# Fagiano Okayama

Fagiano Okayama (ファジアーノ岡山, Fajiāno Okayama) is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country.

## Name origin

Fagiano in Italian means "pheasant", and it is a reference to the pheasant that was a companion of local legend character Momotarō. Their mascot Fagimaru is based on the specific species native to Japan, the green pheasant.

## History

They were formed in 1975 after the old Kawasaki Steel Mizushima F.C. moved to Kobe, who are now Vissel Kobe.
The old boys of the club formed a new club which they called the "River Free Kickers" (RFK). For years thereafter the club played in the prefectural league. In 2003, they assumed the name Fagiano Okayama and began rising in the ranks.
In 2005, Fagiano Okayama were promoted into the Chugoku Regional League. In July 2007, Fagiano became the first club ever to attain the J.League Associate Membership while still playing in a division below the JFL. On 2 December 2007, Fagiano gained promotion to the JFL courtesy of winning the first place in the regional playoff games.
In 2008, they secured 4th place in the last JFL match week, thereby qualifying for J.League Division 2 promotion below Tochigi SC and Kataller Toyama. On 1 December 2008, promotion was made official by J.League and Okayama competed in J.League Division 2 for the first time in their history from 2009 season.
On 7 December 2024, Fagiano Okayama secured promotion to the J1 League for the first time in their history after defeating Vegalta Sendai 2–0 in the promotion play-off final, ending their 16-year stay in the J2 League.
Their main sponsor is Okayama Gas and their back sponsor is the Sanyo Shinbun, a local newspaper in Okayama.

## Stadiums

Their home stadium is JFE Harenokuni Stadium in Okayama City, though some home matches are played at Tsuyama Stadium, in Tsuyama.
Training grounds are Masada Soccer Stadium and Prefecture Kanzakiyama Park Athletics Stadium, both are in Okayama City.

## League and cup record

| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | J. League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
| Season | Div. | Teams | Pos. | P | W(PKW) | D | L(PKL) | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | J. League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
| 2005 | Chūgoku League | 7 | 2nd | 12 | 9(0) | 0 | 2(1) | 37 | 13 | 24 | 28 | | Not eligible | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | Chūgoku League | 8 | 1st | 14 | 11(1) | 0 | 2 | 62 | 16 | 46 | 35 | | Not eligible | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | Chūgoku League | 8 | 1st | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 4 | 83 | 51 | | Not eligible | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | JFL | 18 | 4th | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 63 | 43 | 20 | 39 | 3,665 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2009 | J2 | 18 | 18th | 51 | 8 | 12 | 31 | 40 | 54 | -44 | 60 | 6,164 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2010 | J2 | 19 | 17th | 36 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 51 | -24 | 32 | 7,161 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2011 | J2 | 20 | 13th | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 43 | 58 | -15 | 48 | 7,258 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2012 | J2 | 22 | 8th | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 65 | 7,985 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2013 | J2 | 22 | 12th | 42 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 52 | 48 | 4 | 56 | 8,574 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2014 | J2 | 22 | 8th | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 52 | 48 | 4 | 64 | 8,404 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2015 | J2 | 22 | 11th | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 40 | 35 | 5 | 54 | 8,412 | Not eligible | 1st round |
| 2016 | J2 | 22 | 6th | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 58 | 44 | 14 | 65 | 10,017 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2017 | J2 | 22 | 13th | 42 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 44 | 49 | -5 | 55 | 9,471 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2018 | J2 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 39 | 43 | -4 | 53 | 8,599 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2019 | J2 | 22 | 9th | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 49 | 47 | 2 | 65 | 9,444 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2020 † | J2 | 22 | 17th | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 39 | 49 | -10 | 50 | 3,072 | Not eligible | Did not qualify |
| 2021 † | J2 | 22 | 11th | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 40 | 36 | 4 | 59 | 4,153 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2022 | J2 | 22 | 3rd | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 61 | 42 | 19 | 72 | 7,065 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2023 | J2 | 22 | 10th | 42 | 13 | 19 | 10 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 58 | 8,495 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2024 | J2 | 20 | 5th | 38 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 48 | 29 | 19 | 65 | 9,188 | 2nd Round | 2nd round |
| 2025 | J1 | 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 & 2021 seasons attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
* Source: J.League Data Site

## Honours

Fagiano Okayama honours :
| Honour | No. | Years |
| Okayama Football League 1 | 3 | 2001, 2003, 2004 |
| Chugoku Football League | 2 | 2006, 2007 |
| Japanese Regional Leagues | 1 | 2007 |
| J2 League Promotion play-off winner | 1 | 2024 |

