Osaka Bluteon (大阪ブルテオン, Ōsaka Buruteon) is a men's volleyball team based in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan. It plays in V.League Division 1. The club was founded in 1951.[1] It is owned by the Panasonic Corporation.

Osaka Bluteon
Founded1951
GroundPanasonic Arena
(Capacity: 2,500)
Head CoachFrance Laurent Tillie
CaptainJapan Akihiro Yamauchi
LeagueV.League Division 1
2021–223rd place
WebsiteClub home page

History

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Osaka Bluteon was established as a volleyball club for Matsushita Electric Industrial (now Panasonic) in 1951 and from 1992 to 2024 was known as the Panasonic Panthers.[2]

The club would become one of the participating teams of the inaugural 2024–25 season of the SV.League. It adopted its current name and branding in June 2024 ahead of their participation in the new league.[3]

Names

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  • Panasonic Panthers (1992–2024)
  • Osaka Bluteon (2024–)

Team

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Current roster

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Team roster – season 2023/2024
No. Player name Date of birth Position
1   Kunihiro Shimizu (1986-08-11) August 11, 1986 (age 38) Opposite
2   Hideomi Fukatsu (1990-06-01) June 1, 1990 (age 34) Setter
3   Shunsuke Nakamura (1999-03-07) March 7, 1999 (age 25) Setter
6   Thomas Jaeschke (1993-09-04) September 4, 1993 (age 31) Outside Hitter
7   Yuga Tarumi (2000-11-02) November 2, 2000 (age 24) Outside Hitter
8   Kenyu Nakamoto (1997-11-21) November 21, 1997 (age 27) Outside Hitter
10   Akihiro Yamauchi(c) (1993-11-30) November 30, 1993 (age 31) Middle Blocker
11   Yuji Nishida (2000-01-30) January 30, 2000 (age 24) Opposite
12   Tomotake Ito (1999-11-11) November 11, 1999 (age 25) Libero
13   Tomohiro Yamamoto (1994-11-05) November 5, 1994 (age 30) Libero
15  Tatsunori Otsuka (2000-11-05) November 5, 2000 (age 24) Outside Hitter
17   Takeshi Nagano (1985-07-11) July 11, 1985 (age 39) Libero
18   Hiroto Nishiyama (2003-03-04) March 4, 2003 (age 21) Outside Hitter
19   Keitaro Nishikawa (2000-04-14) April 14, 2000 (age 24) Middle Blocker
20   Takahiro Shin [ja] (1991-08-10) August 10, 1991 (age 33) Setter
21   Yasunari Kodama (1994-07-24) July 24, 1994 (age 30) Middle Blocker
22   Yuichiro Komiya (1992-11-16) November 16, 1992 (age 32) Middle Blocker
23   Larry Evbade-Dan (2000-08-18) August 18, 2000 (age 24) Middle Blocker
Head coach:   Laurent Tillie

Honours

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Japan Volleyball League/V.League/V.Premier League
  • Champions   (×6): 1971–72, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19
  • Runners-up   (×7): 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 2012–13, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2023–24
  • Third place   (×1) :2022-23
Kurowashiki All Japan Volleyball Tournament
  • Champions   (×9): 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1981, 1998, 2009, 2014
  • Runners-up   (×1): 2024[4]
Emperor's Cup
  • Champions   (×3): 2011, 2012, 2023[5]
  • Runner-up   (×1): 2008
Asian Men's Club Volleyball Championship

Notable players

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  Japan

  Brazil

  Poland

League results

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  Champion    Runner-up

League Position Teams Matches Win Lose
V.League 1st (1994–95) 7th 8 21 10 11
2nd (1995–96) 6th 8 21 10 11
3rd (1996–97) 5th 8 21 10 11
4th (1997–98) 3rd 8 21 14 7
5th (1998–99) 4th 10 18 17 1
6th (1999-00) 6th 10 18 9 9
7th (2000–01) 6th 10 18 9 9
8th (2001–02) 6th 10 18 9 9
9th (2002–03) 3rd 8 21 13 8
10th (2003–04) 3rd 8 21 12 9
11th (2004–05) 4th 8 28 15 13
12th (2005–06) 5th 8 28 16 12
V・Premier 2006–07 3rd 8 28 17 11
2007–08 Champion 8 28 19 9
2008–09 3rd 8 28 15 13
2009–10 Champion 8 28 20 4
2010–11 4th 8 24 14 10
2011–12 Champion 8 21 17 4
2012–13 Runner-Up 8 28 20 8
2013–14 Champion 8 28 21 7
2014–15 6th 8 21 13 8
2015–16 Runner-up 8 30 16 14
2016–17 5th 8 26 15 11
2017–18 Champion 8 28 23 5
V.League Division 1
2018–19 Champion 10 34 28 6
2019–20 Runner-up 10 28 24 4
2020–21 Runner-up 10 41 33 8
2021–22 3rd 10 36 25 11
2022–23 3rd 10 39 25 14

References

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  1. ^ "パナソニック パンサーズについて". パナソニックのバレーボールチーム、パナソニック パンサーズ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-10-24.
  2. ^ "パナソニック パンサーズは リブランディングの実施を決定 「チーム名称」「エンブレム」の刷新のお知らせ" [Panasonic Panthers decides to undergo a rebranding. Notice of changing team name and emblem] (in Japanese). Panasonic Panthers. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  3. ^ "「新クラブ名称」「新エンブレム」発表のお知らせ" [Announcement of "New Club Name" and "New Emblem"] (in Japanese). Osaka Bluteon. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  4. ^ "第72回 黒鷲旗全日本男女選抜バレーボール大会決勝トーナメント戦 結果" (PDF). jva.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. ^ "【バレー】西田有志が古賀紗理那と夫婦でMVP「家族で達成うれしい」パナソニック天皇杯V導く" (in Japanese). 17 December 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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