Ehime Football Club(愛媛フットボールクラブ, Ehime Futtobōrukurabu) commonly known as Ehime (愛媛FC, Ehime Efu Shī) is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. The club will play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football, starting from the 2026–27 season after finishing 20th in the 2025 J2 League.

The club has won 1 J3 League title in the 2023 season which is their only highest honours in the club history.

History

The club was founded in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club and renamed itself as Ehime Football Club in 1995. For many years it competed in the regional and prefectural league, as Matsuyama was represented in the Japan Soccer League by the local club belonging to the Teijin company.

Ehime was promoted to the Japan Football League in 2003. After winning the JFL in 2005 season, Ehime spent 16 seasons in the J2 League before being relegated to the J3 League at the end of the 2021 season.

On 28 November 2007, Ehime pulled off a major shock by consigning the Urawa Red Diamonds, the AFC Champions League 2007 winners, to a fourth-round exit from the Emperor's Cup courtesy of a 2–0 win on Urawa's home soil, Urawa Komaba Stadium.

On 11 November 2023, after two years absence from Japanese second division, Ehime officially returned to J2 League for 2024 season. They were promoted as J3 League champions of 2023 season with a narrow 1–0 win against their local rivals, FC Imabari on matchweek 35 with Riki Matsuda scored the only goal of the match.

Stadium

The club plays its home games at Ningineer Stadium in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. The stadium, which is owned by Ehime Prefecture, has a capacity of 20,919 spectators. The sports facility is operated and managed by the Ehime Prefectural Sports Promotion Corporation as the designated manager.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Kit evolution

Home kit – 1st
20062007200820092010
20112012201320142015
20162017201820192020
20212022202320242025 -
Away kit – 2nd
20062007200820092010
20112012201320142015
20162017201820192020
20212022202320242025 -

Players

First-team squad

As of 1 April 2026.

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK JPN Kenta Tokushige 3 DF JPN Kotaro Yamahara 5 DF JPN Takaya Kuroishi 6 MF JPN Masashi Tanioka 7 MF JPN Yutaka Soneda 9 FW JPN Yoshiki Fujimoto 10 FW JPN Ryo Sato 11 FW JPN Yuta Fujihara 13 MF JPN Yudai Yamashita 14 MF JPN Ryo Saito 16 MF JPN Kohei Hosoya (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima) 17 FW JPN Yuya Taguchi 22 MF JPN Yuhi Takemoto 24 MF JPN Kota Miyamoto 26 DF JPN Kazuya KanazawaNo. Pos. Nation Player 27 FW JPN Kyota Funahashi 31 GK JPN Fuma Shirasaka 36 GK JPN Shugo Tsuji 37 DF JPN Ryoga Ishio 38 MF JPN Shota Hino 39 MF JPN Hiroshi Muto 41 DF JPN Kenya Otsubo 44 DF JPN Kimiya Moriyama (on loan from Avispa Fukuoka) 45 GK JPN Kazuma Makiguchi 48 MF JPN Toki Yukutomo 49 DF JPN Ryota Abe 50 DF JPN Koji Sugiyama 70 MF JPN Ryosuke Maeda 88 FW JPN Taiyo Yamaguchi (on loan from FC Tokyo) 99 FW JPN Ryonosuke Kabayama
1GKJPNKenta Tokushige
3DFJPNKotaro Yamahara
5DFJPNTakaya Kuroishi
6MFJPNMasashi Tanioka
7MFJPNYutaka Soneda
9FWJPNYoshiki Fujimoto
10FWJPNRyo Sato
11FWJPNYuta Fujihara
13MFJPNYudai Yamashita
14MFJPNRyo Saito
16MFJPNKohei Hosoya (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
17FWJPNYuya Taguchi
22MFJPNYuhi Takemoto
24MFJPNKota Miyamoto
26DFJPNKazuya Kanazawa
No.Pos.NationPlayer
27FWJPNKyota Funahashi
31GKJPNFuma Shirasaka
36GKJPNShugo Tsuji
37DFJPNRyoga Ishio
38MFJPNShota Hino
39MFJPNHiroshi Muto
41DFJPNKenya Otsubo
44DFJPNKimiya Moriyama (on loan from Avispa Fukuoka)
45GKJPNKazuma Makiguchi
48MFJPNToki Yukutomo
49DFJPNRyota Abe
50DFJPNKoji Sugiyama
70MFJPNRyosuke Maeda
88FWJPNTaiyo Yamaguchi (on loan from FC Tokyo)
99FWJPNRyonosuke Kabayama

