Tokushima Vortis facts for kids
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| Full name | Tokushima Vortis | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Vortis | ||
| Founded | 1955 | ||
| Ground | Pocarisweat Stadium Naruto, Tokushima |
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| Capacity | 20,000 | ||
| Chairman | Kazuhiro Kishida | ||
| Manager | Kosaku Masuda | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2024 | 8th of 20 | ||
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Tokushima Vortis (its Japanese name is 徳島ヴォルティス) is a professional football club from Tokushima, Japan. Tokushima is the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League, which is Japan's second-highest professional football league.
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What Does "Vortis" Mean?
The name "Vortis" was chosen in 1997. It comes from the Italian word "Vortice", which means whirlpool. This name was inspired by the famous Naruto whirlpool in the Naruto Strait near Tokushima. The club picked this name to show how powerful, fast, and united they are, hoping to excite all their fans!
Club History: How Tokushima Vortis Started
Tokushima Vortis began in 1955 as the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Soccer Club. They joined the J-League, Japan's top football league system, in 2005. The team is still sponsored by Otsuka's well-known sports drink, Pocari Sweat.
The club first moved up to the old Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1989. However, the company didn't want the team to become fully professional at that time. So, they played in other leagues like the former JFL and the current JFL.
In 1997, they used the name Vortis Tokushima for the first time. But because not many fans were interested back then, they went back to their company name. Finally, after winning the new JFL championship in 2004 and getting promoted, they officially became Tokushima Vortis for good.
Early Years in J2 League
Their first season in the J2 League in 2005 was tough, as expected. But Tokushima Vortis surprised many people with their strong play. They even reached fourth place at one point! They ended up finishing ninth that season.
In 2006, the team had to rebuild. Older players who helped them get into the J.League were replaced by younger ones. This led to the team dropping lower in the standings. They finished last in both 2007 and 2008.
Climbing Up to J1 League
In 2013, Tokushima Vortis finished fourth in J2 again. This time, they won the playoff games! They beat Kyoto Sanga F.C. in the final match at the National Stadium in Tokyo. This victory made them the first professional football club from the Shikoku region to play in Japan's top league, the J1 League.
Before this promotion, they were the only former Japan Soccer League team in the J.League that had never played in the top division. After they moved up and the J3 League was created in 2014, Blaublitz Akita took on that distinction.
In the 2019 season, they finished 4th once more. They were very close to returning to J1 through the playoffs but lost to Shonan Bellmare in the final game. However, in 2020, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, they did even better! They won the J2 championship and were promoted to J1.
Team Name Changes Over Time
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical (1955–1996, 1998–2004)
- Vortis Tokushima (1997)
- Tokushima Vortis FC (2005–present)
Home Stadium
Tokushima Vortis plays their home games at the Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium. This stadium is located in Naruto, Tokushima.
Club Honours: What They've Won
| Honour | No. | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shikoku Football League | 4 | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989 | as Otsuka Pharmaceutical |
| Japan Football League | 2 | 2003, 2004 | as Otsuka Pharmaceutical |
| J2 League | 1 | 2020 |
Meet the Players: Current Squad
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Players on Loan to Other Teams
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Club Staff: Who Works Behind the Scenes
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Kosaku Masuda |
| First-team coach | Masaya Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi Furukawa |
| Goalkeeper coach | Masahiko Nakagawa |
| Analyst | Akira Nakajima |
| Physical coach |  Wellington |
| Rehabilitation fitness coach | Atsushi Nagatani |
| Chief trainer | Shoji Suzuki |
| Trainer | Hisaaki Maehara Masaya Furukawa Kenta Saito |
| Interpreter | Masahiro Fukasawa Masayuki Hatamoto Ferreira Hiroki Nunome |
| General manager | Yusuke Abe |
| Assistant general manager | Yuya Ishii Daiki Sugawara |
Managerial History: Who Has Led the Team?
| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Kunio Yamade |  Japan |
1988 | 31 January 1993 |
| Hajime Ishii | Japan |
1 February 1993 | 31 January 1996 |
| Edinho | Brazil |
1 February 1996 | 31 December 1998 |
| Shinji Tanaka | Japan |
1 January 1999 | 28 September 2006 |
| Yutaka Azuma | Japan |
28 September 2006 | 31 January 2007 |
| Masataka Imai | Japan |
1 January 2007 | 31 January 2008 |
| Naohiko Minobe | Japan |
1 February 2008 | 31 January 2012 |
| Shinji Kobayashi | Japan |
1 February 2012 | 31 January 2016 |
| Hiroaki Nagashima | Japan |
25 November 2015 | 31 January 2017 |
| Ricardo Rodríguez |  Spain |
1 February 2017 | 31 January 2021 |
| Takeshi Komoto (Interim) | Japan |
1 February 2021 | 16 April 2021 |
| Dani Poyatos | Spain |
1 February 2021 Actual start date 16 April 2021 |
31 January 2023 |
| Beñat Labaien | Spain |
1 February 2023 | 22 August 2023 |
| Tatsuma Yoshida | Japan |
23 August 2023 | 31 March 2024 |
| Kosaku Masuda | Japan |
1 April 2024 (Interim) 7 May 2024 (Official) |
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Kit Evolution: How Their Uniforms Changed
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| Other kits - 3rd | ||||
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     Summer 3rd |
     15th Anniversary Summer Only |
     Summer |
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See also
In Spanish: Tokushima Vortis para niños
