FC Imabari
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FC Imabari (FC今治, Efu Shī Imabari) is a Japanese football club based in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League after promotion from J3 League in 2024, Japan's second 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.
In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards the J. League, as JFA recognised J.League Hundred Year Vision clubs. 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.
FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that the club 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 secured promotion to the J2 League for the first time in their history, ending a five year stint in the third tier.
On 25 September 2025, FC Imabari announced that it had been granted a J1 League license, making the club eligible for promotion to the J1 League should they finish the season in a promotion position.
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 on 13 November 2022, at the 33rd Matchweek, with the match ending tied by 3–3.
ASICS Satoyama Stadium (2023–)
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. 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
| 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 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 62 | 38 | 24 | 73 | 3,786 | 2nd round | 1st round | |||
| 2025 | J2 | 2 | 11th | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 53 | 4,800 | 2nd round | 1st round | |
| 2026 | TBD | 18 | N/A | ||||||||||||
| 2026-27 | TBD | 38 | TBD | TBD |
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:
Honours
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ehime Prefectural Football Championship (and Emperor's Cup Ehime Prefectural Qualifiers) | 11 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 |
| Shikoku Soccer League | 5 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
| Regional League Promotion Series | 1 | 2016 |
Players
Current squad
As of 10 February 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. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK JPN Kotaro Tachikawa 2 DF JPN Rei Umeki 3 DF KOR Taiga Son 4 DF JPN Ryota Ichihara 5 MF JPN Hikaru Arai 6 MF JPN Yuki Kajiura (on loan from FC Tokyo) 7 MF JPN Takafumi Yamada 8 MF JPN Yoshiaki Komai (on loan from Yokohama FC) 9 MF JPN Takatora Kondo 10 FW BRA Edigar Junio 11 FW BRA Wesley Tanque 14 MF JPN Kota Mori 15 DF BRA Gabriel Gomes 16 GK JPN Toi Yamamoto 17 MF JPN Kyota Mochii 18 GK JPN Genta Ito | No. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW JPN Kengo Furuyama (on loan from Cerezo Osaka) 20 DF BRA Rodrigo Souza 21 GK JPN Yosuke Yamada 23 DF KOR Lee Young-jun 24 DF JPN Yuri Takeuchi 25 MF JPN Riki Sato 29 DF JPN Yamato Maruyama 30 MF JPN Hayato Shibano 33 MF JPN Shuta Sasa 34 FW JPN Kiseki Kikuchi 36 MF JPN Keito Kubo 38 MF JPN Hikaru Umakoshi 44 FW JPN Masamichi Hayashi (on loan from JEF United Chiba) 71 GK JPN Toru Takagiwa 77 MF JPN Junya Kato | ||
| 1 | GK | JPN | Kotaro Tachikawa |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Rei Umeki |
| 3 | DF | KOR | Taiga Son |
| 4 | DF | JPN | Ryota Ichihara |
| 5 | MF | JPN | Hikaru Arai |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Yuki Kajiura (on loan from FC Tokyo) |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Takafumi Yamada |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Yoshiaki Komai (on loan from Yokohama FC) |
| 9 | MF | JPN | Takatora Kondo |
| 10 | FW | BRA | Edigar Junio |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Wesley Tanque |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Kota Mori |
| 15 | DF | BRA | Gabriel Gomes |
| 16 | GK | JPN | Toi Yamamoto |
| 17 | MF | JPN | Kyota Mochii |
| 18 | GK | JPN | Genta Ito |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | FW | JPN | Kengo Furuyama (on loan from Cerezo Osaka) |
| 20 | DF | BRA | Rodrigo Souza |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Yosuke Yamada |
| 23 | DF | KOR | Lee Young-jun |
| 24 | DF | JPN | Yuri Takeuchi |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Riki Sato |
| 29 | DF | JPN | Yamato Maruyama |
| 30 | MF | JPN | Hayato Shibano |
| 33 | MF | JPN | Shuta Sasa |
| 34 | FW | JPN | Kiseki Kikuchi |
| 36 | MF | JPN | Keito Kubo |
| 38 | MF | JPN | Hikaru Umakoshi |
| 44 | FW | JPN | Masamichi Hayashi (on loan from JEF United Chiba) |
| 71 | GK | JPN | Toru Takagiwa |
| 77 | MF | JPN | Junya Kato |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Sports director | Japan Shogo Kobara |
| Manager | Japan Keiji Kuraishi |
| Assistant manager | 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
| 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 |
| Kazuaki Hashikawa | Japan | September 29, 2021 | January 31, 2023 |
| Riki Takagi | Japan | February 1, 2023 | August 16, 2023 |
| Naoto Kudo | Japan | August 16, 2023 | January 31, 2024 |
| Toshihiro Hattori | Japan | February 1, 2024 | January 31, 2025 |
| Keiji Kuraishi | Japan | February 1, 2025 | present |
Kit evolution
| Home kit - 1st | ||||
| 2015 | 2016 - 2018 | 2019 - 2020 | 2021 | 2022 - 2023 |
| 2024 - |
| Away kit - 2nd | ||||
| 2015 | 2016 - 2018 | 2019 - 2020 | 2021 | 2022 - 2023 |
| 2024 - |