Tokyo Verdy facts for kids
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| Full name | Tokyo Verdy 1969 Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Verdy | ||
| Founded | 1969 as Yomiuri FC | ||
| Ground | Ajinomoto Stadium Chōfu, Tokyo |
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| Capacity | 49,970 | ||
| Owner | Tokyo Verdy Holdings | ||
| Chairman | Yasuo Shimada | ||
| Manager | Hiroshi Jofuku | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2022 | J2 League, 9th of 22 | ||
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Tokyo Verdy (東京ヴェルディ, Tōkyō Berudi) is a professional football club from Inagi, Tokyo, Japan. They play in the top Japanese league, the J1 League, after being promoted in 2023.
Tokyo Verdy is one of the most successful clubs in Japanese football history. They have won 25 major titles, including two league titles, five Emperor's Cups, and an Asian Club Championship.
Contents
Club History
How it All Started (1969–1983)
The club began in 1969 as Yomiuri Football Club. This happened after Japan won a bronze medal in football at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, which made many people interested in the sport. The Japan Football Association asked the Yomiuri Group, a big company, to start a football team.
Yomiuri FC started in a local league (the 5th level of Japanese football) in 1969. They quickly moved up through the leagues. By 1971, they were in the Kanto Football League (the 3rd level). They then joined the Japan Soccer League Second Division. In 1978, they were promoted to the First Division, where they became very successful. Their first big win was the Japan Soccer League Cup in 1979.
The Golden Years (1983–1994)
The club's owners wanted Yomiuri FC to be as famous as the baseball team Yomiuri Giants. They wanted a team full of stars with fans all over Japan. When Japanese football became professional and formed the J.League in 1993, the club spent a lot of money on top players. These included famous Japanese national team players like Kazuyoshi Miura, Ruy Ramos, and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa.
Yomiuri FC won the last two Japan Soccer League championships in 1990–91 and 1991–92. Then, as Verdy Kawasaki, they won the first two J.League championships in 1993 and 1994. This meant they won four league titles in a row! They also won the 1996 Emperor's Cup and three J.League Cups in a row from 1992 to 1994.
In 1993, the Japan Soccer League became the professional J.League. The team changed its name to Verdy Kawasaki. The name "Verdy" comes from the Portuguese word "VERDE," which means "green." This was chosen because of their green jerseys. The color also honored the Brazilian club Palmeiras, a team admired by one of Yomiuri's early stars, George Yonashiro. Even though "Yomiuri" was dropped from the name, the Yomiuri Group still owned the team until 1997. Then, Nippon Television Network, part of the Yomiuri Group, took over.
Tough Times (1995–2000)
The club's early success did not last. As their star players got older, the team's performance got worse. The 1996 Emperor's Cup was their last major win for a while. Japan's economy also slowed down, and the J.League became less popular. This meant teams had to spend less money. Verdy could no longer afford to buy expensive new players.
In the 1996 season, Verdy Kawasaki finished 7th, which was their lowest position ever at that time. In 1997, they dropped even further, finishing 15th out of 17 teams. Although they had a brief good period in 1999, it didn't last.
Also, the team tried to be "Japan's Team," which made local fans in Kawasaki feel left out. The high player salaries and low attendance caused the club to get into debt. Because they were struggling to compete with local rivals like Kawasaki Frontale, Verdy decided to leave Kawasaki.
Back to Tokyo (2001–2005)
In 2001, the club moved from Kawasaki to Chōfu, Tokyo. They changed their name to Tokyo Verdy 1969 to show their new home and their original founding year. The club hoped to get more fans, but Tokyo already had a popular J1 club, FC Tokyo. Even though Verdy's crowd numbers increased, they were still much lower than FC Tokyo's.
In their first year back in Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy 1969 finished 16th in the first part of the 2001 season. They avoided being sent down to the J2 League only because of a win in the very last match. They were at the bottom again in 2002, but finished strong in the second part of the season.
After two seasons in the middle of the table, Tokyo Verdy 1969, led by coach Osvaldo Ardiles, won the Emperor's Cup on January 1, 2005. This was their first major title in nine years and their first win while based in Tokyo. Winning the cup also meant Verdy got to play in the 2006 AFC Champions League.
However, the 2005 season was very bad for Tokyo Verdy 1969. They finished 17th out of 18 teams and were sent down to J2. This was after 28 years of playing in the top league. The season included some very big losses, like 1–7 to Gamba Osaka and 0–7 to Urawa Red Diamonds. Coach Ardiles was fired. Even so, the struggling Verdy team managed to beat the famous European club Real Madrid 3–0 in a friendly match.
