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Yokohama FC

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Yokohama FC
横浜FC
Logo
Full nameYokohama Football Club
Nickname(s)Fulie
Foondit25 December 1998; 25 years ago (25 December 1998)
GroundMitsuzawa Stadium
Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
Ground Capacity15,046
ChairmanYuji Onodera
ManagerShuhei Yomoda
LeagueTemplate:Japanese football updater
2023Template:Japanese football updater
WabsteidClub wabsteid
Current saison

Yokohama Fitba Club (横浜FC, Yokohama Efushī) is a Japanese professional fitba club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, pairt o the Greater Tokyo Area. The club wis formed by fans o Yokohama Flügels as a protest against Flügels' merger wi Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becomin the first supporter-owned professional sports team in Japan.[1]

They are set tae play in the J2 League fae 2024, the second tier o fitba in the country, efter relegation fae J1 League in 2023.

Since gainin J.League memburship in 2001, Yokohama FC spent considerable time in the second tier o the Japanese football league system. The club gained promotion tae J.League Division 1 fir the 2007 season efter winnin the Division 2 title. However, YFC wir immediatly relegated in the followin season. Efter 12 years in the J2 League, they returned tae Japan's tap tier, noo cawed J1 League, fir the 2020 season. History repeated itself, as they wir relegatit tae J2 efter finishin the season as J1's last-place team. The club wis promotit again tae J1 in 2022, thir third stint in the first division, enly tae be relegatit again tae the second tier in 2024.

Yokohama FC's crest features a phoenix, symbolisin the rise o Yokohama FC fae the ashes o the Yokohama Flugels. The blue ribbin oan the tap represents the Blue Ribbon Movement, a movement that began at the end o the 1998 J.League season tae keep the Flugels alive.

History

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Graphical timeline of Yokohama fitbaw clubs

Yokohama FC wis formed oan 25 December 1998 followin the merger o Yokohama's two J.League clubs, the Flügels an the Marinos.[2] Flügels supporturs felt that thir club hud essentially binn dissolved rather than merged wi, so rejectit the suggestion that they shid start supportin Marinos – who hud bin thir crosstoon rivals. Instead, wi money raised through donations fae the general public an an affiliation wi talent management company IMG, the former Flügels supporters foonded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club.[3] Followin the socio model used by FC Barcelona, the Fulie Sports Club creatit Yokohama FC, the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters.[1]

Fir its first season in 1999, Yokohama FC hired former Germany national team an World Cup star Pierre Littbarski tae be the manager an Yasuhiko Okudera, the first Japanese fitbawler tae play professionally in Europe, tae be the chairman.[4] The club attemptit tae gain entry directly intae the professional J.League, bit the Japan Football Association enly permitit entry tae the amateur Japan Football League (JFL), at the time the third level o the Japanese football league system, an ruled that the club widnae be eligible fir promotion intae J.League Division 2 at the end o its first season. So, despite finishin as JFL champion in 1999, Yokohama FC finished as JFL champion again in 2000 befare bein promotit tae J.League Division 2.[5]

The club spent the next 6 seasons in J.League Division 2 befare finishin as champions in 2006 an gainin promotion tae J.League Division 1. In 2007, jist the ninth year o its existince, Yokohama FC played its first season in the tap flight o Japanese fitba. Efter a poor season, the team wir consigned tae relegation wi five games o the season still remainin. Despite thir early relegation, Yokohama FC nevertheless decidit the final ootcome at the opposite end o the table; by defeatin title contenders Urawa Red Diamonds oan the last day o the season, Kashima Antlers sicured the J.League Division 1 title.[6]

In 2018, Yokohama FC narrowly missed oot oan automatic promotion by goal difference. The team made it tae the J2 promotion final, losin tae Tokyo Verdy oan a stoppage time winner. In 2019, Yokohama finished second in J2 an gained automatic promotion tae J1.

Efter finishin in last place in 2021, Yokohama FC wid be relegatit back tae J2 fir the 2022 season.

Oan 2 December 2023, Yokohama FC wit relegatit fae J1 tae J2 in 2024 efter the club defeatit Kashima Antlers by a score o 2–1 in final match day an return tae the second tier efter a year absence.

Fight fir promotion in 2005 an 2006

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Although they hud a dire season in 2005, endin 11th oot o 12, they wir in the tap hauf o the table throughoot the 2006 season. Oan 26 November they finished in the tap spot o the J2 League, an hence wir finally promotit tae the J. League 1.

This success story wis so dramatic as tae make people somewhit excitit in Japan. Yokohama FC's financial sitiation wis so poor that they didnae iven awn ther awn fitba groond or a club hoose. Players did everyhing thumselves includin cairrying the goal posts an washin the jerseys.

Wan of thir players, Kazuyoshi Miura, last played fir the team at the age o 53, an a former player, Atsuhiro Miura (wan o thir main players befare his 2010 retirement) wis 36 when he last played fir the club. These players wance played fir the Japan national team.

They lost aw thir pre-season matches, even against college students, then also the first official match o the year. Efter this, they suddenly chynged the player-manager tae a freshman wi little experience named Takuya Takagi, who wis 38. At the beginnin o the season few expected them tae become champions.

