Renofa Yamaguchi FC

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Renofa Yamaguchi FC
レノファ山口FC
Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. Crest
Full nameRenofa Yamaguchi Football Club
Nickname(s)Renofa
Founded1949 (as Yamaguchi Teachers)
2006 (as Renofa Yamaguchi FC)
GroundIshin Me-Life Stadium
Capacity20,000
Managing
Organisation		Renofa Yamaguchi Co,.Ltd.
ChairmanTakashi Kawamura
ManagerSusumu Watanabe
LeagueJ2 League
2020J2 League, 22nd
WebsiteClub website
Away colours

Renofa Yamaguchi FC (レノファ山口FC, Renofa Yamaguchi FC) is a Japanese professional football club based in Yamaguchi, the capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture. They play in the J2 League, the second tier of the country's football league system.

History[]

The original football team consisted of a group of teaching staff who were based within Yamaguchi prefecture, a team called Yamaguchi Prefecture Teachers Football Club (山口県サッカー教員団, Yamaguchi-ken sakkā kyōin dan), often abbreviated to Yamaguchi Teachers or Yamaguchi KFC (compare Tochigi S.C. and Gainare Tottori, who started as teachers' clubs and are now members of the J.League).

In February 2006, the Yamaguchi Football Association eyed the placement of a team from Yamaguchi in the J.League. Setting its heart of operations at Yamaguchi Teachers, a new football club was established.[1] At the same time, a public appeal was made to name the new club, with Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. being decided in March of the same year. The word renofa is a combination of three English words: renovation, fight and fine.[2][3]

Without a specified home ground, the team played Chūgoku league matches across a number of different venues within the prefecture, including Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium, Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park, Onoda Football Park, Shunan City Athletic Stadium and Yamaguchi Football Park. Now however, home games are played at Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium.

Though structured with a hometown manager and local players, sponsored by local business and enterprises, and local action plans within the local community, Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. is aiming for a national future in the J.League.[4]

Old Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. crest, used till 2013

In the days of Yamaguchi Teachers, the team frequently finished mid to low table in the Chūgoku league. However, since the establishing of the new club in 2006, the team had consistently improved their final league position. This culminated in the 2008 season where they achieved their first league win. In the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series of that year the team finished fourth in the final round, missing the opportunity for promotion to the Japan Football League. The 2009 season saw them win their first Emperor's Cup match, beating Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima F.C. in a penalty shoot out.[5]

Since the team's formation it had operated as a private organisation, however when the Nonprofit organization Yamaguchi Athletics Club was established on 24 May 2011, managing control of the team changed hands putting the new NPO in charge.[6]

After the club finished fourth in 2014 Japan Football League and passed the necessary licensing, J.League officially admitted Renofa Yamaguchi to participate in J3 League starting 2015 season.[7] Their J.League debut season saw them earn the first ever rewards in their history, namely a third tier title and with it, promotion to the J2.

Changes in Club Name[]

  • Yamaguchi Prefecture Teachers Football Club (山口県サッカー教員団, Yamaguchi-ken sakkā kyōin dan) (Yamaguchi Teachers, Yamaguchi KFC) (1949–2005)
  • Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. (レノファ山口FC, Renofa Yamaguchi FC) (2006–)

Team Results and Managers[]

(Note that prior to the 1991 season a team would earn two points for a win)
(From 1997 to 2006 when a match ended in a draw, a penalty shoot-out would occur. The winning team were awarded 2 points, and the losing team 1 point)

Current squad[]

As of 15 July 2021.[8]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF Japan JPN Kosuke Kikuchi
3 DF Brazil BRA Renan Paixão
5 MF Japan JPN Kentaro Sato
6 DF Japan JPN Hirofumi Watanabe
7 FW Japan JPN Daisuke Takagi
8 MF Japan JPN Kensuke Sato
9 FW Japan JPN Kazuhito Kishida
10 MF Japan JPN Joji Ikegami
11 MF Japan JPN Yatsunori Shimaya
13 DF Japan JPN Takumi Kusumoto
14 MF Japan JPN Naoto Sawai
15 DF Japan JPN Ayumu Kawai
16 FW Japan JPN Kensei Ukita
17 GK Japan JPN Daisuke Yoshimitsu
18 FW Japan JPN Ren Komatsu (On loan from Matsumoto Yamaga)
21 GK Japan JPN Kentaro Seki
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 DF Japan JPN
24 FW Japan JPN Tsubasa Umeki
26 MF Japan JPN Riku Kamigaki
27 DF Japan JPN
28 DF Japan JPN Hikaru Manabe
29 MF Japan JPN Riku Tanaka
30 MF Brazil BRA Henik
31 FW Japan JPN Yuki Kusano (On loan from Yokohama FC)
32 GK Japan JPN Ryo Ishii (On loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)
33 GK Japan JPN Genki Yamada
34 GK Japan JPN (On loan from Yokohama F. Marinos)
38 FW Japan JPN Kota Kawano
42 DF Japan JPN Kento Hashimoto
44 MF Japan JPN Hiroto Ishikawa
46 MF Japan JPN Kazuma Takai
48 DF Japan JPN Kaili Shimbo

Out on loan[]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
- DF Japan JPN Reo Kunimoto (On loan at Albirex Niigata)
- DF Japan JPN (On loan at Matsue City)

Record[]

As Yamaguchi Teachers[]

