# Kagoshima United FC

Kagoshima United FC (鹿児島ユナイテッドFC, Kagoshima Yunaiteddo Efushī) is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. That was formed from the merger of Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima. Both clubs played in the Kyushu Soccer League before the merger. Their top team is set to play in the J3 League from 2025, Japanese third tier of professional league football after relegation from J2 in 2024. Their secondary team plays in the Kagoshima Prefectural League as Kagoshima United FC SECOND.

## History
### Origins (1959–2013)

Volca Kagoshima was established in 1959 as Kagoshima Teachers' Soccer Club. The club was a founding member of the Kyushu Soccer League in 1973. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in this league and never be relegated to the Prefectural Leagues until the merge with FC Kagoshima in 2014. They advanced to the Regional League promotion series five times, but never succeeded to promote to the upper tier, Japan Football League, known as the highest level for amateur club football in the country. The club changed the name from Kagoshima Teachers to Volca Kagoshima in 1995.
FC Kagoshima was established in 1994 as an affiliated club of the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya. They were promoted to the Kyushu Soccer League as early as 2004 and changed the name to Osumi NIFS United FC.
Both of Volca and NIFS have been seeking the way to promote to the JFL separately. The idea of a merged club of Volca and FC Kagoshima (renamed from NIFS in 2010) had been discussed by the Kagoshima Prefectural Football Association as early as 2012, however, it was failed to reach an agreement at that time. Although Volca and FC Kagoshima had applied for J.League Associate Membership separately, both sides restarted their talk about the merger, then finally agreed with merging their clubs to aim promotion to the J.League, in response of the advisory by the J.League organization. As both clubs had advanced to the final round of the Regional League promotion series in 2013, the merged club earned the promotion to the JFL of 2014.

### Kagoshima United (2014–)

The two clubs, Volca Kagoshima and FC Kagoshima, were merged in 2014 to form Kagoshima United. In November 2015, after finishing promotion zone in 2015, they received J.League license to participate in the J3 League.
In 2018, Kagoshima United was promoted to the J2 League for the first time in history from 2019 after five years at the J3.
In 2019, Kagoshima United was instantly relegated back to the J3, after a 21st-place finish in their J3 debut season.
On 2 December 2023, Kagoshima United secure promotion to J2 League from 2024 after draw against Gainare Tottori 1–1 and back to second tier after 4 years since 2019.
On 27 October 2024, Kagoshima United officially relegated to J3 League after defeat from V-Varen Nagasaki 4-1 and ending one year in second tier.

## Rivalries

The traditional rival of Kagoshima United is Roasso Kumamoto, the prefectural neighbours and former Kyushu Soccer League fellows since 1983 until 2005, except 2001–2002. Matches between the two clubs are labelled Hisatsu derby (肥薩ダービー, "Kumamoto-Kagoshima derby") and generate a lot of interest in both prefectures.

## League & cup record

| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
| League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | League | J. League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
| Season | Div. | Teams | Tier | Pos. | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | J. League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
| As Kagoshima United ||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | JFL | 14 | 4 | 3rd | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 45 | 19 | 26 | 57 | 1,825 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2015 | JFL | 16 | 4 | 3rd | 30 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 46 | 25 | 21 | 60 | 2,624 | Not eligible | 1st round |
| 2016 | J3 | 16 | 3 | 5th | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 39 | 29 | 10 | 50 | 3,665 | Not eligible | 1st round |
| 2017 | J3 | 17 | 3 | 4th | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 49 | 37 | 12 | 55 | 3,508 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2018 | J3 | 17 | 3 | 2nd | 32 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 46 | 35 | 11 | 57 | 4,040 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2019 | J2 | 22 | 2 | 21st | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 41 | 73 | -32 | 40 | 5,783 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2020 † | J3 | 18 | 3 | 4th | 34 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 55 | 43 | 12 | 58 | 2,214 | Not eligible | Did not qualify |
| 2021 † | J3 | 15 | 3 | 7th | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 35 | -1 | 40 | 3,737 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2022 | J3 | 18 | 3 | 3rd | 34 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 55 | 39 | 16 | 66 | 4,740 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2023 | J3 | 20 | 3 | 2nd | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 58 | 41 | 17 | 62 | 5,567 | Not eligible | 1st round |
| 2024 | J2 | 20 | 2 | 19th | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 59 | -24 | 30 | 6,596 | 2nd round | 2nd round |
| 2025 | J3 | 20 | 3 | TBD | 38 | | | | | | | | | | |