A Short Return to the Top (2007–2008)
For the 2006 season, former Verdy Kawasaki star Ruy Ramos became the manager. It was strange for Tokyo Verdy 1969 to play in the AFC Champions League while also being in the second division of their home league. After being sent down, the club let go of many older players and focused on young talent, like Takayuki Morimoto, who was the youngest player to score in the J.League at age 15 in 2004.
In the 2007 season, Tokyo Verdy 1969 finished second in J2, which was enough to get promoted back to the top league for 2008. At this time, the club changed its name again, dropping "1969" and becoming simply Tokyo Verdy.
However, Verdy was sent down again after finishing 17th (second to last) in their 2008 J1 League season.
Back in the Second Tier (2009–2023)
On September 17, 2009, Nippon Television (NTV) announced they would no longer directly fund the club. A new company, Tokyo Verdy Holdings, took over. This ended 40 years of financial support from Yomiuri and NTV.
In October 2010, Tokyo Verdy signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the sports company Xebio. Xebio's logo was put on the team's jerseys, and they also made the team's kits. Several companies invested in the club, and a new management team led by Xebio was announced.
In 2018, the club had a good season, finishing 6th. This allowed them to play in the promotion playoffs. They won two playoff games, beating Omiya Ardija and Yokohama FC. However, they lost the final match 2–0 to Júbilo Iwata. This meant they missed out on returning to the J1 League. Since being sent down in 2008, the club stayed in the J2 League until the 2023 season.
Return to the Top League (2024–Present)
On December 2, 2023, Tokyo Verdy finally earned promotion back to the J1 League for the 2024 season. They drew 1–1 against Shimizu S-Pulse in the promotion play-off final. Itsuki Someno scored the tying goal from a penalty kick in the 96th minute. As the higher-ranked team in the playoffs, Verdy returned to Japan's top football league for the first time since 2008.
Home Stadium
Verdy plays its home games at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu, Tokyo. This stadium can hold 49,970 people. They share the stadium with their main rivals, FC Tokyo. Sometimes, Verdy also plays home matches at other stadiums in Tokyo, like the Ajinomoto Field Nishigaoka.
Team Colors and Name
Tokyo Verdy's main colors are green.
The club's name "Verdy" comes from the word for "green" in several languages, like Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. This is because of their green jerseys. In Italian, "verdi" means "the greens." So, the name "Tokyo Verdy" means "Tokyo Greens" or "Tokyo Verdi."
Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit supplier | Shirt sponsor |
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| 1992 | Puma | Coca-Cola |
| 1993 | Mizuno | |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | MALT'S | |
| 1997 | Nike | |
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | KONAMI | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| 2002 | 楽天 ICHIBA |
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| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | LEOC | |
| 2005 | CyberAgent | |
| 2006 | CyberAgent (J2) 日テレ (ACL) |
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| 2007 | Kappa | Ameba |
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | – | |
| 2010 | - / XEBIO |
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| 2011 | ennerre | 飯田産業 |
| 2012 | Athleta | |
| 2013 | - / GAGA MILANO |
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| 2014 | - / 緑の心臓 |
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| 2015 | 緑の心臓 | |
| 2016 | Create | |
| 2017 | ISPS HANDA | |
| 2018 | ||
| 2019 | Akatsuki | |
| 2020 | ||
| 2021 | NICIGAS | |
| 2022 | ||
| 2023 | ||
| 2024 | ||
| 2025–2030 | Givova | Ramsdens Currency |
Kit Evolution
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| 2nd – Away | ||||
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| 3rd – Special | ||||
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Current Players
As of August 10, 2024.
