Tatsuma Yoshida

Tatsuma Yoshida (吉田 達磨) 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.

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.

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 reached the semi-finals.

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, Yasuda was dismissed on 31 March.

Manager
Ventforet Kofu
 * Emperor's Cup: 2022