Tokushima Vortis
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| Full name | Tokushima Vortis | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Vortis | ||
| Founded | 1955 | ||
| Ground | Naruto Athletic Stadium Naruto, Tokushima | ||
| Capacity | 17,924 | ||
| Chairman | Kazuhiro Kishida | ||
| Manager | Gert Engels | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2025 | J2 League, 4th of 20 | ||
| Website | vortis | ||
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Tokushima Vortis (徳島ヴォルティス, Tokushima Vorutisu) is a Japanese professional football club located in Tokushima, capital of Tokushima Prefecture. The club currently playing in the J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football league.
Vortis won their only major honours in which they won the J2 League title in the 2020 season.
History
Foundation and early years (1955–2004)
Founded in 1955 as the company team of Otsuka Pharmaceutical under the name Otsuka Pharmaceutical Soccer Club. Based in Tokushima Prefecture, the team competed in corporate and regional leagues for several decades, gradually establishing itself as one of the stronger sides in the Shikoku region. With the expansion of the professional J.League system, the club began transitioning toward becoming a community-based team. They are still sponsored by Otsuka's best-known brand, Pocari Sweat sports drink.[1]
They were first promoted to the old Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1989, but the company's reluctance to professionalize the team forced it to compete in the former JFL and current JFL. In the 1997 old JFL season, they first sported a Vortis Tokushima name, but the lack of fan interest at the time forced them to go back to the corporate identity. They finally adopted the a new name, Tokushima Vortis, for good after winning the 2004 Japan Football League thus being promoted.[2]
J2 years and gradual progress (2005–2013)
The first season in the J2 League was naturally a difficult one for Vortis, but they surprised many sceptics with their determination and quality of play. The team rose as high as fourth place, at one point, before slipping down the table later in the season to finish ninth. In 2006, the team was forced to rebuild, as the players who took the team into the J.League began to hit the ceiling of their abilities and made way for younger replacements. As a result, despite the encouragement of a local rivalry with Ehime FC, Tokushima drifted down-table, and they followed it up with a last-place finish in 2007 and 2008.[2]
In 2013, Vortis earned fourth place in J2, matching the same placement they had two years before in the division and twenty years before in the old JFL Division 1; this time they won the playoff, defeating Kyoto Sanga in the final round at the National Stadium in Tokyo, thus becoming the first professional Shikoku football club to compete in the top division of their national league.[3]
First J1 season and relegation (2014)
Until their promotion, they were the only former JSL member currently a member of the J.League which has never competed in the top tier of Japanese football. With promotion and the creation of the J3 League in 2014, the distinction was taken over by Blaublitz Akita.
Return to J1 and recent seasons (2015–present)
Following relegation, Vortis spent several seasons rebuilding in the J2 League. The club became known for its emphasis on technical and possession-based football, particularly under Spanish coaching influence.
In the 2019 season, Vortis finished 4th again and were one win away from a return to J1 in the playoffs, but ultimately failed to beat Shonan Bellmare away in the final game. In 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Vortis won the J2 League title, securing promotion to the J1 League once again. The following season in 2021 saw the club return to the top division, though they were relegated after finishing near the bottom of the table.
In recent years, Tokushima Vortis has continued competing in the J2 League while aiming for another promotion push, focusing on player development and maintaining its distinctive playing style.
Team image
Name origin
The name, "Vortis" was named in 1997 (see below), and it was explained as a coinage of Italian "Vortice" (meaning whirlpool, after the famous Naruto whirlpool in Naruto Strait). The name was chosen to exhibit the dynamics of a whirlpool in the hope of swallowing up the whole audience in excitement by its power, speed and unity.[1]
Team name transition
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical (1955–1996, 1998–2004)
- Vortis Tokushima (1997)
- Tokushima Vortis (2005–present)
Supporters
The supporters of Vortis are primarily based across Tokushima Prefecture and the wider Shikoku region. Despite being from a relatively smaller football market, the club has cultivated a loyal and dedicated fanbase since joining the professional ranks of the J.League.
