This article is about the men's football club based in Japan. For the women's team, see Ehime FC Ladies.
Ehime FC
ClubnameEhime
愛媛
Upright0.6
FullnameEhime Football Club
Founded1970 (age 56)
Short nameEhime
StadiumNingineer Stadium
Matsuyama, Ehime
Capacity20,919
ChairmanTadashi Murakami
ManagerTakeshi Oki
Current2024 Ehime FC season
Websiteehimefc.com
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Ehime Football Club (愛媛フットボールクラブ, Ehime Futtobōrukurabu) commonly known as Ehime (愛媛FC, Ehime Efu Shī) is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. The club will play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football, starting from the 2026–27 season after finishing 20th in the 2025 J2 League.

The club has won 1 J3 League title in the 2023 season which is their only highest honours in the club history.

History

The club was founded in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club and renamed itself as Ehime Football Club in 1995.[1] For many years it competed in the regional and prefectural league, as Matsuyama was represented in the Japan Soccer League by the local club belonging to the Teijin company.

Ehime was promoted to the Japan Football League in 2003. After winning the JFL in 2005 season, Ehime spent 16 seasons in the J2 League before being relegated to the J3 League at the end of the 2021 season.

On 28 November 2007, Ehime pulled off a major shock by consigning the Urawa Red Diamonds, the AFC Champions League 2007 winners, to a fourth-round exit from the Emperor's Cup courtesy of a 2–0 win on Urawa's home soil, Urawa Komaba Stadium.[2]

On 11 November 2023, after two years absence from Japanese second division, Ehime officially returned to J2 League for 2024 season.[3] They were promoted as J3 League champions of 2023 season with a narrow 1–0 win against their local rivals, FC Imabari on matchweek 35 with Riki Matsuda scored the only goal of the match.[4][5]

Stadium

The club plays its home games at Ningineer Stadium in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. The stadium, which is owned by Ehime Prefecture, has a capacity of 20,919 spectators.[6] The sports facility is operated and managed by the Ehime Prefectural Sports Promotion Corporation as the designated manager.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Kit evolution

Home kit – 1st
Away kit – 2nd

Players

First-team squad

[7]

Management and staff

Club officials for 2025 [8]

PositionName
ManagerShinya Aono (Interim)
CoachesKazuhiro Murakami
Naoyuki Iwata
On Byung-hoon
Goalkeeper coachKeisuke Hada
Physical coachTakehisa Tsugawa
Analysis coachToya Takemoto
InterpreterYohei Murayama
Koji Kurosu
Chief trainerHaruhiko Tsukada
PhysiotherapistYukinari Miyamoto
Conditioning coachYo Maezuru
Chief doctorKazuki Morizane
DoctorsTakashi Inoue
Yoshito Homma
Shinji Iwata
Tomofumi Kinoshita
Koji Yamashita
CompetentHideki Ikenaga
Deputy OfficersManato Fujitsu
Taichi Zen
Mental advisorKonomi Kimura

Honours

TypeHonoursTitlesSeason
LeagueJ3 League12023
Shikoku Football League31998, 1999, 2000
Japan Football League12005

Bold is for those competition that are currently active.

Managerial history

ManagerTenureHonours
StartFinish
Takashi Onishi1 February 200131 January 2005
Kazuhito Mochizuki1 February 200514 September 2009− 2005 Japan Football League
Ivica Barbarić15 September 200915 November 2012
Kiyotaka Ishimaru1 February 201331 January 2015
Takashi Kiyama1 February 201531 January 2017
Shuichi Mase1 February 201715 May 2018
Kenta Kawai15 May 201831 January 2021
Shigenari Izumi1 February 20214 April 2021[9]
Noritada Saneyoshi7 April 202116 December 2021[10]
Kiyotaka Ishimaru17 December 2021[11]21 May 2025[12]− 2023 J3 League
Shinya Aono (Interim)21 May 2025Current

Season by season record

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated
LeagueJ. League
Cup		Emperor's
Cup
SeasonDiv.TeamsPos.PWDLGAGDPtsAttendance/G
2006J2139th481411235163−13534,139Not eligible4th round
20071310th48129273966−27453,317Quarter-final
20081514th42910233966−27373,7044th round
20091815th511211285480−26473,6942nd round
20101911th3612121234340484,3862nd round
20112015th381014144454−10443,4754th round
20122216th4212141647461503,6292nd round
20132217th421211194352−9473,9502nd round
20142219th421212185458−4483,8204th round
2015225th421981547398653,7713rd round
20162210th4212201041401564,0893rd round
20172215th42149195468−14513,8663rd round
20182218th421212183452−18483,1612nd round
20192219th42126244662−16423,7802nd round
2020 †2221st42810243868−30341,512Did not qualify
2021 †2220th42714213867−29351,8541st round
2022J3187th34141010514110522,938Did not qualify
2023201st3821107594811733,674
2024J22017th381010184169−28404,7211st roundRound of 16
20252020th38313223571-36224,7141st round2nd round
2026J310TBD18N/AN/A
2026–2720TBD38TBDTBD
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 & 2021 seasons attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J. League Data Site[13]

References

  1. ^ "Club guide: Ehime FC". J. League. Archived from the original on 20 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Urawa mark Asian award with cup collapse". ESPN soccernet. 29 November 2007. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  3. ^ "愛媛ＦＣのＪ２昇格が決定【Ｊリーグ】". J. League. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Ehime FC capture J3 League title". J. League. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  5. ^ "MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE MATCHWEEK 35 – Ehime FC vs FC Imabari". J. League. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Stadium capacity". ehimefc.com. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  7. ^ "トップチーム選手". Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Club officials for 2025 season". ehimefc.com. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Shigenori Izumi, Director, Resigns". ehimefc.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Ehime FC New Team Coach". ehimefc.com/. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  11. ^ "New Head Coach of Ehime FC First Team". ehimefc.com/
  12. ^ "Ehime manager change announcement, resignation old manager and appointment of new manager"". ehimefc.com/. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ^ "J. League Data Site". J. League. Retrieved 11 January 2025.