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Players on Loan
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Club Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Hiroshi Jofuku |
| Assistant managers | Ichiro Wada Hitoshi Morishita Yuta Narawa |
| Goalkeeper coach | Atsushi Shirai |
| Conditioning coach | Yuya Noshiro |
| Analytical coach | Daiki Yamamoto |
| Interpreter | Genta Iwauchi |
| Doctor | Kenta Uemura |
| Trainer | Naoki Matsuda Shuji Ogawa Yusuke Kaneuchi Hiroyoshi Mutaguchi |
| Side manager | Hideki Sato |
| Equipment manager | Ryo Ito Jun Yamato |
| Training coach |  Noh Alam Shah Isa Halim |
Manager History
| Manager | Nationality | Time with Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Finish | ||
| Jujiro Narita |  Japan |
1 February 1970 | 30 June 1973 |
| Frans van Balkom |  Netherlands |
1 February 1973 | 31 January 1976 |
| Shoichi Nishimura | Japan |
1 February 1976 | 31 January 1981 |
| Ryoichi Aikawa | Japan |
1 February 1981 | 30 June 1983 |
| Susumu Chiba | Japan |
1 July 1983 | 31 January 1984 |
| Rudi Gutendorf |  Germany |
1 January 1984 | 30 June 1986 |
| George Yonashiro | Japan |
1 July 1986 | 30 June 1989 |
| Carlos Alberto Silva |  Brazil |
1 July 1990 | 30 June 1991 |
| José Macia "Pepe" | Brazil |
1 January 1991 | 31 December 1992 |
| Yasutarō Matsuki | Japan |
1 February 1993 | 31 January 1995 |
| Nelsinho Baptista | Brazil |
1 February 1995 | 25 April 1996 |
| Yasuyuki Kishino | Japan |
26 April 1996 | 9 May 1996 |
| Émerson Leão | Brazil |
10 May 1996 | 31 January 1997 |
| Hisashi Katō | Japan |
1 February 1997 | 1 June 1997 |
| Valdir Espinosa | Brazil |
2 June 1997 | 30 October 1997 |
| Ryōichi Kawakatsu | Japan |
1 November 1997 | 31 January 1998 |
| Nicanor | Brazil |
1 February 1998 | 7 September 1998 |
| Ryōichi Kawakatsu | Japan |
8 September 1998 | 31 January 1999 |
| Hideki Matsunaga | Japan |
1 February 1999 | 31 January 2000 |
| Chang Woe-ryong |  South Korea |
1 February 2000 | 1 January 2001 |
| Yasutarō Matsuki | Japan |
1 February 2001 | 16 July 2001 |
| Yukitaka Omi | Japan |
17 July 2001 | 9 April 2002 |
| Lori Paulo Sandri | Brazil |
1 January 2002 | 30 June 2003 |
| Osvaldo Ardiles |  Argentina |
16 May 2003 | 18 July 2005 |
| Nobuhiro Ishizaki | Japan |
19 July 2005 | 31 July 2005 |
| Vadão | Brazil |
1 August 2005 | 14 December 2005 |
| Ruy Ramos | Japan |
1 February 2006 | 31 January 2008 |
| Tetsuji Hashiratani | Japan |
1 February 2008 | 31 January 2009 |
| Takuya Takagi | Japan |
1 February 2009 | 14 October 2009 |
| Takeo Matsuda | Japan |
14 October 2009 | 31 January 2010 |
| Ryōichi Kawakatsu | Japan |
1 February 2010 | 6 September 2012 |
| Shinichiro Takahashi | Japan |
6 September 2012 | 31 January 2013 |
| Yasutoshi Miura | Japan |
1 February 2013 | 15 September 2014 |
| Kōichi Togashi | Japan |
1 September 2014 | 31 December 2016 |
| Miguel Ángel Lotina |  Spain |
1 February 2017 | 31 January 2019 |
| Gary White |  England |
1 February 2019 | 17 July 2019 |
| Hideki Nagai | Japan |
17 July 2019 | 1 September 2021 |
| Takafumi Hori | Japan |
2 September 2021 | 13 June 2022 |
| Hiroshi Jofuku | Japan |
14 June 2022 | current |
League and Cup Results
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | P | W (OTW/PKW) | D | L (OTL/PKL) | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | J.League Cup |
Emperor's Cup |
Asia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdy Kawasaki | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | – | – | – | – | Winner | Runners-up | CC | 2nd round | ||||||||
| 1993 | J1 | 10 | 1st | 36 | 28 | 8 | 69 | 28 | 41 | 25,235 | Winner | Quarter final | CC | 4th place | ||
| 1994 | 12 | 1st | 44 | 31 | 13 | 91 | 47 | 44 | 24,926 | Winner | 2nd round | CC | 3rd place | |||
| 1995 | 14 | 2nd | 52 | 35 | 13 (-/3) | 106 | 62 | 44 | 108 | 20,834 | – | Quarter final | CC | Quarter final | ||
| 1996 | 16 | 7th | 30 | 19 | 11 (-/0) | 68 | 42 | 26 | 57 | 17,653 | Runners-Up | Winner | CC | Quarter final | ||
| 1997 | 17 | 15th | 32 | 6 (4/0) | 19 (1/2) | 38 | 65 | −27 | 26 | 10,933 | Group stage | 3rd round | – | – | ||
| 1998 | 18 | 12th | 34 | 13 (0/0) | 17 (2/2) | 47 | 53 | −6 | 39 | 13,338 | Group stage | Quarter-final | CWC | Quarter final | ||
| 1999 | 16 | 7th | 30 | 13 (4/-) | 2 | 9 (2/-) | 43 | 43 | 0 | 49 | 9,379 | 2nd round | Semi-final | – | – | |
| 2000 | 16 | 10th | 30 | 10 (2/-) | 4 | 10 (4/0) | 46 | 44 | 2 | 38 | 7,609 | Quarter final | 4th round | |||
| Tokyo Verdy 1969 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | J1 | 16 | 14th | 30 | 8 (2/-) | 2 | 13 (5/-) | 38 | 57 | −19 | 30 | 19,396 | 1st round | Quarter final | – | – |
