferring).I’m the type of person who would go to see them if I could meet them in person, but if it was via Zoom, I would still want to participate.
It’s also a learning experience for me as a manager, and I don’t usually get to hear about other clubs’ football or practice content. I think it’s a valuable opportunity to improve my managerial and interpersonal skills, so I’d like to work with the training department to acquire players, and I’d like to work together to build a club.”
He did not shy away from running for office himself, and was actively involved in the organization while maintaining close communication with the training team, acquiring the right players in order to advance his own style of soccer to even greater heights. In that sense, it can be said that in his second year, he has been reinforced in a way that truly aligns with the coach’s soccer goals. That’s why there was a major change in players.
The key to gaining new talent is empathy for style.
So, what was the focus of the coach in working with the training department to acquire players?
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Sugiyama Propaganda
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from university, he started working as a freelancer. Since 2008, he has been in charge of Jeff Chiba, Jubilo Iwata, Tochigi SC, Yokohama FC, and Avispa Fukuoka for the soccer newspaper “EL GOLAZO,” and currently covers Sagan Tosu and Valen Nagasaki. He mainly conducts reporting on the J League.
