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FC Imabari

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FC Imabari
FC今治
FC Imabari Emblem
Full nameFC Imabari
Founded1976; 48 years ago (1976)
GroundASICS Satoyama Stadium
Imabari, Ehime, Japan
Capacity5,316
ChairmanTakeshi Okada
ManagerToshihiro Hattori
LeagueJ3 League
2023J3 League, 4th of 20
Websitehttp://www.fcimabari.com

FC Imabari (FC今治, Efu Shī Imabari) is a Japanese football club based in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. They set to play in the J2 League from 2025 after promotion from J3 League in 2024, Japan's second tier of professional football.

History

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The club was founded in 1976 and were promoted to the Shikoku Football League in 2001.

From 2009 to 2011, they were owned by Ehime FC as their reserve team, Ehime FC Shimanami. In 2014, the majority of FC Imabari was bought by former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada.[1]

In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards the J. League, as JFA recognised J.League Hundred Year Vision clubs.[2] In November, they won the Regional Promotion Series and were promoted to the Japan Football League. During their debut season on the JFL, they opened their new stadium and acquired a J3 League license from the 2018 season.

In 2019, after finishing on third place at the JFL, FC Imabari were promoted to Japan's professional league system, becoming a professional club, as they were promoted to the J3 for the first time in their history.[3]

FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that Imabari can be promoted to the J2 League once they are able to finish the season in the promotion zone.

On 10 November 2024, FC Imabari secure promotion to J2 League for the first time in history from next season after defeat Gainare Tottori 0-5 in Matchweek 36 and ending five years stint in third tier.

Stadium

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Arigato Service Dream Stadium (2017–2022)

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FC Imabari played their J3 League matches on the Arigato Service Dream Stadium from 2017 to 2022. They played their final league match there (as their home stadium) at the club's last home match of the 2022 season. Imabari played this match against Nagano Parceiro on 13 November 2022, at the 33rd Matchweek, with the match ending tied by 3–3.

ASICS Satoyama Stadium (2023–)

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From 2023, Imabari decided to change its home stadium to their newly built ASICS Satoyama Stadium. The opening ceremony was decided to be held on 29 January 2023.[4] Satoyama Stadium was opened to the public on 29 January 2023, with a charity match contested between an XI of J-League Legends against FC Imabari U-18 and Ladies, respectively. On 5 March of the same year, FC Imabari played their first match of the season at their new stadium against Fukushima United in the J3 League, which ended in a 1–0 win for Imabari.

League and cup records

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Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J. League
Cup
Emperor's
Cup
Shakaijin
Cup
Season Division Tier Pos P W D L F A GD Pts Attendance/G
2011 Shikoku Soccer
League
4 1st 14 13 1 0 52 4 48 34 Not eligible 1st round 3rd place
2012 1st 14 11 2 1 44 10 34 34 3rd round 1st round
2013 1st 14 13 1 0 72 7 65 40 2nd round 1st round
2014 5 3rd 14 11 1 2 78 16 62 34 1st round Did not play
2015 1st 14 12 1 1 58 5 53 37 1st round 2nd round
2016 1st 14 13 0 1 54 7 47 39 1st round 2nd round
2017 JFL 4 6th 30 12 12 6 54 36 18 48 2,182 2nd round Not
eligible
2018 5th 30 14 7 9 63 32 31 49 3,081 2nd round
2019 3rd 30 13 12 5 41 26 15 51 3,101 Did not qualify
2020 J3 3 7th 34 15 10 9 39 27 12 55 1,355
2021 11th 28 7 9 12 34 33 1 30 1,660 2nd round
2022 5th 34 18 6 10 55 40 15 60 2,320 1st round
2023 4th 38 16 11 11 54 42 12 59 3,711 2nd round
2024 2nd 38 2nd round 1st round
2025 J2 2 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 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.
  • Source: J.League Data Site

Honours

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FC Imabari Honours
Honour No. Years
Shikoku Soccer League 5 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
Regional League Promotion Series 1 2016

