Ventforet Kofu
ヴァンフォーレ甲府
Full nameVentforet Kofu Football Club
Nickname(s)Ventforet
Short nameVFK
Founded1965 (1965) (as Kofu Club)
StadiumJIT Recycle Ink Stadium, Kōfu
Capacity17,000
ChairmanKazuyuki Umino
ManagerYoshiyuki Shinoda
LeagueJ2 League
2023J2 League, 8th of 22
WebsiteClub website

Ventforet Kofu (ヴァンフォーレ甲府, Vanfōre Kōfu) is a Japanese professional football club from Kōfu in Yamanashi Prefecture. The team currently competes in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football, hosting their home matches in the JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, located in Kōfu.

Name origin

The word "Ventforet" is a compound formed from two French root words: "vent" (wind) and "forêt" (forest). The name alludes to the famous phrase Fū-rin-ka-zan (風林火山) that Takeda Shingen, a prominent Kōfu-based daimyō in the Sengoku period, emblazoned on his war banners. The phrase contains four similies: as swift as the wind; as silent as a forest; as fierce as fire; as immovable as a mountain.

History

Kofu Club (1965–1994)

The club was founded in 1965 when the old boys' club of Kofu Dai-ichi High School, the Kakujo Club, started to recruit graduates of other high schools with the intention of promotion to the Japan Soccer League.

The club joined the newly formed JSL Division 2 in 1972. They stayed there until the conclusion of the league in 1992 when it became a founding member of the former Japan Football League.

Kofu Club was formed by volunteers, unlike other mainstream football clubs at that time in Japan, whose players were mostly the employees of their sponsoring companies.

Ventforet Kofu (1995–present)

The club was renamed Ventforet Kofu in 1995 and joined J.League Division 2 in 1999 when it was formed. The club survived a difficult period between 1999 and 2001, when it suffered from financial troubles as well as miserable results on the pitch, including a streak of twenty-five consecutive losses. Ventforet finished bottom for three seasons in succession and was dubbed as "Excess baggage of J2".

Ventforet improved in 2002, and in 2005 finished third, gaining promotion to the Japanese first division by winning the promotion/relegation play-offs against Kashiwa Reysol. However, the team was relegated with a week remaining in the 2007 season.

At the end of 2010 season, the team was promoted a second time. Despite having striker Mike Havenaar contend for the Top Scorer award in division one the following year, the club was relegated again at the end of 2011. However, it returned after only one year's absence as champions of division two, Ventforet's first championship in its thirty-six-year history. Ventforet remained in J.League 1 until 2017, consistently staying as a top tier J.League 2 team after relegation

Emperor's Cup win (2022)

Ventforet participated in the 2022 Emperor's Cup, earning a direct second round entry alongside all J1 and J2 League teams. Following a 5–1 win over Okayama-based International Pacific University, they then only faced J1 League opponents the rest of the tournament. They would beat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Sagan Tosu away from home by 2–1 and 3–1 respectively to advance to the quarter finals, in a stage which they had been on 4 times without ever getting past it. In another match away from home, now against Avispa Fukuoka, the game would be tied up 1–1 and head into extra time, with Yoshiki Torikai scoring in the 97th minute to bring Kofu to their first Emperor's Cup Semi-final, where they would beat Kashima Antlers thanks to Jumma Miyazaki's goal in the 37th minute to reach their first Emperor's Cup Final.

In the final, Kofu were up against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a J1 team who hadn't won an Emperor's Cup since 1969 (including amateur era). Kazushi Mitsuhira scored in the 26th minute to give Kofu the lead, before Sanfrecce midfielder Takumu Kawamura tied the match in the 84th minute. After a scoreless extra time, the final was decided in a penalty shootout. After Sanfrecce missed their fourth penalty, 42-year-old Hideomi Yamamoto scored Kofu's fifth and final penalty to win the Emperor's Cup champions for the first time. Their win marked the first time that a J2 League team had won the Emperor's Cup since FC Tokyo in 2011, the fourth J2 champion overall, and the first occasion in which the winner was not the second division champions. Thus, they will play the AFC Champions League while playing in their domestic second-tier league.

