Iwaki FC (いわきFC, Iwaki Efushi) is a football (soccer) club based in Iwaki, a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The club competes in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese football league system.
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| Full name | Iwaki FC | ||
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| Founded | 2012 | ||
| Ground | Hawaiians Stadium Iwaki Iwaki, Fukushima | ||
| Capacity | 5,600 | ||
| Chairman | Satoshi Okura | ||
| Manager | Yuzo Tamura | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2024 | J2 League, 9th of 20 | ||
| Website | iwakifc | ||
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History
editFounder Club
editIwaki FC was founded in 2012, before getting official recognition in 2013 with the creation of their homonymous corporation.[1][2] The club name got more attention when Under Armour decided to support the club in climbing the Japanese football pyramid from the bottom.[3] The vision behind the club’s formation, was an intention of "making Iwaki the central football-city in Tohoku".[4] In service of this, a new training field opened in November 2016 and the club-house was just launched in May 2017: two central structures necessary to rise to the top of Japanese football.[5][6]
Fukushima Prefectural Football League (2013–2017)
editResults during this period supported Iwaki FC’s rise, as they won several lesser league titles in the Fukushima Prefectural Football Leagues, eventually joining the first division of the Fukushima Prefectural Leagues. Their next target was the Tohoku Soccer League. Meanwhile, the club achieved their first win at the 23rd National Club Team Football Championship Tournament (winning the final 9–0).[7] Iwaki FC also debuted at Emperor's Cup in 2017 edition. After defeating Norbritz Hokkaido in the first round, they surprisingly overcame Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo for 5–2 after extra-time.[8] They lost against Shimizu S-Pulse in the third round, but it was still a surprising run.
Tohoku Soccer League (2018–2019)
editFirst advancing to the Tohoku Soccer League in 2018, Iwaki FC earned promotion to the following year's JFL for the first time in history in 2019, after two seasons in the Tohoku Soccer League competition. The club won the All Japan Regional Promotion Series and as a result Iwaki was crowned champions.
Japan Football League (JFL) (2020–2021)
editJoining the Japan Football League for the 2020 season, in the 2021 season, Iwaki FC finished in first position in the JFL competition, earned promotion to the following year's J3 League after two seasons in JFL competition. The team were crowned champions for their first title in the fourth tier in Japan Football League.
J. League (2022–)
editIn the 2022 season, their first year in the J3 League, Iwaki FC received a J2 license on 28 October 2022, and become eligible for promotion.[9] On 6 November the same year, they were crowned J3 League champions, earning promotion to the following year's J2 League. They secured the league title in the 32nd round, following a 3–0 win against Kagoshima United and defeats for the 2nd and 3rd-placed teams in that round: Fujieda MYFC and Matsumoto Yamaga. 14 days later, Iwaki FC finished as league champions, ending their 2022 season with 78 points from 34 matches, 11 points clear of 2nd-placed Fujieda MYFC, who also ended up being promoted to the J2. On 26 September 2023, Iwaki FC was declared to have met the requirements to obtain a license up to J1 League level.[10]
Stadium
editIwaki FC used to J-Village Stadium for 2022 season in J3. But, since promotion to J2 League, Iwaki will use Iwaki Green Field for 2023 season.
