Yokohama F.C.
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| Full name | Yokohama F.C. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Fulie | ||
| Founded | 1998 | ||
| Ground | Mitsuzawa Stadium Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama (Capacity: 15,046) |
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| Chairman | Yasuhiko Okudera | ||
| Manager | Yasuhiro Higuchi (2009- ) | ||
| League | J. League Div.2 | ||
| 2008 | 10th | ||
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Yokohama FC (横浜FC Yokohama Efushī) are a Japanese football (soccer) club based in the city of Yokohama.
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[edit] History
The club was formed in 1999, following the merger of the city's two J. League clubs, Yokohama Flügels and Yokohama Marinos the previous year. Flügels supporters, whose club was essentially dissolved, rejected the suggestion that they should start supporting Marinos, their crosstown rivals. Instead, with money raised through donations from the general public and an affiliation with IMG, the talent management company, the former Flügels supporters founded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club. Following the socio model used by FC Barcelona, the Fulie Sports Club created Yokohama F.C., the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters.
For its first season in 1999, Yokohama F.C. hired former German World Cup star Pierre Littbarski to be the manager and Yasuhiko Okudera, the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, to be the chairman. Despite attempts to win straight entry into the J. League, the Japan Football Association only permitted the team to enter the Japan Football League. After two seasons as JFL champions, the team was promoted to the J2 Division of the J. League.
The club spent the next 6 seasons in J2, finishing mid-table between 2001 and 2005. However, Yokohama F.C. won the J2 championship in 2006 and gained promotion to J1 in the process. In 2007, Yokohama F.C. played its first season in the top flight of Japanese football in only its ninth year of existence. After a poor season the team were relegated with five games of the season still remaining. Despite their early demotion, Yokohama F.C. still lived to help decide the final outcome at the opposite end of the table. By beating title contenders Urawa Red Diamonds on the last day of the season, they helped Kashima Antlers claim their fifth J. League crown.
[edit] Fight for promotion
Although they had a dire season in 2005, they ended 11th out of 12, they were in the top half of table throughout the 2006 season. On 26 November they finished on the top spot of the J2 league, and hence were finally promoted to division 1.
This success story was so dramatic as to make people somewhat excited in Japan. Yokohama FC's financial situation is so poor that they don't even possess their own football ground or a club house. Players did everything themselves including the carrying the goal posts and washing jerseys.
Some of the main players are veteran stars, such as Kazuyoshi Miura 39, Shoji Jo 31, Motohiro Yamaguchi 37 and Norio Omura 37. These players once played for the the National Team and were later not seen as useful.
They lost all pre-season matches, even against college students, then also the first official match of the year. After this, they suddenly changed the player-manager to a freshman with little experience named Takuya Takagi 38. At the beginning of the season few expected them to become champions.
[edit] Football tactics
First, Takagi concentrated on getting the basics right and focused on defense. The team then kept clean sheets in 15 consecutive games. This success gave the young players confidence to be more aggressive on the field. As a result, they didn't lose more than one game in succession and won the title.
[edit] Current players
The players in bold have senior international caps.
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[edit] Season by season results and managers
| Season | League | Pld | Pt | W | L | D | F | A | GD | Place | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | JFL | 24 | 55 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 57 | 32 | +25 | Champions |  Pierre Littbarski |
| 2000 | 22 | 61 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 66 | 24 | +42 | Champions | ||
| 2001 | J2 | 44 | 43 | 15 | 28 | 1 | 58 | 81 | -23 | 9th |  Yoshikazu Nagai / Yuji Sakakura / Katsuyoshi Shindo |
| 2002 | 44 | 35 | 8 | 25 | 11 | 43 | 81 | -38 | 12th | Katsuyoshi Shindo |
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| 2003 | 44 | 42 | 10 | 22 | 12 | 49 | 88 | -39 | 11th | Pierre Littbarski |
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| 2004 | 44 | 52 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 42 | 50 | -8 | 8th | ||
| 2005 | 44 | 45 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 48 | 64 | -16 | 11th | Yusuke Adachi |
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| 2006 | 48 | 93 | 26 | 7 | 15 | 61 | 32 | +29 | Champions | Yusuke Adachi / Takuya Takagi |
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| 2007 | J1 | 34 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 66 | -47 | 18th, relegated | Takuya Takagi /  Julio Cesar Leal Junior |
| 2008 | J2 | 42 | 50 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 51 | 56 | -5 | 10th | Satoshi Tsunami |
[edit] Former players
[edit] Managers
| Manager | Nat. | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Pierre Littbarski |  Germany |
1999-2000 |
| Yoshikazu Nagai |  Japan |
2001 |
| Yuji Sakakura | Japan |
2001 |
| Katsuyoshi Shinto | Japan |
2001-2002 |
| Pierre Littbarski | Germany |
2003-2004 |
| Yusuke Adachi | Japan |
2005-2006 |
| Takuya Takagi | Japan |
2006-2007 |
| Julio Cesar Leal Junior |  Brazil |
2007 |
| Satoshi Tsunami | Japan |
2008- |
[edit] Honours
- Japan Football League (2)
- Champions:(1999, 2000)
- J. League Division 2
- Champions (2006)
[edit] See also
- AFC Wimbledon, replacement club formed due to relocation of the original club.
- Aldershot Town FC, a replacement club which also has a phoenix in its symbolism, now playing in the English Football League Two.
- List of fan-owned sports teams
