is a former Japanese

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 and manager. He played for Japan national team.

Club career

Soejima was born in

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

on July 26, 1959. After graduating from high school, he joined

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, const ...

in 1978. After reserve team in 2 season, he was promoted top team in 1980. In 1980, the club won the champions in

Japan Soccer League ; JSL) was the top flight association football league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J.League. JSL Cup, JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professi ...

and he was selected Best Eleven. The club also won

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

and

1984 Emperor's Cup Statistics of Emperor's Cup in the 1984 season. Overview It was contested by 32 teams, and Yomiuri won the championship. Results 1st round *Nissan Motors 6–0 Mazda Auto Hiroshima * NTT Kinki 0–1 Mazda * Kyushu Sangyo University 1–2 Tan ...

. In 1991, he moved to Division 2 club Sumitomo Metal and played in 1 season. He retired in 1992.

National team career

On June 9, 1980, Soejima debuted for Japan national team against

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. He played 3 games for Japan in 1980.Japan National Football Team Database
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Coaching career

After retirement, Soejima started coaching career at

Kashima Antlers The are a professional association football, football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese ...

(former ''Sumitomo Metal'') in 1992. He moved to

Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's home stadium is Panasonic Stadium Suita. They form a ...

in 1996. In 1998, he returned to

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 Osak ...

(former ''Yanmar Diesel'') and became a manager in 2000. He was sacked in August 2001. He managed his local club

Sagan Tosu is a Japanese professional Association football, football club based in Tosu, Saga, Tosu, Saga Prefecture. The club plays in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese football, since 2025 following relegation from the J1 League in 2024 J1 Leag ...

in 2002 and

Vissel Kobe is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. They are currently the J1 League champions. The club's home stadium is Noevir Stad ...

in 2003. In 2005, he returned to Cerezo Osaka and managed youth team until 2008. He moved to

Kataller Toyama is a football club based in Toyama, Capital of Toyama Prefecture. The club currently play in J2 League after promotion from J3 in 2024, Japanese second tier of professional football. History The idea of a merged club had been discussed by t ...

and became a coach. In 2010, he moved to

Thespa Kusatsu , formerly is a professional football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club currently play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football. History The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, on ...

and managed until 2012. In 2015, he moved to Thailand and became a manager

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

Club statistics

National team statistics

Managerial statistics

J.League Data Site
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References

External links

*

* 1959 births Living people Association football people from Saga Prefecture Japanese men's footballers Japan men's international footballers Japan Soccer League players Cerezo Osaka players Kashima Antlers players Japanese football managers J1 League managers J2 League managers Cerezo Osaka managers Sagan Tosu managers Vissel Kobe managers Thespa Gunma managers Men's association football midfielders 20th-century Japanese sportsmen Sportspeople from Saga (city) {{Japan-footy-midfielder-1950s-stub