On matchdays at the Naruto Athletic Stadium, supporters gather behind the goal stands to create a vibrant atmosphere with coordinated chants, flags, and banners. The fan culture emphasizes regional pride and strong community ties, with many supporters following the team both at home and away matches across Japan.
Rivalries
Vortis’s main rivalry is with fellow Shikoku club Ehime FC. Matches between the two sides are often referred to as the Shikoku Derby, representing competition for regional supremacy on the island of Shikoku.
Vortis also shares competitive fixtures with Kamatamare Sanuki, another club from Shikoku. These encounters, while less prominent, still attract local attention and contribute to the development of regional rivalries.
These rivalries are largely driven by geographical proximity and the desire to establish dominance within Shikoku’s football landscape in the J.League.
Stadium
Vortis plays its home matches at Naruto Athletic Stadium, (also known as Pocari Sweat Stadium) is located in the city of Naruto. The stadium is part of the Naruto Sports Park complex and serves as the main football venue in the prefecture.
Opened in 1993, the stadium has a seating capacity of approximately 17,924 spectators and is a multi-purpose facility used for both football and athletics. It has hosted the club’s matches since their entry into the professional leagues of the J.League in 2005.
Despite being a multi-purpose stadium with a running track, Naruto Athletic Stadium is known for its strong local support and lively matchday atmosphere. It regularly hosts fixtures in both the J1 League and J2 League, as well as domestic cup competitions such as the Emperor's Cup.
Kit suppliers and sponsors
Kit evolution
| Home kits - 1st | ||||
         2005-2006 |
    2007-2008 |
    2009-2010 |
   2011-2012 |
     2013 |
    2014 |
    2015 |
     2016 |
     2017 |
     2018 |
     2019 |
     2020 |
     2021 |
     2022 |
     2023 |
    2024 |
     2025 - |
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| Away kits - 2nd | ||||
    2005-2006 |
    2007-2008 |
    2009-2010 |
    2011-2012 |
     2013 |
    2014 |
    2015 |
     2016 |
     2017 |
     2018 |
     2019 |
     2020 |
     2021 |
     2022 |
     2023 |
     2024 |
     2025 - |
|||
| Other kits - 3rd | ||||
     2017 Summer 3rd |
     2019 15th Anniversary Summer Only |
     2021 Summer |
     2024 20th Anniversary | |
Players
First-team squad
- As of 6 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.
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Management and staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Gert Engels
|
| 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
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| General manager | Yusuke Abe
|
| Assistant general manager | Yuya Ishii Daiki Sugawara
|
Honours
| Type | Honours | Titles | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| League | J2 League | 1 | 2020 |
| Japan Football League | 2 | 2003, 2004 | |
| Shikoku Football League | 4 | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989 |
Bold is for those competition that are currently active.
