FC Gifu
 | |||
| Full name | Gifu Football Club Co., Ltd. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 | ||
| Ground | Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium (Gifu, Gifu Prefecture) | ||
| Capacity | 17,540 | ||
| Chairman | Hiroshi Komatsu | ||
| Manager | Kiyotaka Ishimaru | ||
| League | J3 League | ||
| 2025 | J3 League, 13th of 20 | ||
| Website | www | ||
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Football Club Gifu (フットボールクラブ岐阜, Futtobōrukurabu Gifu), abbreviated as FC Gifu (FC岐阜, Efu Shī Gifu)[1] is a Japanese football club based in Gifu, capital of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football.
FC Gifu is one of the few J.League clubs to be simply called Football Club without an extended name or moniker, the others being Yokohama FC, Ehime FC, Iwaki FC, FC Tokyo, FC Imabari, FC Ryukyu and FC Osaka which is currently playing their trades in the J.League.
History
Foundation and early development (2001–2007)
During the Japan Soccer League and former Japan Football League years, the city and prefecture of Gifu were represented by the Seino Transportation Co. (西濃運輸 Seinō Un'yu) works team, which was relegated from the old JFL for the last time in 1997 and folded shortly thereafter in January 1998.
The modern-day FC Gifu was founded in 2001 (Seino's last manager, Masayuki Katsuno, was among the founders, and a former Seino player, Takashi Umeda, recently returned to town and joined the club following a decade-long stint with Oita Trinita). The club was promoted to the new Japan Football League in 2007 after beating Honda Lock SC in the promotion/relegation play-offs.
Rise to professional football (2008–2011)
The team earned third place at the end of the 2007 season, meaning it qualified for promotion to J.League Division 2. On 3 December 2007, J. League approved a promotion for the team for the 2008 season.[2]
Struggles and relegation (2012–2019)
The club finished the 2012 season in 21st place, narrowly missing out on relegation to the Japan Football League.[3]
Between 2013 and 2018, the team constantly placed in the lower realms of J.League Division 2 (now renamed to J2 League) and narrowly avoided relegation until 2019, when they finished last in the league and were relegated to J3 League.
Since dropping to J3, FC Gifu has worked to regain stability and push for promotion back to the J2 League. The club has focused on strengthening its youth development system and improving competitiveness within the third division.
Team image
Crest
The team's crest was designed to represent Gifu Prefecture. The top of the crest represents the mountain ranges of the northern part of the prefecture. The flowers are Chinese milk vetch, which are the prefectural flower. Each of the three lines represents one of the Kiso Three Rivers flowing through the prefecture. The banner at the base of the crest is the same as the symbol on the helmet of the victorious Tokugawa clan at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
Supporters
The supporters of FC Gifu are based mainly in Gifu and across Gifu Prefecture. Since the club’s entry into professional football, it has developed a loyal fanbase that strongly identifies with the region.
Supporters are known for their vocal encouragement and organized chants, especially in the main stand of Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium. Flags, banners, and coordinated cheering are commonly used to create atmosphere during home matches.
Despite the club’s struggles in recent years, the fanbase has remained committed, continuing to support FC Gifu through both J2 League and J3 League campaigns, reflecting strong regional pride in representing Gifu Prefecture.
Rivalries
FC Gifu has developed regional rivalries with nearby clubs in the Chūbu region. One of its most notable matchups is with FC Gifu’s neighboring teams such as Nagoya Grampus, with matches drawing attention due to geographic proximity between Gifu and Nagoya.
Overall, FC Gifu’s rivalries are primarily regional in nature and continue to develop as the club competes within the Japanese football pyramid.
Other teams
They also run as a reserve team FC Gifu Second, which currently plays in the Tōkai Adult League Division 2. They have played in the Emperor's Cup and Shakaijin Cup in the past.
Stadium
FC Gifu plays its home matches at Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, located in the city of Gifu. The stadium opened in 1991 and has a seating capacity of approximately 17,540 seating spectators.
It is a multi-purpose venue used mainly for football and athletics, situated within the larger Gifu Memorial Center sports complex. The stadium features a running track around the pitch, with a main covered stand and additional seating surrounding the field. While not a football-specific stadium, it remains the central home ground for FC Gifu in the J.League.
