FC Imabari
FC今治
FC Imabari Emblem
Full nameFC Imabari
Founded1976 (1976)
GroundImabari Satoyama Stadium
Imabari, Ehime, Japan
Capacity5,316
ChairmanTakeshi Okada
Head coachNaoto Kudo[1]
LeagueJ3 League
2023J3 League, 4th of 20
WebsiteClub website

FC Imabari (FC今治, Efu Shī Imabari) is a Japanese football club based in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. They currently play in the J3 League, Japan's third tier of professional football.

History

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.[2]

In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards the J. League, as JFA recognised J.League Hundred Year Vision clubs.[3] 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.[4]

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 2023, the club plays their fourth consecutive season at the J3 League.

Stadium

Arigato Service Dream Stadium (2017–2022)

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 in 13 November 2022, at the 33rd Matchweek, with the match ending tied by 3–3.

Imabari Satoyama Stadium (2023–)

From 2023, Imabari decided to change its home stadium to their newly-built Imabari Satoyama Stadium. The opening ceremony was decided to be held on 29 January 2023.[5] 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

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League Emperor's
Cup		Shakaijin
Cup
SeasonDivisionTierPosPWDLFAGDPtsAttendance/G
2011 Shikoku Soccer
League		 51st14131052448341st round3rd place
2012 1st141121441034343rd round1st round
2013 1st14131072765402nd round1st round
2014 3rd141112781662341st roundDid not play
2015 1st14121158553371st round2nd round
2016 1st14130154747391st round2nd round
2017 JFL46th3012126543618482,1822nd roundNot
eligible
2018 5th301479633231493,0812nd round
2019 3rd3013125412615513,101Did not qualify
2020 † J337th3415109392712551,355
2021 † 11th28791234331301,6602nd round
2022 5th3418610554015602,3201st round
2023 4th38161111544212593,7112nd round
2024 TBD382nd round
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

  • Shikoku Soccer League
    • Champions (5): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
  • Japanese Regional League
    • Champions (1): 2016

Players

Current squad

As of 6 September 2023.[6] 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 Kohei Tomita
3 DF Japan JPN Nagisa Sakurauchi
4 DF Japan JPN Ryota Ichihara
5 DF Japan JPN Hayato Teruyama
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 Netherlands NED Ralf Seuntjens
13 FW Japan JPN Taisei Takase
15 MF Japan JPN Seigo Takei
16 GK Japan JPN Haruhiko Takimoto
17 DF Japan JPN Tatsuya Shirai
18 MF Japan JPN Hikaru Arai
19 MF South Korea KOR Park Soo-bin
20 MF Japan JPN Riki Sato
21 MF Japan JPN Kazuya Ando
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Japan JPN Takuro Uehara
23 MF Japan JPN Yuma Matsumoto
24 DF Japan JPN Wakaba Shimoguchi (on loan from Fagiano Okayama)
25 MF Japan JPN Keishi Kusumi
26 DF Japan JPN Hiroshi Futami
29 FW Japan JPN Ryoga Masuda
30 FW Japan JPN Kanta Chiba (on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
31 GK Spain ESP Jon Ander Serantes
33 MF Japan JPN Kodai Dohi (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
36 MF Japan JPN Yumeki Yokoyama DSP
37 DF Japan JPN Rei Umeki DSP
38 MF Japan JPN Hikaru Umakoshi Type 2
39 FW Brazil BRA Vinícius Araújo
44 GK Japan JPN Genta Ito
47 FW Poland POL Filip Piszczek
50 MF Japan JPN Yuta Mikado
99 FW Japan JPN Toyofumi Sakano

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
28 MF Japan JPN Haruki Matsui (at Maruyasu Okazaki)

Coaching Staff

For the 2023 season.

Position Name
Sports director Japan Tomoya Ikari
Manager Japan Naoto Kudo
Assistant coaches Japan Kenji Watanabe
Goalkeeper coach Japan Motoki Ueda
Analysis Coach Japan Go Kusunoki
Analysis Japan Kohei Nomoto
Physical Coach Japan Yusuke Fukuhara
Chief Athletic Trainer Japan Takuya Kishimoto
Athletic Trainer Japan Natsuya Yashiro
Chief Japan Satsuki Sinohara
Chief doctor Japan Takahisa Mori
Doctor Japan Hiroya Imaoka
Japan Youji Nagano
Side Affairs Japan Inagaki Keisuke
Interpreter South Korea Daichi Lee Kashi-wagi
General Manager Japan Yoshiyuki Takemoto
Strengthening Charge Japan Shogo Kobara
Japan Kei Nakano
Team Advisor Brazil Ruy Ramos

Managerial history

ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
Takahiro Kimura JapanFebruary 1, 2012January 31, 2016
Hirofumi Yoshitake JapanFebruary 1, 2016June 27, 2018
Naoto Kudo JapanJune 27, 2018January 31, 2019
Takeshi Ono JapanFebruary 1, 2019January 31, 2020
Lluís Planagumà SpainFebruary 1, 2020May 19, 2021
Kazuaki Hashikawa JapanMay 19, 2021May 23, 2021
Keiichiro Nuno JapanMay 24, 202129 September, 2021[7]
Kazuaki Hashikawa JapanSeptember 29, 2021[8]January 31, 2023
Riki Takagi JapanFebruary 1, 2023[9]August 16, 2023
Naota Kudo JapanAugust 16, 2023[10]current

Kit evolution

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

References

  1. ↑ "【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 16 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Okada buys majority ownership stake in FC Imabari". 4 November 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2017 – via Japan Times Online.
  3. ↑ "Musashino City, FC Imabari take step toward J3 admission：J. LEAGUE.JP". jleague.jp. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ "【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.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "Coach resigns". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "New coach announced". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "Riki Takagi appointed as new Top Team manager". www.fcimabari.com. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "【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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