AFC Champions League debut (2023)

On 20 September 2023, Ventforet played their first AFC Champions League official match against Australian side Melbourne City for the competition's group stage. Playing away from home at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium with barely any usual starters at the starting eleven, the match ended in a 0–0 draw, earning them their first point and clean sheet in this competition.[1] On 4 October 2023, Ventforet picked up their first ever win in the AFC Champions League where Motoki Hasegawa scored in the 90' minute injury time to secured a 1–0 home win against Thailand champions, Buriram United. On 12 December 2023, Ventforet confirmed their spots in the round of 16 after a 2–3 away win against Buriram United. This marks the first time a team qualified for the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League though not playing in their nation's top division.

2023–24 AFC Champions League - Group H

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VEN MCY ZHP BUR
1 Japan Ventforet Kofu 6 3 2 1 11 8 +3 11 Advance to round of 16 — 3–3 4–1 1–0
2 Australia Melbourne City 6 2 3 1 8 6 +2 9 0–0 — 1–1 0–1
3 China Zhejiang 6 2 1 3 9 13 −4 7 2–0 1–2 — 3–2
4 Thailand Buriram United 6 2 0 4 9 10 −1 6 2–3 0–2 4–1 —
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

League history

  • Kanto League: 1967–71 (as Kofu Club)
  • Division 2 (JSL Div. 2): 1972–91 (as Kofu Club)
  • Division 3 (former JFL Div. 2): 1992–93 (as Kofu Club)
  • Division 2 (former JFL): 1994–98 (Kofu Club until 1994, Ventforet Kofu since 1995)
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 1999–05
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2006–07
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2008–10
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2011
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2012
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2013–2017
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2018–

League and cup record

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
LeagueJ.League
Cup		Emperor's
Cup		 AFC Champions League
YearDivisionTierPos.PWDLFAGDPtsAttendance/G
1992 former JFL
Div. 2		35th189182629-328Not eligible Not eligible
1993 9th186-121537-22-
1994 former
JFL		214th309-213674-38-2nd round
1995 9th3014-165454043
1996 11th3011-195056-6332nd round
1997 6th3019-11594118523rd round
1998 4th3022-8744034594th round
1999 J2210th3654273285-53181,4691st round2nd round
2000 11th4053323184-53181,8501st round4th round
2001 12th4482343898-60253,1301st round3rd round
2002 7th441610185155-4584,914Not eligible3rd round
2003 5th44191213584612695,7963rd round
2004 7th4415131651465586,3704th round
2005 3rd44191213786414696,9314th round
2006 J1115th34126154264-224212,211Group StageQuarter Finals
2007 17th3476213365-322713,734Quarter Finals5th round
2008 J227th42151413564795910,354Not eligible4th round
2009 4th512813107646309711,0594th round
2010 2nd36191347140317012,4313rd round
2011 J1116th3491964263-213312,1061st round3rd round
2012 J221st42244146335288610,4072nd round
2013 J1115th34813133041-113712,614Group StageQuarter Finals
2014 13th34911142731-44112,171Group StageRound of 16
2015 13th34101772643-173711,612Group Stage4th round
2016 14th34717103258-263110,833Group Stage2nd round
2017 16th34716112339-163210,829Group Stage2nd round
2018 J229th42161511564610597,384Quarter FinalsQuarter Finals
2019 5th42201111644024718,273Not eligibleQuarter Finals
2020 † 4th421617950419652,485Did not qualify
2021 † 3rd4223118653827804,3252nd round
2022 18th421115164754-7484,930Winner
2023 TBA42Round of 16TBD
Key
  • Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goal scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points gained
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
  • Source: J.League Data Site

Current squad

As of 8 September 2023[2]

