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 | 17,924 | ||
| Chairman | Kazuhiro Kishida | ||
| Manager | Kosaku Masuda | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2022 | J2 League, 8th of 22 | ||
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Tokushima Vortis (徳島ヴォルティス, Tokushima Vorutisu) is a professional football club from Tokushima, Japan. They play in the J2 League, which is the second-highest football league in Japan.
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What Does "Vortis" Mean?
The name "Vortis" was chosen in 1997. It comes from the Italian word "Vortice." This word means "whirlpool."
The name is inspired by the famous Naruto whirlpools. These whirlpools are found in the Naruto Strait near Tokushima. The club chose this name to show their power and speed. They hoped to excite all their fans with their strong and united play.
Club History
Tokushima Vortis started in 1955. Back then, they were called Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Soccer Club. They joined the J-League, Japan's professional football league, in 2005. The team is still sponsored by Otsuka's famous sports drink, Pocari Sweat.
The team first moved up to the old Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1989. However, the company did not want the team to become fully professional. So, they played in other leagues like the former JFL and the current JFL.
In 1997, they used the name Vortis Tokushima for a short time. But because not many fans were interested, they went back to their old company name. They finally became Tokushima Vortis for good after winning the new JFL championship in 2004. This win also helped them get promoted to the J-League.
Their first season in J2 (2005) was tough. But the team surprised many people with their strong play. They even reached fourth place at one point. They finished the season in ninth place. In 2006, the team had to rebuild. Older players left, and younger players joined. This caused the team to drop down the league table. They finished last in 2007 and 2008.
In 2013, Tokushima Vortis finished fourth in J2 again. They then won the playoff games. They beat Kyoto Sanga F.C. in the final match in Tokyo. This made them the first professional football club from Shikoku to play in Japan's top league. Before this, they were the only JSL team that had never played in the top division.
In 2019, they finished 4th in J2 once more. They almost returned to J1 but lost in the playoffs. In 2020, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, they did even better. They won the J2 championship and were promoted to J1. They played in J1 in 2021 but were relegated back to J2 for the 2022 season.
Team Name Changes
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical (1955–1996, 1998–2004)
- Vortis Tokushima (1997)
- Tokushima Vortis FC (2005–present)
Home Stadium
Tokushima Vortis plays their home games at Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium. This stadium is located in Naruto, Tokushima.
League and Cup Results
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | J.League Cup |
Emperor's Cup |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | |||
| Otsuka Pharmaceuticals | ||||||
| 2003 | JFL | 16 | 1st | Not eligible | 3rd round | |
| 2004 | 16 | 1st | 2nd round | |||
| Tokushima Vortis | ||||||
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 9th | Not eligible | 4th round | |
| 2006 | 13 | 13th | 4th round | |||
| 2007 | 13 | 13th | 4th round | |||
| 2008 | 15 | 15th | 3rd round | |||
| 2009 | 18 | 9th | 2nd round | |||
| 2010 | 19 | 8th | 3rd round | |||
| 2011 | 20 | 4th | 2nd round | |||
| 2012 | 22 | 15th | 3rd round | |||
| 2013 | 22 | 4th | 2nd round | |||
| 2014 | J1 | 18 | 18th | Group stage | 3rd round | |
| 2015 | J2 | 22 | 14th | Not eligible | 4th round | |
| 2016 | 22 | 9th | 3rd round | |||
| 2017 | 22 | 7th | 2nd round | |||
| 2018 | 22 | 11th | 3rd round | |||
| 2019 | 22 | 4th | 3rd round | |||
| 2020 | 22 | 1st | Semi-finalist | |||
| 2021 | J1 | 20 | 17th | Group stage | 3rd round | |
| 2022 | J2 | 22 | 8th | Group stage | 3rd round | |
| 2023 | 22 | 15th | Not eligible | 3rd round | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 8th | 1st round | 3rd round | ||
| 2025 | 20 | TBA | TBD | TBD | ||
- Key
- Div. = Division (League Tier)
- Teams = Number of teams in the league
- J.League Cup = Japan League Cup
- Emperor's Cup = Emperor's Cup (another major tournament)
- Source: J. League Data Site
Club Achievements
| Award | How Many | Years Won | 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 |
Current Players
Team Roster
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Players on Loan
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Club Staff
| 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 |
Team Managers Through the Years
| Manager | Nationality | Time with Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Kunio Yamade |  Japan |
1988 | January 31, 1993 |
| Hajime Ishii | Japan |
February 1, 1993 | January 31, 1996 |
| Edinho | Brazil |
February 1, 1996 | December 31, 1998 |
| Shinji Tanaka | Japan |
January 1, 1999 | September 28, 2006 |
| Yutaka Azuma | Japan |
September 28, 2006 | January 31, 2007 |
| Masataka Imai | Japan |
January 1, 2007 | January 31, 2008 |
| Naohiko Minobe | Japan |
February 1, 2008 | January 31, 2012 |
| Shinji Kobayashi | Japan |
February 1, 2012 | January 31, 2016 |
| Hiroaki Nagashima | Japan |
November 25, 2015 | January 31, 2017 |
| Ricardo Rodríguez |  Spain |
February 1, 2017 | January 31, 2021 |
| Takeshi Komoto (Interim) | Japan |
February 1, 2021 | April 16, 2021 |
| Dani Poyatos | Spain |
February 1, 2021 Actual start date April 16, 2021 |
January 31, 2023 |
| Beñat Labaien | Spain |
February 1, 2023 | August 22, 2023 |
| Tatsuma Yoshida | Japan |
August 23, 2023 | March 31, 2024 |
| Kosaku Masuda | Japan |
April 1, 2024 (Interim) May 7, 2024 (Official) |
Current |
Team Uniforms Over Time
| Home kits - 1st | ||||
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| Away kits - 2nd | ||||
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| Other kits - 3rd | ||||
     Summer 3rd |
     15th Anniversary Summer Only |
     Summer |
     20th Anniversary |
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See also
In Spanish: Tokushima Vortis para niños