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
Season League Pos. GP W D L F A GD Pts Emperor's Cup Manager Notes
1976 1st round
1980 Chūgoku
League		 6th 14 4 3 7 27 30 −3 11
1981 7th 14 3 4 7 29 31 −2 10
1982 2nd 14 8 3 3 34 21 13 19 1st round
1983 2nd 14 8 3 3 35 23 12 19
1984 4th 14 8 5 1 38 27 11 17
1985 5th 14 6 1 7 30 29 1 13
1986 3rd 14 7 3 4 34 24 10 17
1987 3rd 12 6 2 4 18 16 2 14
1988 3rd 16 7 3 6 34 26 8 17
1989 2nd 12 7 3 2 28 15 13 17
1990 4th 16 7 3 6 32 25 7 17 Takashi Yamamoto
1991 4th 14 7 1 6 31 28 3 22
1992 6th 14 4 1 9 19 28 −9 13
1993 3rd 14 6 4 4 23 18 5 22
1994 6th 14 4 5 5 27 23 4 17
1995 8th 14 2 5 7 26 30 −4 11
1996 6th 14 3 6 5 17 35 −18 15
1997 8th 14 1 3 10 14 31 −17 7 1 match won, 2 matches lost on penalties.
Relegated to Yamaguchi Prefecture League.
1998 Yamaguchi
Prefecture
League
1999 1st round Promoted to Chūgoku League.
2000 Chūgoku
League		 5th 14 6 1 7 20 34 −14 20 1 match won on penalties.
2001 7th 12 3 2 7 17 30 −13 12 1st round 1 match won, 1 match lost on penalties.
2002 4th 10 3 2 5 17 31 −14 12 1 match won, 1 match lost on penalties.
Winners of the Chūgoku League fair play award.
2003 8th 14 1 5 8 8 22 −14 11 1st round 3 matches won, 2 matches lost on penalties.
Winners of the Chūgoku League fair play award.
Relegated to Yamaguchi Prefecture League.
2004 Yamaguchi
Prefecture
League		 1st 10 8 0 2 24 1st round Promoted to Chūgoku League.
2005 Chūgoku
League		 7th 12 1 4 7 11 23 −12 9 2 matches won, 2 matches lost on penalties.

As Renofa Yamaguchi F.C.[]

Season League Pos. GP W D L F A GD Pts Emperor's Cup Manager Notes
2006 Chūgoku
League		 4th 14 7 3 4 25 28 −3 25 Takashi Miyanari
2007 3rd 17 6 4 7 33 46 −13 22 1st round
2008 1st 16 11 5 0 45 15 30 38 Finalist in the Promotional Series
2009 2nd 18 13 1 4 53 21 32 40 2nd round
2010 1st 18 14 1 3 51 17 34 43 2nd round Toshiaki Tsukioka
2011 2nd 18 13 2 3 54 17 37 41 2nd round
2012 4th 18 9 5 4 47 22 25 32 Takashi Kawamura
2013 1st 18 13 3 2 53 13 40 42 1st round Genki Nakayama Promoted to JFL
2014 JFL 4th 26 16 3 7 51 27 24 51 Nobuhiro Ueno Promoted to J3
2015 J3 1st 36 25 3 8 96 36 60 78 1st round Promoted to J2
2016 J2 12th 42 14 11 17 55 63 -8 53 3rd round
2017 20th 42 11 5 26 48 69 -21 38 2nd round Nobuhiro Ueno
Carlos Mayor
2018 8th 42 16 13 13 63 64 -1 61 3rd round Masahiro Shimoda
2019 15th 42 13 8 21 54 70 -16 47 3rd round
2020 22nd 42 9 6 27 43 74 -31 61 Did not qualify
2021 42 1st round Susumu Watanabe
Key

  • Pos. = Position in league; GP = Games Played; W = Games won; D = Games Drawn; L = Games Lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals Difference; Pts = Points gained

Honours[]

As Yamaguchi Teachers

  • Chūgoku League
    • Runners-up (3): 1982, 1983, 1989
  • Yamaguchi Prefectural Championship
    • Winners (4)： 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004
  • Yamaguchi Prefectural League
    • Winners (1): 2004

As Renofa Yamaguchi F.C.

  • Chūgoku League
    • Winners (3): 2008, 2010, 2013
  • Yamaguchi Prefectural Championship
    • Winners (3)： 2007, 2009, 2010
  • Noue Cup
    • Winners (1): 2008
  • Shakaijin Cup
    • Winners (1): 2013
  • J3 League

Training ground[]

Sanyo-Onoda Soccer Park

References[]

  1. ^ Chugoku Shimbun. "出場チーム　第９０回天皇杯全日本サッカー選手権大会 (Participating teams – The 90th Emperor Cup All Japan Championship Series) (in Japanese)". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  2. ^ "チーム概要 (Team Outline) (in Japanese)". Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  3. ^ Chugoku Shimbun. "出場チーム　第９１回天皇杯全日本サッカー選手権大会 (Participating teams – The 91st Emperor Cup All Japan Championship Series) (in Japanese)". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  4. ^ "チーム概要 (Team Outline) (in Japanese)". Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  5. ^ "Match No. 9　第８９回天皇杯全日本サッカー選手権大会 (Match 9 – The 89th Emperor Cup All Japan Championship Series) (in Japanese)". Japan Football Association. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  6. ^ "ＮＰＯ法人「山口アスレチック・クラブ」誕生 プロスポーツチーム空白県からの脱却を (The Birth of the NPO "Yamaguchi Athletics Club" – Growing out of a Prefecture with no Pro-Sports Team) (in Japanese)". Sunday Yamaguchi. Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  7. ^ Ｊ３入会承認！ [Approval of J3 membership!] (in Japanese). Renofa Yamaguchi. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. ^ "2021年 選手一覧 | レノファ山口FC". RENOFA YAMAGUCHI FC. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.

External links[]

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