League and cup record
edit| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | J. League Cup |
Emperor's Cup |
Shakaijin Cup | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | Tier | Teams | Pos. | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
| 2013 | Fukushima Prefectural Football League (Div. 3 West)[11][12] |
8 | 6 | 2nd | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 13 | 17 | 18 | Not eligible | ||
| 2014 | 9 | 5 | 3rd | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 10 | ||||
| 2015 | Fukushima Prefectural Football League (Div. 3 East)[13] |
6 | 1st | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 9 | 32 | 30 | ||||
| 2016 | Fukushima Prefectural Football League (Div. 2)[14] |
8 | 6 | 1st | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 1 | 92 | 30 | Did not qualify | Quarter final | |
| 2017 | Fukushima Prefectural Football League (Div. 1)[15] |
7 | 6 | 1st | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 93 | 30 | 3rd round | 2nd round | |
| 2018 | Tohoku Soccer League (Div. 2 South) |
6 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 12 | 127 | 54 | 1st round | 3rd | |
| 2019 | Tohoku Soccer League (Div. 1) |
5 | 10 | 1st | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 82 | 14 | 68 | 48 | 1st round | 3rd | |
| 2020 | Japan Football League |
4 | 16 | 7th | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 21 | 2nd round | Not eligible | |
| 2021 | 17 | 1st | 32 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 65 | 28 | 37 | 71 | 1st round | ||||
| 2022 | J3 League | 3 | 18 | 1st | 34 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 72 | 23 | 49 | 76 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2023 | J2 League | 2 | 22 | 18th | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 45 | 69 | -24 | 47 | 2nd round | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 9th | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 53 | 41 | 12 | 54 | 2nd round | 3rd round | |||
| 2025 | 20 | 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
Honours
edit- Champions (1st): 2022
- Champions (1st): 2021
- National Club Team Football Championship Tournament
- Champions (1st): 2016
- Champions (1st): 2019
- Bronze medal (3rd): 2018, 2019
Current squad
edit- As of 9 August 2024.[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules, some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
editFirst-team
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Yuzo Tamura
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| Assistant manager | Ryo Kobayashi
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| First-team coach | Takumi Watanabe
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| Goalkeeper coach | Jiro Takeda
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| Sprint coach | Shingo Akimoto
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| S&C | Tsubasa Hisanaga Kazuhiko Tomooka
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| Athletic trainer | Atsushi Hokari Tsubasa Hisanaga
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| Analyst | Yuta Murakami
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| Doctor | Yoshifumi Fukushima Yoshitomo Saita Nanako Yamamoto
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| Medical officer | Hidenori Izawa
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| Physiotherapist | Daiki Iwadate
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| Trainer | Kodai Harada Shunichiro Saito
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| Interpreter |  Lim Seung-geon
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Managerial history
edit- As of 15 June 2023
| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Pieter Huistra |  Netherlands |
13 January 2016 | 31 December 2016 |
| Yuzo Tamura | Japan |
1 February 2017 | 31 January 2021 |
| Hiromasa Suguri | Japan |
1 February 2022 | 14 June 2023 |
| Yuzo Tamura | Japan |
15 June 2023 | present |
Kit evolution
edit| Home kit - 1st | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
          2017 |
    2018 |
     2019 |
    2020 |
    2021 |
    2022 |
     2023 - |
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| Away kit - 2nd | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
     2017 |
    2018 |
    2019 |
   2020 |
     2021 |
    2022 |
     2023 - |
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References
edit- ^ "一般社団法人いわきスポーツクラブ いわきFC代表 向山 聖也 さん – 福島県ホームページ". www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
- ^ "元蘭代表ハウストラ氏が福島県2部で監督就任。現役時代は広島に在籍".
- ^ "ドーム、「いわきFC」を運営する会社「株式会社いわきスポーツクラブ」を設立". www.facebook.com.
- ^ "「サッカーを通じて、いわき市を東北一の都市にする」いわきFC発足!!第1期メンバー募集開始 – ゲキサカ". ゲキサカ.
- ^ "「いわきＦＣパーク」開所 国内初の商業施設複合型クラブハウス". Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
- ^ "「いわきＦＣフィールド」オープン 地域活性化の一翼に期待".
- ^ "第23回全国クラブチームサッカー選手権大会".
- ^ "注目急上昇！Ｊ１撃破「いわきＦＣ」 凱旋の勇姿に熱い視線".
- ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2023年シーズン「J2クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 25 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2024年シーズン「J1クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2013". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2014". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2015". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2016". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2017". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "いわきFC OfficialSite". いわきFC OfficialSite (in Japanese). 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.