Record as J.League member

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Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J.League<br id="mwcA"><br>Cup Emperor's<br id="mwcw"><br>Cup
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W (OTW) D L (OTL) F A GD Pts Attendance/G
2001 J2 12 9th 44 12 (3) 1 25 (3) 58 81 -23 43 3,007 2nd round Round of 16
2002 12 12th 44 8 11 25 43 81 -38 35 3,477 3rd round
2003 12 11th 44 10 12 22 49 88 -39 42 3,743 3rd round
2004 12 8th 44 10 22 12 42 50 -8 52 4,219 Round of 16
2005 12 11th 44 10 15 19 48 64 -16 45 5,938 4th round
2006 13 1st 48 26 15 7 61 32 -29 93 5,119 3rd round
2007 J1 18 18th 34 4 4 26 19 66 -47 16 14,039 Group stage Round of 16
2008 J2 15 10th 42 11 17 14 51 56 -5 50 6,793 Round of 16
2009 18 16th 51 11 11 29 43 70 -27 44 3,535 3rd round
2010 19 6th 36 16 6 14 54 47 7 54 5,791 3rd round
2011 20 18th 38 11 8 19 40 54 -14 41 5,770 2nd round
2012 22 4th 42 22 7 13 62 45 17 73 6,039 3rd round
2013 22 11th 42 15 13 14 49 46 3 58 6,064 2nd round
2014 22 11th 42 14 13 15 49 47 2 55 5,146 2nd round
2015 22 15th 42 13 13 16 33 58 -25 52 5,113 2nd round
2016 22 8th 42 16 11 15 50 51 -1 59 4,892 Round of 16
2017 22 10th 42 17 12 13 60 49 11 63 5,967 2nd round
2018 22 3rd 42 21 13 8 63 44 19 76 6,141 3rd round
2019 22 2nd 42 23 10 9 66 40 26 79 7,061 3rd round
2020 J1 18 15th 34 9 6 19 38 60 -22 33 3,559 Group stage Did not qualify
2021 20 20th 38 6 9 23 32 77 -45 27 4,511 Group stage 2nd round
2022 J2 22 2nd 42 23 11 8 66 49 17 80 5,088 3rd round
2023 J1 18 18th 34 7 8 19 31 58 -27 29 9.128 Group stage 3rd round
2024 J2 20 TBD 38 TBC TBC
Key
*Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
  • Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
  • 2020 & 2021 season's attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.
  • Source: J. League Data Site

Honours

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  • Japan Football League
    • Champions (2): 1999, 2000
  • J.League Division 2
    • Champions (1): 2006
    • Runners-up (2): 2019, 2022

Current players

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As o 25 March 2024.[7] 

Oot oan loan

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Yokohama FC Youth

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As o 5 May 2023.The U-18 team o Yokohama FC currently plays in the Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League, the tap-flight league fir U-18 clubs in the country. Enly the registered players fir the competition will be displayed.[8]

 

Colours

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As they cid not adopt directly Flügels' white and blue strip given its similarity tae that o Marinos, Yokohama FC decided tae adopt an all-cyan kit, efter NKK SC, a former company club which hid closed in 1994. NKK SC wis based in Kawasaki an played maist matches at Todoroki Athletics Stadium, bit used Mitsuzawa Stadium oan days when the other Kawasaki clubs at the time (Verdy Kawasaki, Toshiba and Fujitsu) used it.

Kit evolution

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FP 1st
FP 2nd

Management staff

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Fir the 2023 season.

Role Nat. Name
Manager Japan Shuhei Yomoda
Assistant manager Australie

Japan
John Hutchinson

Shunsuke Nakamura
First-team coach Japan

Japan
Seiya Takeuchi

Keiji Kuraishi
Goalkeeper coach Vacant
Assistant goalkeeper coach Japan Taiki Murai
Analyst Republic o Ireland

Japan
Gerry Peyton

Tatsuro Takenaka
Physical coach Japan Takeshi Ikoma
Conditioning coach Japan Akihiro Tanaka
Chief trainer Japan Masahiro Watanabe
Trainer Japan

Japan

Japan

Japan

Japan

Brazil
Kodai Takahashi

Hiroki Naito

Yuki Katase

Shin Fukushi

Hiromi Murata

Hudson
Interpreter Japan

Japan

Japan

Japan
Ryohei Ikeda

Yuki Masuda

Takayoshi Fujii

Koji Kurosu
Kit Manager Japan

Japan

Japan
Takaya Amimori

Yuto Nakahata

Yuta Nakashima

Managerial history

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The Yokohama FC's mascoat is named Fulie-maru, an alien-bird like figure. He is, supposedly, a tribute tae Yokohama Flugels' mascot, Tobimaru, a flyin squirrel.[9]

References

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  1. a b Ichiro Hirose (2014). スポーツ・マネジメント入門 [Introduction to Sport Management] (in Japanese). Toyo Keizai. p. 123. ISBN 978-4492502600.
  2. "クラブ概要". yokohamafc.com. Yokohama FC. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  3. John Horne, Wolfram Manzenreiter (2013). Japan, Korea and the 2002 World Cup. Routledge. p. 101. ISBN 978-0415275637.
  4. Kumi Kinohara (27 Julie 2000). "Yokohama FC struggling to survive despite JFL success". Japan Times. Retrieved 26 Februar 2016.
  5. "Interview with Tomio Tsujino" (PDF) (in Japanese). Yokohama City. 2012. Archived frae the original (PDF) on 4 Mairch 2016. Retrieved 26 Februar 2016.
  6. Andrew Mckirdy (2 December 2007). "Inspired Antlers squad captures J.League title". Japan Times. Retrieved 26 Februar 2016.
  7. "選手・スタッフ" (in Japanese). Yokohama FC. Retrieved 4 Februar 2022.
  8. "選手プロフィール". Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  9. A brief history of J.League mascots | Mascot madness in Japanese football (in Inglis), retrieved 7 Apryle 2022
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