Managerial history
| Manager | Period | Honours |
|---|---|---|
| Kunio Yamade |
1988–31 January 1993 | – 1989 Shikoku Football League |
| Hajime Ishii |
1 February 1993–31 January 1996 | |
| Edinho |
1 February 1996–31 December 1998 | |
| Shinji Tanaka |
1 January 1999–28 September 2006 | – 2003 Japan Football League |
| Yutaka Azuma |
28 September 2006–31 January 2007 | |
| Masataka Imai |
1 January 2007–31 January 2008 | |
| Naohiko Minobe |
1 February 2008–31 January 2012 | |
| Shinji Kobayashi |
1 February 2012–31 January 2016 | |
| Hiroaki Nagashima |
25 November 2015–31 January 2017 | |
 Ricardo Rodríguez |
1 February 2017–31 January 2021 | – 2020 J2 League |
| Takeshi Komoto (Interim) |
1 February 2021–16 April 2021 | |
| Dani Poyatos |
16 April 2021[5]–31 January 2023 | |
| Beñat Labaien |
1 February 2023–22 August 2023 | |
| Tatsuma Yoshida |
23 August 2023–31 March 2024[6] | |
| Kosaku Masuda (Interim)
|
1 April 2024–7 May 2024 | |
| Kosaku Masuda |
7 May 2024[7]–28 December 2025 [8] | |
| Gert Engels [9] |
28 December 2025–present |
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 | ||
| Otsuka Pharmaceuticals | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | JFL | 16 | 1st | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 65 | 21 | 44 | 72 | 781 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2004 | 16 | 1st | 30 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 74 | 20 | 54 | 78 | 3,046 | 2nd round | ||
| Tokushima Vortis | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 9th | 44 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 60 | 76 | -16 | 52 | 4,366 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2006 | 13 | 13th | 48 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 43 | 92 | -49 | 35 | 3,477 | 4th round | ||
| 2007 | 13 | 13th | 48 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 31 | 67 | -36 | 33 | 3,289 | 4th round | ||
| 2008 | 15 | 15th | 42 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 40 | 72 | -32 | 29 | 3,862 | 3rd round | ||
| 2009 | 18 | 9th | 51 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 67 | 52 | 15 | 72 | 4,073 | 2nd round | ||
| 2010 | 19 | 8th | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 51 | 47 | 4 | 51 | 4,614 | 3rd round | ||
| 2011 | 20 | 4th | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 65 | 5,207 | 2nd round | ||
| 2012 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 45 | 49 | -4 | 51 | 3,991 | 3rd round | ||
| 2013 | 22 | 4th | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 56 | 51 | 5 | 67 | 4,348 | 2nd round | ||
| 2014 | J1 | 18 | 18th | 34 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 16 | 74 | -58 | 14 | 8,884 | Group stage | 3rd round |
| 2015 | J2 | 22 | 14th | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 35 | 44 | -9 | 53 | 5,019 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2016 | 22 | 9th | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 46 | 42 | 4 | 57 | 4,565 | 3rd round | ||
| 2017 | 22 | 7th | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 71 | 45 | 26 | 67 | 4,979 | 2nd round | ||
| 2018 | 22 | 11th | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 48 | 42 | 6 | 56 | 4,997 | 3rd round | ||
| 2019 | 22 | 4th | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 67 | 45 | 22 | 73 | 5,736 | 3rd round | ||
| 2020 † | 22 | 1st | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 67 | 33 | 34 | 84 | 3,100 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 2021 | J1 | 20 | 17th | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 34 | 55 | -21 | 36 | 5,664 | Group stage | 3rd round |
| 2022 | J2 | 22 | 8th | 42 | 13 | 23 | 6 | 48 | 35 | 13 | 62 | 4,224 | Group stage | 3rd round |
| 2023 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 10 | 19 | 13 | 43 | 53 | -10 | 49 | 5,976 | Not eligible | 3rd round | |
| 2024 | 20 | 8th | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 42 | 44 | -2 | 55 | 6,054 | 1st round | 3rd round | |
| 2025 | 20 | 4th | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 45 | 24 | 21 | 65 | 9,703 | 1st round | 3rd 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 league home attendance
- † 2020 season attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
- Source: J. League Data Site
References
- ^ a b "Tokushima Vortis Challenges J1 League Rivals". Otsuka Pharmaceutical. February 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "The 2013 Promotion Playoff winners are the first club from the island of Shikoku to participate in Japan's top flight". Goal.com. March 26, 2014. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- ^ Gus Fielding (December 8, 2013). "Tokushima reaches J1 with playoff final victory". Kyodo News. The Japan Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- ^ "選手・スタッフ | トップチーム | 徳島ヴォルティス". 選手・スタッフ | トップチーム | 徳島ヴォルティス (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ "Dani Poyatos arrives in Japan". www.vortis.jp. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
- ^ "吉田監督の解任を発表【徳島】：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "増田氏が正式に監督に就任【徳島】：Ｊリーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Announcement of Masuda retirement". vortis.jp. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ^ "New manager appointed". vortis.jp. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)