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 Kohei Kawata
2 DF Japan JPN Riku Matsuda (on loan from Cerezo Osaka)
4 DF Japan JPN Hideomi Yamamoto (Captain)
5 DF Japan JPN Sodai Hasukawa (on loan from FC Tokyo)
6 MF Japan JPN Iwana Kobayashi
7 MF Japan JPN Sho Araki
8 MF Japan JPN Kosuke Taketomi
9 FW Japan JPN Kazushi Mitsuhira
10 MF Japan JPN Motoki Hasegawa
11 FW Japan JPN Kohei Matsumoto
13 DF Japan JPN Sota Miura
14 MF Japan JPN Riku Nakayama
15 FW Japan JPN Riku Iijima
16 MF Japan JPN Koya Hayashida
17 MF Japan JPN Manato Shinada (on loan from FC Tokyo)
18 MF Japan JPN Yoshiki Torikai
19 FW Japan JPN Jumma Miyazaki
20 MF Japan JPN Hikaru Endo
21 GK Japan JPN Tsubasa Shibuya
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Japan JPN Riku Nozawa
23 DF Japan JPN Masahiro Sekiguchi
24 MF Japan JPN Nagi Matsumoto (on loan from Cerezo Osaka)
25 DF Japan JPN Yuzuki Yamato
26 MF Japan JPN Kazuhiro Sato
27 FW Brazil BRA Lucas Macedo
28 FW Japan JPN Hayata Mizuno
29 DF Japan JPN Kaito Kamiya (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
30 FW Brazil BRA Cristiano (on loan from V-Varen Nagasaki)
31 GK New Zealand NZL Michael Woud (on loan from Kyoto Sanga)
33 GK Japan JPN Kodai Yamauchi
35 DF Japan JPN Taiju Ichinose DSP
40 DF Brazil BRA Eduardo Mancha
44 FW Japan JPN Yamato Naito
49 DF Japan JPN Shion Inoue
71 MF Japan JPN Ryotaro Nakamura (on loan from Kashima Antlers)
77 FW Brazil BRA Getulio (on loan from Tombense FC)
99 FW Nigeria NGA Peter Utaka

Club officials

For the 2023 season.

Position Name
Manager Japan Yoshiyuki Shinoda
Assistant manager Japan Shinji Otsuka
Japan Kanta Yonekura
First-team coach Japan Katsutomo Oshiba
Japan Yuji Yokoyama
Goalkeeper coach Japan Yuji Nakagawa
Physical coach Brazil Wellington Valquer Coelho
Analysis coach Japan Yoshiki Hara
Chief doctor Japan Ryo Sadatsuki
Doctor Japan Hiroaki Seto
Japan Jun Hara
Japan Hitoshi Arita
Japan Atsuhiko Shindo
Chief trainer Japan Ryosuke Shibata
Trainer Japan Genki Hongo
Japan Taku Hirai
Physiotherapist Japan Marcos Toshifumi Kimura
Athletic trainer Japan Shigeru Asahina
Competent Japan Yoshiki Tsuruta
Side affairs Japan Kazuki Yazaki
Interpreter Japan Bruno Iwasaki

Managerial history

ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
Susumu Katsumata Japan1 January 199431 January 1995
Yūji Tsukada Japan1 February 199531 January 1999
Susumu Katsumata Japan1 February 199931 January 2000
Yūji Tsukada Japan1 February 200031 January 2001
Luis dos Reis Brazil1 February 200131 January 2002
Takeshi Ōki Japan1 February 200231 January 2003
Hideki Matsunaga Japan1 February 200331 January 2005
Takeshi Ōki Japan1 February 200531 January 2008
Takayoshi Amma Japan1 February 200831 January 2010
Kazuo Uchida Japan1 February 201031 January 2011
Toshiya Miura Japan1 February 20117 August 2011
Satoru Sakuma Japan8 August 201131 December 2011
Hiroshi Jōfuku Japan1 February 201231 January 2015
Yasuhiro Higuchi Japan1 February 201513 May 2015
Satoru Sakuma Japan13 May 201531 December 2016
Tatsuma Yoshida Japan1 February 201730 April 2018
Nobuhiro Ueno Japan1 May 201831 January 2019
Akira Itō Japan1 February 201931 January 2022
Tatsuma Yoshida Japan1 February 202231 January 2023
Yoshiyuki Shinoda Japan1 February 2023Current

Kit evolution

FP 1st
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 - 2008
2009 - 2010
2011-2012
2013 - 2014
2015 - 2016
2017 - 2018
2019 - 2020
2021
2022
2023 -
FP 2nd
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 - 2008
2009 - 2010
2011 - 2012
2013 - 2014
2015 - 2016
2017 - 2018
2019 - 2020
2021
2022
2023 -
FP Other
2015 Summer
2016 Summer
2017 Summer
2018 Summer
2019 Summer
2020
Summer
2021
Summer
2022
Limited

Honours

League

Cups


References

  1. ↑ "Match Report | Melbourne City FC (AUS) 0-0 Ventforet Kofu (JPN)". the-afc.com. AFC. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "2022 Top Players" (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 April 2022.
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