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 J2 League after promotion from J3 League in 2024, Japan's second tier of professional football.

FC Imabari
FC今治

Full name	Football Club Imabari
Founded	1976; 49 years ago (1976)
Ground	ASICS Satoyama Stadium Imabari, Ehime, Japan
Capacity	5,316
Chairman	Takeshi Okada
Manager	Keiji Kuraishi
League	J2 League
2024	J3 League, 2nd of 20 (promoted)
Website	fcimabari.com
Home colours Away colours

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.^[1]

In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards 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 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.^[3]

FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that Imabari 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 secure promotion to J2 League for the first time in history from next season after defeat Gainare Tottori 0-5 in Matchweek 36 and ending five years stint in third tier.

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.^[4] 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

Champions

Runners-up

Third place

Promoted

Relegated

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	TBD	38									2nd round	1st round

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

FC Imabari 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 19 July 2025.^[5] 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 1 GK  JPN Kotaro Tachikawa 2 DF  JPN Tetsuya Kato 3 DF  JPN Naoya Fukumori 4 DF  JPN Ryota Ichihara 5 DF  BRA Danilo 6 MF  JPN Yuki Kajiura (on loan from FC Tokyo) 7 MF  JPN Takafumi Yamada 8 DF  JPN Wataru Noguchi 9 MF  JPN Takatora Kondo 10 FW  BRA Marcus Vinicius 11 FW  BRA Wesley Tanque 13 FW  JPN Kosuke Fujioka 14 MF  JPN Kenshin Yuba 15 DF  JPN Ryota Abe 16 DF  JPN Rio Omori (on loan from FC Tokyo) 17 MF  JPN Kyota Mochii 18 MF  JPN Hikaru Arai

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 MF  BRA Vinícius Diniz (on loan from Operário) 21 FW  JPN Tomoki Hino 22 DF  JPN Yuto Saitai 23 DF  KOR Lee Young-jun 24 DF  JPN Yuri Takeuchi 28 MF  BRA Patrick Verhon (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale) 33 MF  JPN Shuta Sasa 34 MF  JPN Kiseki Kikuchi DSP 36 MF  JPN Yumeki Yokoyama 37 DF  JPN Rei Umeki 38 MF  JPN Hikaru Umakoshi 44 GK  JPN Genta Ito 47 GK  JPN Shunsuke Ueda 50 MF  JPN Yuta Mikado 61 GK  JPN Takenobu Mori Type 2 71 GK  JPN Toru Takagiwa 77 MF  JPN Junya Kato

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. Nation Player 25 MF  JPN Riki Sato (at Asuka FC)

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Sports director	Shogo Kobara
Manager	Keiji Kuraishi
Assistant manager	Yoshikiyo Kuboyama
First-team coach	Takamasa Watanabe
Goalkeeper coach	Yuichi Mizutani
Analysis	Kohei Nomoto
Physical coach	Daiki Makino
Chief trainer	Takuya Kishimoto
Trainer	Ryosuke Konishi Suguru Sakai
Competent	Satsuki Sinohara
Side affairs	Ryo Tanaka
Interpreter	Daichi Lee Kashiwagi
General manager	Tetsuji Koyama
Strengthening scout	Naoto Kudo
Strengthening commissioner	Kei Nakano
Physical advisor	Masaya Sakihana
Nutritionist	Kokoro Kawanami
Team advisor	Ruy Ramos
Doctor	Takahisa Mori Yoji Nagano Yuko Fujii 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[6]
Kazuaki Hashikawa	Japan	September 29, 2021[7]	January 31, 2023
Riki Takagi	Japan	February 1, 2023[8]	August 16, 2023
Naoto Kudo	Japan	August 16, 2023[9]	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 -