Out on loan

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player — DF KOR Yu Ye-chan (at Ikoma FC Nara) — DF KOR Kang Sung-chan (at Edo All United)No. Pos. Nation Player — GK JPN Raihei Kurokawa (at Nara Club)
—DFKORYu Ye-chan (at Ikoma FC Nara)
—DFKORKang Sung-chan (at Edo All United)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
—GKJPNRaihei Kurokawa (at Nara Club)

Management and staff

Club officials for 2025

PositionName
ManagerJapan Shinya Aono (Interim)
CoachesJapan Kazuhiro Murakami Japan Naoyuki Iwata South Korea On Byung-hoon
Goalkeeper coachJapan Keisuke Hada
Physical coachJapan Takehisa Tsugawa
Analysis coachJapan Toya Takemoto
InterpreterJapan Yohei Murayama Japan Koji Kurosu
Chief trainerJapan Haruhiko Tsukada
PhysiotherapistJapan Yukinari Miyamoto
Conditioning coachJapan Yo Maezuru
Chief doctorJapan Kazuki Morizane
DoctorsJapan Takashi Inoue Japan Yoshito Homma Japan Shinji Iwata Japan Tomofumi Kinoshita Japan Koji Yamashita
CompetentJapan Hideki Ikenaga
Deputy OfficersJapan Manato Fujitsu Japan Taichi Zen
Mental advisorJapan Konomi Kimura

Honours

TypeHonoursTitlesSeason
LeagueJ3 League12023
Shikoku Football League31998, 1999, 2000
Japan Football League12005

Bold is for those competition that are currently active.

Managerial history

ManagerTenureHonours
StartFinish
Japan Takashi Onishi1 February 200131 January 2005
Japan Kazuhito Mochizuki1 February 200514 September 2009− 2005 Japan Football League
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ivica Barbarić15 September 200915 November 2012
Japan Kiyotaka Ishimaru1 February 201331 January 2015
Japan Takashi Kiyama1 February 201531 January 2017
Japan Shuichi Mase1 February 201715 May 2018
Japan Kenta Kawai15 May 201831 January 2021
Japan Shigenari Izumi1 February 20214 April 2021
Japan Noritada Saneyoshi7 April 202116 December 2021
Japan Kiyotaka Ishimaru17 December 202121 May 2025− 2023 J3 League
Japan Shinya Aono (Interim)21 May 2025Current

Season by season record

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated
LeagueJ. League CupEmperor's Cup
SeasonDiv.TeamsPos.PWDLGAGDPtsAttendance/G
2006J2139th481411235163−13534,139Not eligible4th round
20071310th48129273966−27453,317Quarter-final
20081514th42910233966−27373,7044th round
20091815th511211285480−26473,6942nd round
20101911th3612121234340484,3862nd round
20112015th381014144454−10443,4754th round
20122216th4212141647461503,6292nd round
20132217th421211194352−9473,9502nd round
20142219th421212185458−4483,8204th round
2015225th421981547398653,7713rd round
20162210th4212201041401564,0893rd round
20172215th42149195468−14513,8663rd round
20182218th421212183452−18483,1612nd round
20192219th42126244662−16423,7802nd round
2020 †2221st42810243868−30341,512Did not qualify
2021 †2220th42714213867−29351,8541st round
2022J3187th34141010514110522,938Did not qualify
2023201st3821107594811733,674
2024J22017th381010184169−28404,7211st roundRound of 16
20252020th38313223571-36224,7141st round2nd round
2026J310TBD18N/AN/A
2026–2720TBD38TBDTBD

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 league home attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J. League Data Site

External links

  • (in Japanese)