FC Imabari

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.

FC Imabari
FC今治
Full nameFC Imabari
Founded1976 (1976)
GroundImabari Satoyama Stadium
Imabari, Ehime, Japan
Capacity5,316
ChairmanTakeshi Okada
Head coachRiki Takagi
LeagueJ3 League
2022J3 League, 5th of 18
WebsiteClub website

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 F.C. as their reserve team, Ehime F.C. Shimanami. After spinning off yet again, the majority of FC Imabari was bought by the former coach of Japan Takeshi Okada in 2014.[1]

In February 2016, the club made another step forward toward 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 in the JFL, they opened their new stadium and got a J3 League license for the 2018 season.

In 2019, after finishing on 3rd-place in the JFL, FC Imabari were promoted to Japan's professional league system, starting on the J3 for the first time in their history.[3]

FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that if Imabari can be promoted to the J2 once they finish the season in the promotion zone. The club will play their 4th consecutive season at the J3 League on 2023.

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 in 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 33th 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.[4] Satoyama Stadium finally opened to the public on 29 January 2023, during a charity match for J-League legends against FC Imabari U-18 and Ladies respectively. On 5 March 2023, FC Imabari open new home against Fukushima United in J3 League.

League and cup records
Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
LeagueEmperor'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 TBD38TBD
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

Current squad

As of 24 January 2023.[5][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  JPN Tomohito Shugyo
2 DF  JPN Kohei Tomita
3 DF  JPN Nagisa Sakurauchi
4 DF  JPN Ryota Ichihara
5 DF  JPN Hayato Teruyama
6 FW  BRA Dudu
7 MF  JPN Takafumi Yamada
8 DF  JPN Wataru Noguchi
9 MF  JPN Takatora Kondo
10 FW  BRA Marcus Índio
11 FW  NED Ralf Seuntjens
13 FW  JPN Taisei Takase
14 MF  JPN Kazaki Takagawa
15 MF  JPN Seigo Takei
16 GK  JPN Haruhiko Takimoto
17 DF  JPN Tatsuya Shirai
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF  JPN Hikaru Arai
19 MF  KOR Park Soo-bin
20 MF  JPN Riki Sato
21 MF  JPN Kazuya Ando
22 DF  JPN Takuro Uehara
23 MF  JPN Yuma Matsumoto
24 DF  JPN Wakaba Shimoguchi (on loan from Fagiano Okayama)
25 MF  JPN Keishi Kusumi
26 DF  JPN Hiroshi Futami
28 MF  JPN Haruki Matsui
29 FW  JPN Ryoga Masuda
31 GK  ESP Jon Ander Serantes
44 GK  JPN Genta Ito
47 FW  POL Filip Piszczek
50 MF  JPN Yuta Mikado

Coaching Staff

For the 2022 season.

Position Name
Sports Director Tomoya Ikari
Head Coach Riki Takagi
Assistant Head Coach Kenji Watanabe
Goalkeeper Coach Motoki Ueda
Analysis Coach Go Kusunoki
Analysis Kohei Nomoto
Physical Coach Yusuke Fukuhara
Chief Athletic Trainer Takuya Kishimoto
Athletic Trainer Natsuya Yashiro
Chief Satsuki Sinohara
Chief Doctor Takahisa Mori
Doctor Hiroya Imaoka
Youji Nagano
Side Affairs Inagaki Keisuke
Interpreter Daichi Lee Kashi-wagi
General Manager Yoshiyuki Takemoto
Strengthening Charge Syogo Kobara
Kei Nakano
Team Advisor 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]current

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

References
  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. "【グッズ】2023シーズンユニフォームの予約販売を開始". ＦＣ今治 公式サイト / FC.IMABARI Official Site (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 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.
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