The venue regularly hosts matches in both the J2 League and J3 League, as well as domestic cup competitions such as the Emperor's Cup. On matchdays, supporters gather mainly in the main stand area, creating a close-knit atmosphere despite the stadium’s large size.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Kit evolution
| Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
          2007 |
     2008 - 2009 |
     2010 - 2011 |
     2012 |
   2013 |
    2014 |
   2015 |
   2016 |
     2017 |
   2018 |
     2019 |
 2020 |
     2021 |
     2022 |
     2023 |
     2024 - |
   2025 - | |||
| Away | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
     2007 |
     2008 |
     2009 |
     2010 |
     2011 |
     2012 |
2013 |
  2014 |
   2015 |
   2016 |
    2017 |
     2018 |
     2019 |
  2020 |
     2021 |
     2022 |
     2023 |
   2024 |
  2025 - | |
Players
Current squad
- As of 30 March 2026.[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Management and staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Kiyotaka Ishimaru
|
| First-team coach | Yusuke Noda Takuya Honda Yuki Yoshimura
|
| Goalkeeper coach | Teppei Uesugi
|
| Conditioning coach | Shuichi Yoshimura
|
| Conditioning advisor | Nobuyuki Nozaki
|
| Doctor | Atsushi Yamaga
|
| Trainer | Hitoshi Suzuki Yudai Kato Yuki Hirano
|
| Competent | Kotaro Sakaguchi
|
| Side affairs | Hideaki Nobuta
|
Honours
| Honour | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Gifu Prefecture Division 1 | 2 | 2002, 2003 |
| Tōkai Division 1 | 1 | 2006 |
| Gifu Prefectural Football Championship, Emperor's Cup Shizuoka Prefectural Qualifiers |
6 | 2006, 2007, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Managerial history
| Manager | Period | |
|---|---|---|
| Masayuki Katsuno |
1 January 2001 | 31 January 2006 |
| Tetsuya Totsuka |
1 February 2006 | 21 June 2007 |
| Hideki Matsunaga |
21 June 2007 | 31 January 2010 |
| Yasuharu Kurata |
1 February 2010 | 31 January 2011 |
| Takahiro Kimura |
1 February 2011 | 31 January 2012 |
| Kōji Gyōtoku |
1 February 2012 | 18 August 2013 |
| Keiju Karashima[5] |
18 August 2013 | 31 January 2014 |
| Ruy Ramos[6] |
1 February 2014 | 22 July 2016 |
| Megumu Yoshida |
22 July 2016 | 31 January 2017 |
| Takeshi Ōki[7] |
1 February 2017 | 17 June 2019 |
| Makoto Kitano |
18 June 2019 | 31 January 2020 |
 Zdravko Zemunović |
1 February 2020 | 20 September 2020 |
| Kenji Nakada |
21 September 2020 | 31 January 2021 |
| Takayoshi Amma |
1 February 2021 | 31 January 2022 |
| Toshiya Miura |
1 February 2022 | 5 May 2022 |
| Yuji Yokoyama |
6 May 2022 | 30 November 2022 |
| Yusaku Ueno |
1 December 2022 | 27 June 2024 |
| Kenichi Amano |
28 June 2024 | 2 December 2024 |
| Yasuaki Oshima |
1 January 2025 | 2 July 2025[8] |
| Koji Ohashi (Interim) |
2 July 2025 | 7 July 2025 |
| Kiyotaka Ishimaru |
7 July 2025[9] | Current |
Season by season record
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | J.League Cup |
Emperor's Cup | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | ||
| 2001 | Gifu Prefecture 1` | 5 | 2nd | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 7 | 33 | 25 | Not eligible | Did not qualify | |
| 2002 | 5 | 1st | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 4 | 36 | 30 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2003 | 5 | 1st | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | 30 | 30 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2004 | Tokai Division 2 | 8 | 3rd | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 24 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2005 | 8 | 2nd | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 7 | 19 | 29 | Did not qualify | |||
| 2006 | Tokai Division 1 | 8 | 1st | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 3 | 43 | 44 | 3rd round | ||
| 2007 | JFL | 18 | 3rd | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 45 | 31 | 14 | 60 | 3,529 | 3rd round | |
| 2008 | J2 | 15 | 13th | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 41 | 69 | -28 | 42 | 3,745 | 4th round | |
| 2009 | 18 | 12th | 51 | 16 | 14 | 21 | 62 | 72 | -10 | 62 | 4,302 | Quarter final | ||
| 2010 | 19 | 14th | 36 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 32 | 45 | -13 | 45 | 3,108 | 2nd round | ||
| 2011 | 20 | 20th | 38 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 39 | 83 | -44 | 24 | 4,120 | 2nd round | ||
| 2012 | 22 | 21st | 42 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 27 | 55 | -28 | 35 | 4,270 | 2nd round | ||
| 2013 | 22 | 21st | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 37 | 80 | -43 | 37 | 4,525 | 2nd round | ||
| 2014 | 22 | 17th | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 54 | 61 | -7 | 49 | 7,584 | 2nd round | ||
| 2015 | 22 | 20th | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 37 | 71 | -34 | 43 | 6,179 | 2nd round | ||
| 2016 | 22 | 20th | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 47 | 71 | -24 | 43 | 5,662 | 1st round | ||
| 2017 | 22 | 18th | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 56 | 68 | -12 | 46 | 6,977 | 3rd round | ||
| 2018 | 22 | 20th | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 44 | 62 | -18 | 42 | 6,858 | 2nd round | ||
| 2019 | 22 | 22nd | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 33 | 78 | -45 | 30 | 6,692 | 2nd round | ||
| 2020 † | J3 | 18 | 6th | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 50 | 39 | 11 | 56 | 2,643 | Did not qualify | |
| 2021 † | 15 | 6th | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 38 | 35 | 3 | 41 | 3,505 | 1st round | ||
| 2022 | 18 | 14th | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 53 | -10 | 37 | 4,194 | 2nd round | ||
| 2023 | 20 | 8th | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 44 | 35 | 9 | 54 | 4,733 | 3rd round | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 8th | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 64 | 56 | 8 | 53 | 4,684 | 1st round | 2nd round | |
| 2025 | 20 | 13th | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 52 | 60 | -8 | 47 | 4,772 | 1st round | 2nd round | |
| 2026 | 10 | TBD | 18 | N/A | N/A | |||||||||
| 2026-27 | 20 | TBD | 38 | TBD | TBD | |||||||||
- Key
- Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
- Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
- † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
- Source: J.League Data Site
References
- ^ "Club profile". FC Gifu. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ）：Ｊリーグ.jp". Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ "FC Gifu club information". 29 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ^ "Players". Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ J.League Data Site (in Japanese)
- ^ "Official statistics J League". data.j-league.or.jp. J League. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Official J League Statistics". data.j-league.or.jp. J League. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "Notice of contact termination of coach Yasuaki Oshima". www.fc-gifu.com. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ "Kiyotaka Ishimaru Announcement of Director Inauguration". www.fc-gifu.com. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
External links
- Official website
(in Japanese)