| 2002 | 16 | 10th | 30 | 8 (5/-) | 3 | 14 | 41 | 43 | −2 | 39 | 15,128 | Group stage | 3rd round | |||
| 2003 | 16 | 8th | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 56 | 57 | −1 | 40 | 17,563 | Group stage | Quarter final | |||
| 2004 | 16 | 9th | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 39 | 15,059 | Semi-final | Winner | |||
| 2005 | 18 | 17th | 34 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 40 | 73 | −33 | 30 | 14,716 | Group stage | 4th round | |||
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 7th | 48 | 21 | 8 | 19 | 69 | 75 | −6 | 71 | 5,705 | Not eligible | 3rd round | CL | Group stage |
| 2007 | 13 | 2nd | 48 | 26 | 11 | 11 | 90 | 57 | 33 | 89 | 7,327 | 3rd round | – | – | ||
| Tokyo Verdy | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | J1 | 18 | 17th | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 38 | 50 | −12 | 37 | 14,837 | Group stage | 4th round | – | – |
| 2009 | J2 | 18 | 7th | 51 | 21 | 11 | 19 | 68 | 61 | 7 | 74 | 5,521 | Not eligible | 2nd round | ||
| 2010 | 19 | 5th | 36 | 17 | 7 | 12 | 47 | 34 | 13 | 58 | 5,572 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2011 | 20 | 5th | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 69 | 45 | 24 | 59 | 5,710 | 3rd round | ||||
| 2012 | 22 | 7th | 42 | 20 | 6 | 16 | 65 | 46 | 19 | 66 | 5,341 | 3rd round | ||||
| 2013 | 22 | 13th | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 56 | 6,343 | 3rd round | ||||
| 2014 | 22 | 20th | 42 | 9 | 15 | 18 | 31 | 48 | −17 | 42 | 5,430 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2015 | 22 | 8th | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 43 | 41 | 2 | 58 | 5,655 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2016 | 22 | 18th | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 43 | 61 | −18 | 43 | 5,402 | 3rd round | ||||
| 2017 | 22 | 5th | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 64 | 49 | 15 | 70 | 6,206 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2018 | 22 | 6th | 42 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 56 | 41 | 15 | 71 | 5,936 | 4th round | ||||
| 2019 | 22 | 13th | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 55 | 5,371 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2020 † | 22 | 12th | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 54 | 2,429 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2021 † | 22 | 12th | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 62 | 66 | −4 | 58 | 3,246 | 2nd round | ||||
| 2022 | 22 | 9th | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 62 | 55 | 7 | 61 | 4,955 | Quarter-finals | ||||
| 2023 | 22 | 3rd | 42 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 57 | 31 | 26 | 75 | 7,982 | 3rd round | ||||
| 2024 | J1 | 20 | TBA | 38 | 3rd round | — | ||||||||||
- Key
- OTW / PKW = Overtime wins / Penalty kicks wins 1997 & 1998 seasons – 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002 Overtime wins only
- OTL / PKL = Overtime losses / Penalty kicks losses 1997 and 1998 seasons – 1999, 2000 & 2001 Overtime losses only
- Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
- † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
- Source: J. League Data Site
Club Achievements
Tokyo Verdy is one of the most successful football clubs in Japan. They have won many titles, especially during their time as Yomiuri FC before the professional J.League started.
| Honour | Number of Wins | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| JSL 2nd Division | 2 | 1974, 1977 |
| JSL Cup | 3 | 1979, 1985, 1991 |
| JSL 1st Division | 5 | 1983, 1984, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1991–92 |
| Emperor's Cup | 5 | 1984, 1986, 1987, 1996, 2004 |
| Japanese Super Cup | 4 | 1984, 1994, 1995, 2005 |
| Asian Club Championship | 1 | 1987 |
| Konica Cup | 1 | 1990 |
| J.League Cup | 3 | 1992, 1993, 1994 |
| J.League 1 | 2 | 1993, 1994 |
| Sanwa Bank Cup | 1 | 1994 |
Other Sports Teams
Verdy is a sports club that also has teams in other sports. These include women's football, volleyball, and triathlon. The women's football team, Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza, is very successful. They have won the Nadeshiko League 12 times, the Empress's Cup 14 times, and the AFC Women's Club Championship once.
Images for kids
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Ruy Ramos was a famous player for Verdy during its golden era.
See Also
In Spanish: Tokyo Verdy para niños
- Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza (Women's club team)
- Japan Soccer League (Defunct)
- J.League
- J1 League
- J2 League
- J3 League
