# Tatsuma Yoshida

Tatsuma Yoshida (吉田 達磨, Yoshida Tatsuma, born 9 June 1974) is a Japanese football manager and former player. He was previously the head coach of the Singapore national team, serving from 2019 to 2021 which he was famously known in the country for enhancing Singapore fluidity football.
As a player, Tatsuma spent the majority of his career with Montedio Yamagata.

## Early life

Tatsuma was born in Chiba Prefecture on June 9, 1974.

## Playing career
### Youth career

During Tatsuma junior high school years, he played for the Hitachi Junior Youth Soccer Club.

### Senior career

After graduating from Urayasu High School, Tatsuma joined his local club Kashiwa Reysol in 1993. In 1997, he moved to Kyoto Purple Sanga.
In 1999, Tatsuma moved to newly promoted J2 League club, Montedio Yamagata. He became a regular for them, playing as a defensive midfielder. During the final day of the 1999 J.League Division 2 season, Yoshida scored a late long range free kick goal against Oita Trinita, denying their chances of being promoted to the J.League Division 1.
In 2002, he moved to Singapore and played for Jurong FC in the S-League (now Singapore Premier League). After five appearances, he retired at the end of the 2002 season.

## Coaching career
### Return to Kashiwa Reysol

Tatsuma returned to Kashiwa Reysol in 2003 and spent seven years as director of the club's academy, where he helped to establish it as one of the best in the country. Japan internationals Hiroki Sakai, Masato Kudo and Kosuke Nakamura were groomed during his time there. Tatsuma spent a further three years as Reysol's sports director before succeeding as head coach for the 2015 J1 season on a two-year contract.
In his first season, Tatsuma produced a respectable performance at the 2015 AFC Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Guangzhou Evergrande, the eventual winners of the competition that year. Reysol had also finished at the semi-finals of that year's Emperor's Cup. However, performances in the domestic league was lacklustre, and Tatsuma stint was cut short.

### Albriex Niigata

In 2016, Tatsuma was appointed as head coach of Albirex Niigata until he was sacked on 27 September 2016 for poor performances

### Ventforet Kofu

Tatsuma was appointed as Ventforet Kofu head coach in 2017. Ventforet was relegated to J2 League at the end of 2017 J1 League season and Tatsuma was subsequently dismissed in April 2018.

### Singapore

On 30 May 2019, Tatsuma was unveiled as the head coach of the Singapore national team. Yoshida's first game in change for the national team began with a 4–3 victory against the Solomon Islands at the National Stadium. Yoshida extended his contract in 2021, but ended his stint by mutual agreement citing family reasons on 28 December that same year shortly after the 2020 AFF Suzuki Cup, whereby the Singapore team impressively reached the semi-finals after 9 years.

### Return to Ventforet Kofu

On 3 January 2022, the club confirmed that he will return to the club for the 2022 J2 League season. On 16 October 2022, he brought his club won 2022 Emperor's Cup for the first time in history thus qualifying them to their debut 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage appearances.

### Tokushima Vortis

In August 2023, Yoshida was appointed manager of J2 League club Tokushima Vortis following the mid-season departure of Beñat Labaien. They finished the season in 15th place. Following a disappointing start to the 2024 season with only 4 points from 7 games, Yoshida was dismissed on 31 March.

## Club statistics

| Club performance | Club performance | Club performance | League | League | Cup | Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Japan | Japan | Japan | League | League | Emperor's Cup | Emperor's Cup | J.League Cup | J.League Cup | Total | Total |
| 1993 | Kashiwa Reysol | JFL | | | | | | | | |
| 1994 | Kashiwa Reysol | JFL | | | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Kashiwa Reysol | J1 League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | Kashiwa Reysol | J1 League | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1997 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | J1 League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | J1 League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1999 | Montedio Yamagata | J2 League | 34 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 5 |
| 2000 | Montedio Yamagata | J2 League | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 2 |
| 2001 | Montedio Yamagata | J2 League | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 2002 | Jurong | Singapore Premier League | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | 105 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 118 | 8 |

## Managerial statistics

    As of match played 25 December 2021
| Team | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | From | To | G | W | D | L | Win % |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1 February 2015 | 31 January 2016 | 50 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 038.00 |
| Albirex Niigata | 1 February 2016 | 27 September 2016 | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 031.58 |
| Ventforet Kofu | 1 February 2017 | 30 April 2018 | 56 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 021.43 |
| Singapore | 30 May 2019 | 28 December 2021 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 068.42 |
| Ventforet Kofu | 1 Feb 2022 | 31 January 2023 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 031.82 |
| Total | Total | Total | 185 | 63 | 52 | 70 | 034.05 |

## Honours
### Manager

Ventforet Kofu
* Emperor's Cup: 2022