## Current squad

As of 23 February 2025.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | JPN | Masato Sasaki (on loan from Kashiwa Reysol) |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Yugo Tatsuta |
| 3 | MF | JPN | Kaito Fujii |
| 4 | DF | JPN | Kaito Abe |
| 5 | DF | JPN | Yasutaka Yanagi (vice-captain) |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Yuji Wakasa |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Ryo Takeuchi (captain) |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Ataru Esaka (vice-captain) |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Gleyson |
| 11 | FW | JPN | Ryunosuke Ota |
| 13 | GK | JPN | Junki Kanayama |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Ryo Tabei (vice-captain) |
| 15 | DF | JPN | Kota Kudo (on loan from Urawa Red Diamonds) |
| 16 | MF | JPN | Yoko Iesaka |
| 17 | MF | JPN | Rui Sueyoshi |
| 18 | DF | JPN | Daichi Tagami |
| 19 | MF | JPN | Hiroto Iwabuchi |
| 20 | DF | JPN | Seiga Sumi |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Kohei Kawakami |
| 22 | FW | JPN | Kazunari Ichimi |
| 23 | MF | JPN | Riku Saga |
| 24 | MF | JPN | Ibuki Fujita |
| 27 | MF | JPN | Takaya Kimura |
| 28 | MF | JPN | Masaya Matsumoto |
| 29 | FW | JPN | Keita Saito |
| 30 | FW | JPN | Kanshiro Suemune $^{Type2}$ |
| 31 | DF | JPN | Ryo Senda $^{Type2}$ |
| 33 | MF | JPN | Yuta Kamiya |
| 39 | MF | JPN | Ryunosuke Sato (on loan from FC Tokyo) |
| 43 | DF | JPN | Yoshitake Suzuki |
| 45 | MF | JPN | Noah Kenshin Browne |
| 49 | GK | GER | Svend Brodersen |
| 50 | DF | JPN | Hijiri Kato |
| 88 | DF | JPN | Takahiro Yanagi |
| 99 | FW | BRA | Lucão |

### 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.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | JPN | Yota Fujii (at Kamatamare Sanuki) |
| — | MF | JPN | Yudai Tanaka (at Ventforet Kofu) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | JPN | Koju Yoshio (at Kagoshima United) |

## Coaching officials

Club staff for 2025 season
| Position | Name |
| Manager | Takashi Kiyama |
| Assistant manager | Masanori Kizawa Yuki Kosaka Hiromasa Suguri |
| Goalkeeper coach | Hiroshi Yoshioka |
| Physical coach | Jun Sato |
| Assistant coach | Kenji Yamamoto |
| Chief trainer | Takahiro Chiba |
| Trainer | Tetsuya Furuta Takuya Tsuji |
| Interpreter (Portuguese) | Fernando Aizawa |
| Interpreter (English) & Enhancement coach | Kosuke Maruyama |
| Chief manager | Atsuki Shimada |
| General affairs | Nao Inamoto Fumikazu Sato |

## Managerial history

League games only
| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | Tenure | Managerial Record | Managerial Record | Managerial Record | Managerial Record | Managerial Record |
| Manager | Nationality | From | To | P | W | D | L | W% |
| Satoshi Tezuka | Japan | 1 January 2007 | 31 January 2010 | 55 | 12 | 12 | 31 | 021.82 |
| Masanaga Kageyama | Japan | 1 February 2010 | 31 December 2014 | 200 | 66 | 64 | 70 | 033.00 |
| Tetsu Nagasawa | Japan | 1 February 2015 | 31 January 2019 | 168 | 56 | 59 | 53 | 033.33 |
| Kenji Arima | Japan | 1 February 2019 | 31 January 2022 | 126 | 45 | 39 | 42 | 035.71 |
| Takashi Kiyama | Japan | 1 February 2022 | Current | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | !— |

### Key

* Source: J.League Data Site

## Colour, sponsors and manufacturers

| Season(s) | Main Shirt Sponsor | Collarbone Sponsor | Collarbone Sponsor | Additional Sponsor(s) | Additional Sponsor(s) | Additional Sponsor(s) | Additional Sponsor(s) | Additional Sponsor(s) | Kit Manufacturer |
| 2016 | GROP | Before the ban is lifted | Before the ban is lifted | un.deux | Before the ban is lift | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Before the ban is lifted | Penalty |
| 2017 | GROP | Before the ban is lifted | Before the ban is lifted | un.deux | Halows | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Before the ban is lifted | Penalty |
| 2018 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Halows | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Before the ban is lifted | Penalty |
| 2019 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Halows | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Before the ban is lifted | Penalty |
| 2020 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Halows | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | - | Penalty |
| 2021 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Asahi HD | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | - | Penalty |
| 2022 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Okanetsu | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Bisho | Penalty |
| 2023 | GROP | - | - | un.deux | Okanetsu | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Bisho | Penalty |
| 2024 | GROP | Healthy Home | SERIO | un.deux | Okanetsu | Okayama Shinkin | Stocking | Bisho | Penalty |
| 2025 | GROP | Healthy Home | SERIO | un.deux | Okanetsu | Okayama Shinkin | Sanyo Shimbun | Bisho | Penalty |

### Kit evolution

Home Kit - 1st :
| 2008 - 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 2024 | 2025 - | | | |
Away Kit - 2nd :
| 2008 - 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 2024 | 2025 - | | | |