Ehime FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Ehime Football Club | ||
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| Short name | Ehime | ||
| Founded | 1970 | ||
| Stadium | Ningineer Stadium Matsuyama, Ehime |
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| Stadium capacity |
20,919 | ||
| Chairman | Fumio Kamei | ||
| Manager | Shinya Aono (Interim) | ||
| League | J3 League | ||
| 2022 | J3 League, 7th of 18 | ||
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Ehime Football Club, often called Ehime FC, is a professional football team from Matsuyama, the main city in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The club plays in the J2 League, which is the second highest level of professional football in Japan. They moved back to the J2 League in 2024 after winning the J3 League championship in 2023.
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Club History
Ehime FC started in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club. In 1995, the club changed its name to Ehime Football Club. For many years, they played in local and regional leagues.
Moving Up the Leagues
In 2003, Ehime FC was promoted to the Japan Football League (JFL). This was a big step up for the team. They won the JFL championship in 2005. This win helped them get promoted to the J2 League. Ehime FC then spent 16 seasons playing in the J2 League. However, at the end of the 2021 season, they were moved down to the J3 League.
Big Wins and Return to J2
On November 28, 2007, Ehime FC had a surprising victory. They beat Urawa Red Diamonds 2-0 in the fourth round of the Emperor's Cup. Urawa Red Diamonds had just won the AFC Champions League, making Ehime's win a huge upset.
On November 11, 2023, Ehime FC made a comeback. After two years away, they officially returned to the J2 League for the 2024 season. They won the 2023 J3 League championship. They secured their promotion with a close 1-0 win against their local rivals, FC Imabari. Riki Matsuda scored the only goal in that important match.
Home Stadium
Ehime FC plays its home games at Ningineer Stadium. This stadium is located in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. The stadium can hold 20,919 people. The Ehime Prefectural Sports Promotion Corporation manages and operates the stadium.
League Performance
This table shows how Ehime FC has performed in the J. League over the years.
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | J. League Cup |
Emperor's Cup |
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| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | P | W | D | L | G | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | ||
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 9th | 48 | 14 | 11 | 23 | 51 | 63 | −13 | 53 | 4,139 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2007 | 13 | 10th | 48 | 12 | 9 | 27 | 39 | 66 | −27 | 45 | 3,317 | Quarter-final | ||
| 2008 | 15 | 14th | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 39 | 66 | −27 | 37 | 3,704 | 4th round | ||
| 2009 | 18 | 15th | 51 | 12 | 11 | 28 | 54 | 80 | −26 | 47 | 3,694 | 2nd round | ||
| 2010 | 19 | 11th | 36 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 48 | 4,386 | 2nd round | ||
| 2011 | 20 | 15th | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 44 | 3,475 | 4th round | ||
| 2012 | 22 | 16th | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 47 | 46 | 1 | 50 | 3,629 | 2nd round | ||
| 2013 | 22 | 17th | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 47 | 3,950 | 2nd round | ||
| 2014 | 22 | 19th | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 54 | 58 | −4 | 48 | 3,820 | 4th round | ||
| 2015 | 22 | 5th | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 47 | 39 | 8 | 65 | 3,771 | 3rd round | ||
| 2016 | 22 | 10th | 42 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 41 | 40 | 1 | 56 | 4,089 | 3rd round | ||
| 2017 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 54 | 68 | −14 | 51 | 3,866 | 3rd round | ||
| 2018 | 22 | 18th | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 34 | 52 | −18 | 48 | 3,161 | 2nd round | ||
| 2019 | 22 | 19th | 42 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 46 | 62 | −16 | 42 | 3,780 | 2nd round | ||
| 2020 † | 22 | 21st | 42 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 38 | 68 | −30 | 34 | 1,512 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2021 † | 22 | 20th | 42 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 38 | 67 | −29 | 35 | 1,854 | 1st round | ||
| 2022 | J3 | 18 | 7th | 34 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 51 | 41 | 10 | 52 | 2,938 | Did not qualify | |
| 2023 | 20 | 1st | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 59 | 48 | 11 | 73 | 3,674 | |||
| 2024 | J2 | 20 | 17th | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 41 | 69 | −28 | 40 | 4,721 | 1st round | Round of 16 |
| 2025 | 20 | TBA | 38 | 1st round | 2nd round | |||||||||
- Key
- Attendance/G = Average number of fans at home games
- † In 2020 and 2021, fewer fans could attend games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Source: J. League Data Site
Club Honours
These are the championships and titles Ehime FC has won.
| Honour | No. | Years |
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| Shikoku Football League | 3 | 1998, 1999, 2000 |
| Japan Football League | 1 | 2005 |
| J3 League | 1 | 2023 |
Current Squad
This is a list of the players currently on the Ehime FC team.
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Players on Loan
These players are still part of Ehime FC but are currently playing for other teams.
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Club Officials
These are the main people working for Ehime FC for the 2025 season.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Shinya Aono (Interim) |
| Assistant managers | Kazuhisa Kawahara Ong Byung-hun |
| Goalkeeper coach | Keisuke Hada |
| Physical coach | Takehisa Tsugawa |
| Analytical coach | Toya Takemoto |
| Interpreter | Yohei Murayama Wongthawat Kuntarakornkiti |
| Chief trainer | Haruhiko Tsukada |
| Physiotherapist | Yukinari Miyamoto |
| Conditioning coach | Hiroshi Maezuru |
| Chief doctor | Kazuki Morizane |
| Doctor | Takashi Inoue Yoshito Homma Shinji Iwata Tomofumi Kinoshita Koji Yamashita |
| Competent | Hideki Ikenaga |
| Deputy Officers | Manato Fujitsu Taichi Zen |
| Mental advisor | Konomi Kimura |
Kit Evolution
This section shows how Ehime FC's home and away uniforms have changed over the years.
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Managerial History
This table lists the managers who have led Ehime FC over the years.
| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | |
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| Start | Finish | ||
| Takashi Onishi |  Japan |
1 February 2001 | 31 January 2005 |
| Kazuhito Mochizuki | Japan |
1 February 2005 | 14 September 2009 |
| Ivica Barbarić |  Bosnia |
15 September 2009 | 15 November 2012 |
| Kiyotaka Ishimaru | Japan |
1 February 2013 | 31 January 2015 |
| Takashi Kiyama | Japan |
1 February 2015 | 31 January 2017 |
| Shuichi Mase | Japan |
1 February 2017 | 15 May 2018 |
| Kenta Kawai | Japan |
15 May 2018 | 31 January 2021 |
| Shigenari Izumi | Japan |
1 February 2021 | 4 April 2021 |
| Noritada Saneyoshi | Japan |
7 April 2021 | 16 December 2021 |
| Kiyotaka Ishimaru | Japan |
17 December 2021 | 21 May 2025 |
| Shinya Aono (Interim) | Japan |
21 May 2025 | Current |
See also
In Spanish: Ehime FC para niños