Players

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Current squad

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As of 12 July 2024.[5] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Japan JPN Tomohito Shugyo
2 DF Japan JPN Tetsuya Kato
3 DF Japan JPN Naoya Fukumori
4 DF Japan JPN Ryota Ichihara
5 DF Japan JPN Tatsuya Shirai
6 MF Argentina ARG Tomas Moschión
7 MF Japan JPN Takafumi Yamada
8 DF Japan JPN Wataru Noguchi
9 MF Japan JPN Takatora Kondo
10 FW Brazil BRA Marcus Índio
11 FW Japan JPN Toyofumi Sakano
13 FW Japan JPN Taisei Takase
14 MF Japan JPN Kenshin Yuba
15 DF Japan JPN Ryota Abe
16 GK Japan JPN Haruhiko Takimoto
17 FW Brazil BRA Wesley Tanque
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF Japan JPN Hikaru Arai
20 MF Japan JPN Riki Sato
21 FW Japan JPN Tomoki Hino
22 DF Japan JPN Yuto Saitai
24 DF Japan JPN Yuri Takeuchi
25 MF Japan JPN Keishi Kusumi
26 DF Japan JPN Hiroshi Futami
29 FW Brazil BRA Rodrigo Angelotti
31 GK Spain ESP Jon Ander Serantes
33 GK Japan JPN Akihito Ozawa
36 MF Japan JPN Yumeki Yokoyama
37 DF Japan JPN Rei Umeki
38 MF Japan JPN Hikaru Umakoshi
44 GK Japan JPN Genta Ito
50 MF Japan JPN Yuta Mikado (captain)

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF Japan JPN Yuma Matsumoto (at Tegevajaro Miyazaki)
28 MF Japan JPN Haruki Matsui (at Maruyasu Okazaki)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW Japan JPN Ryoga Masuda (at Fukuyama City)

Coaching staff

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Position Name
Sports director Japan Shogo Kobara
Manager Japan Toshihiro Hattori
Assistant coach Japan Yoshikiyo Kuboyama
First-team coach Japan Takamasa Watanabe
Goalkeeper coach Japan Yuichi Mizutani
Analysis Japan Kohei Nomoto
Physical coach Japan Daiki Makino
Chief trainer Japan Takuya Kishimoto
Trainer Japan Ryosuke Konishi
Japan Suguru Sakai
Competent Japan Satsuki Sinohara
Side affairs Japan Ryo Tanaka
Interpreter South Korea Daichi Lee Kashiwagi
General manager Japan Tetsuji Koyama
Strengthening scout Japan Naoto Kudo
Strengthening commissioner Japan Kei Nakano
Physical advisor Japan Masaya Sakihana
Nutritionist Japan Kokoro Kawanami
Team advisor Brazil Ruy Ramos
Doctor Japan Takahisa Mori
Japan Yoji Nagano
Japan Yuko Fujii
Japan Hiroya Imaoka

Managerial history

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Manager Nationality Tenure
Start Finish
Takahiro Kimura  Japan February 1, 2012 January 31, 2016
Hirofumi Yoshitake  Japan February 1, 2016 June 27, 2018
Naoto Kudo  Japan June 27, 2018 January 31, 2019
Takeshi Ono  Japan February 1, 2019 January 31, 2020
Lluís Planagumà  Spain February 1, 2020 May 19, 2021
Kazuaki Hashikawa  Japan May 19, 2021 May 23, 2021
Keiichiro Nuno  Japan May 24, 2021 29 September 2021[6]
Kazuaki Hashikawa  Japan September 29, 2021[7] January 31, 2023
Riki Takagi  Japan February 1, 2023[8] August 16, 2023
Naoto Kudo  Japan August 16, 2023[9] January 31, 2024
Toshihiro Hattori  Japan February 1, 2024 present

Kit evolution

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Home kit - 1st
2015
2016 - 2018
2019 - 2020
2021
2022/2023
2024 -
Away kit - 2nd
2015
2016 - 2018
2019 - 2020
2021
2022/2023
2024 -

References

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  1. ^ "Okada buys majority ownership stake in FC Imabari". 4 November 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2017 – via Japan Times Online.
  2. ^ "Musashino City, FC Imabari take step toward J3 admission:J. LEAGUE.JP". jleague.jp. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  3. ^ "2018シーズン J3クラブライセンス判定結果について (J3入会を希望するクラブ):Jリーグ.jp". jleague.jp. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  4. ^ "【チケット】里山スタジアムオープニングセレモニーチケット販売のお知らせ". fcimabari.com (in Japanese). FC Imabari. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  5. ^ "選手一覧|選手紹介|トップチーム|FC今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site". FC今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Coach resigns". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  7. ^ "New coach announced". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Riki Takagi appointed as new Top Team manager". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  9. ^ "【トップチーム】工藤 直人 氏トップチーム監督就任のお知らせ". www.fcimabari.com (in Japanese). FC Imabari. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
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