Kawasaki Frontale

Establishment and earlier years (1955–1977)

The club was founded in 1955 as Fujitsu Soccer Club, the company team of Fujitsu. For several decades, the club competed in the regional and lower tiers of Japanese football, gradually establishing itself within the corporate football structure. It was one of many city clubs that comprised the Japan Soccer League (JSL), including Yomiuri (later Tokyo Verdy 1969), Toshiba (later Consadole Sapporo) and NKK SC (now defunct). They first made the JSL Division 1 in 1977, only to be relegated the next season.

Professional transition and relegations (1993–2000)

With the professionalisation of Japanese football and the establishment of the J.League in 1993, the club began transitioning towards a professional identity. In 1997, Fujitsu Soccer Club was reorganised and rebranded as a professional club with a new name, 'Kawasaki Frontale ', adopting its current name and relocating to Kawasaki, which means "frontal" in Italian. The club old crest and colours are based on those of Brazilian side Grêmio, because both clubs have cooperated since 26 March 1997.[1]

Frontale joined the newly formed second division, the J2 League, in 1999. In their debut season, the club won the 1999 J2 League title and secured promotion to the top flight. However, their first stint in the J1 League was short-lived, as they were relegated after one season. Frontale would not return to the top flight until 2000, when they were promoted to the newly rebranded J1 League. But they were once again dropped to the J2 League at the end of the season.

Top flight return and AFC Champions League debut (2004–2007)

In the 2004 season, Frontale crowned champions of J2 League and won promotion to J1 for the second time. With the former rival city clubs out of the way due to relocation or liquidation, they began building their power base in the city of Kawasaki.

In 2006, Frontale achieved runners-up position in J1, their highest league position up to that time. As a result, they entered the AFC Champions League for the first time in the 2007 edition. They were drawn in Group F alongside Korean club Chunnam Dragons, Indonesian club Arema Malang and Thailand club Bangkok University. Frontale went on to have an undefeated campaign in the group stage finishing as group leaders to advanced to the knockout stage. However, Frontale lost 5–4 on penalties shootout to Iranian club Sepahan thus knocking out from the tournament.

During this period, Frontale became known for their attacking philosophy and consistent performances. They also reached the final of the Emperor's Cup in 2007, although they were defeated 0–2 to Kashima Antlers. Despite regular top finishes, the club gained a reputation for falling just short in decisive moments, leading to a prolonged wait for major silverware.

Domestic domination under Toru Oniki (2017–2024)

Frontale’s fortunes changed dramatically in 2017 under the helms of manager, Toru Oniki. The club went on to win its first-ever J1 League title in the 2017 season, finishing ahead of rivals after years of near misses. After two second-place finishes in 2008 and 2009, Kawasaki finally won the league, coming from behind to upstage bitter rivals Kashima Antlers after they were held to a draw at Júbilo Iwata, 16 seasons and 40 years after their first promotion to the top division.

Kawasaki became the first team to win four J1 titles in a five-year span. They came up short multiple times (2000, 2007, 2009 and 2017) but won their first J.League Cup in 2019, beating Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo on penalties. In 2020, they successfully won their third J1 League title with 83 points, staying 17 points clear off the runners-up, Gamba Osaka. They made sure of the title with four games to spare, which was a record under the 34-match league format. With a player depth not being restricted to the starting XI, Frontale managed to get the best out of the five substitutions allowed by the J. League, per FIFA recommendation, instated after the COVID-19 outbreak. A good example was a breakout season by Kaoru Mitoma, who started more matches on the bench than in the starting XI.[2]

Reign of Shigetoshi Hasebe; First Asia final (2025–present)

Following the departure of Oniki, along with mid-table finish at 8th position in both 2023 and 2024, it was announced by Frontale that Shigetoshi Hasebe, who left his position at Avispa Fukuoka, would become the new manager for 2025 season.[9] Hasebe began his tenure with a 4-0 victory over the Pohang Steelers in the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite group stage, and followed up with a 4–0 win over Nagoya Grampus in the J1 League opener. Kawasaki went on to defeat Chinese club Shanghai Shenghua with an aggregate of 5–1 in the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16 tie, thus advancing to the quarter-finals.

Playing at a centralized venue on Saudi Arabia from this stage on, Kawasaki faced off against Qatari side Al Sadd at the quarter-finals. Club captain Yasuto Wakizaka scored the winner in extra time putting the team to win 3–2, thus advancing to the club first ever semi-finals in the AFC Champions League Elite. They ended up qualifying to their first final as well, as Kawasaki beat Al-Nassr by the same 3–2 score, this time during the usual 90 minutes. At the final, they faced another Saudi Pro League team, Al-Ahli on 3 May 2025. Despite their efforts, Kawasaki finished the 2024–25 AFC Champions League as runners-up, losing by 2–0 to the Saudi side. The 2025 run to the final reinforced Frontale’s status as a major force in Asian football and represented a key milestone following their domestic dominance in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Rivalries

Tamagawa Clásico

Sponsors

Kit evolution

First-team squad

[13][14]

Out on loan

Kawasaki Frontale U-18

[15][16] Below are list of U-18 team players belong to Kawasaki Frontale academy that competing in 2026 Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League, the top-flight league for U-18 team of football clubs and senior high school football teams in the country. Only registered players for the competition will be displayed.