Kensuke Takahashi

, is a former Japanese futsal player and current futsal manager. As a player, he was a member of the Japanese national futsal team. Currently, he is the head coach of the Japan national futsal team.

Club career

Early career In 1982, he was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. He graduated from Asahikawa City Midorigaoka Junior High School and Hokkaido Asahikawa Business High School. He played soccer in junior high school and high school. When he entered Juntendo University in 2001, he switched from soccer to futsal in his third year of university.

Bardral Urayasu (first stint) In 2004, he joined PREDATOR (which were eventually renamed as Bardral Urayasu). In 2007, the first F.League was held as Japan's first national league. In 2007–08 season, he scored 7 goals in the F.League.

Playing in Spain In July 2008, he joined to Caja Segovia FS in the Spanish Primera Division. He signed a professional contract with a number of 10. In the 2009–10 season, he became the main player of the Kaha Segovia FS. In 2010, he joined to UD Guadalajara FS in the Spanish Primera Division.

Bardral Urayasu (second stint) In May 2011, he rejoined his old club, Bardral Urayasu. In 2011–12 season, he was selected the F.League Best 5. In 2017, he took over as manager of Bardral Urayasu. He was in charge of the senior national futsal teams, both men and women, and also the youth U-20 national futsal team. In the 2018 AFF Futsal Championship, he led the men senior team to third place. Next, he led the men U-20 team to the semifinals of the 2019 AFC U-20 Futsal Championship, finishing the tournament as fourth place. He then led the men senior team to the final of the 2019 AFF Futsal Championship, losing in the final to Thailand and finishing the tournament as the runner-up.

After three and a half years tenure, he declined to renew his contract and resigned from the position citing family reason.

Japan national futsal team Right after he left Indonesia, the JFA appointed him as the new head coach of the Japan national under-20 futsal team and as an assistant coach of the Japan national futsal team.

In July 2024, he was appointed by the JFA as the new head coach of the Japan national futsal team. He replaced Kenichiro Kogure who resigned from the position on the same day.

Honours

Player

Bardral Urayasu All Japan Futsal Championship (1) 2006

Individual F.League Best 5 (1) 2011–12

Manager

Indonesia

Senior

AFF Futsal Championship Third place: 2018 Runner-up: 2019

Under-20

AFC U-20 Futsal Championship Fourth place: 2019