### 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

## Honours

Volca Kagoshima (1959–2013) FC Kagoshima (1994–2013) Kagoshima United (2014–)
Kagoshima United FC honours :
| Honour | No. | Years |
| Kyushu Soccer League | 4 | 1974, 1986, 2012, 2013 |
| Kagoshima Prefectural Football Championship and Emperor's Cup Kagoshima Prefectural Qualifiers | 7 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 |

## League history

* Regional (Kyushu): 1973–2013
* Division 4 (JFL): 2014–2015
* Division 3 (J3): 2016–2018
* Division 2 (J2): 2019
* Division 3 (J3): 2020–2023
* Division 2 (J2): 2024
* Division 3 (J3): 2025–

## Current squad

As of 4 March 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 | Eisuke Fujishima |
| 3 | DF | JPN | Hayate Sugii |
| 4 | DF | JPN | Kenta Hirose |
| 5 | MF | BRA | Gaudêncio |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Eisuke Watanabe |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Kazuki Chibu |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Keita Fujimura |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Rodrigo Angelotti |
| 10 | FW | JPN | Seiya Take |
| 11 | FW | JPN | Mikuto Fukuda |
| 13 | FW | JPN | Yoshihito Kondo |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Koju Yoshio |
| 15 | MF | JPN | Kazuaki Ihori |
| 16 | GK | JPN | Kodai Yamauchi |
| 18 | FW | JPN | Keito Kawamura |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | DF | JPN | Shuto Inaba |
| 20 | MF | JPN | Masayoshi Endo |
| 21 | DF | JPN | Jo Soma |
| 23 | DF | JPN | Rinshiro Kojima |
| 26 | DF | JPN | Kosuke Kawashima |
| 27 | MF | JPN | Takumi Yamaguchi (vice-captain) |
| 28 | DF | BRA | Renan |
| 29 | DF | JPN | Makoto Okazaki |
| 31 | GK | JPN | Takumi Kumakura |
| 33 | MF | JPN | Rin Yamazaki |
| 36 | FW | JPN | Rei Yonezawa (vice-captain) |
| 44 | DF | JPN | Yoshitaka Aoki |
| 73 | MF | JPN | Toshiya Tanaka |
| 92 | FW | JPN | Charles Nduka |

### 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 | Takahiro Horie (at Atletico Suzuka) |

## Coaching staff

KUFC Coaching staff for 2025.
| Position | Name |
| Manager | Naoki Soma |
| Coaches | Naotsugu Obata Daisuke Asahi Naoaki Morinaga |
| Goalkeeper coach | Masataka Sasaki |
| Physical coach | Yuki Shimizu |
| Chief trainer | Tomoaki Mikiya |
| Trainer | Ryuki Takee Sota Watanabe |
| Interpreter & Chief manager | Tsuyoshi Tame |
| General manager | Sena Abematsu Suguru Shibahara |

## Managerial history

| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | Tenure |
| Manager | Nationality | Start | Finish |
| Takeshi Okubo | Japan | 1 February 2014 | 31 January 2015 |
| Tetsuya Asano | Japan | 1 January 2015 | 31 December 2016 |
| Yasutoshi Miura | Japan | 1 January 2017 | 31 January 2019 |
| Kim Jong-song | North Korea | 1 February 2019 | 31 January 2021 |
| Arthur Papas | Australia | 1 February 2021 | 28 May 2021 |
| Yasuaki Ōshima | Japan | 28 May 2021 | 3 July 2021 |
| Nobuhiro Ueno | Japan | 4 July 2021 | 31 January 2022 |
| Naoto Otake | Japan | 1 February 2022 | 22 August 2023 |
| Yasuaki Oshima | Japan | 23 August 2023 | 26 May 2024 |
| Tetsuya Asano | Japan | 28 May 2024 | present |

## Crest and colours

The club crest has the illustrations of Sakurajima and Kagoshima Bay, both symbolize Kagoshima Prefecture, on its background design, with red colour, which represents Volca, and light blue colour, represents FC Kagoshima.

## Kit evolution

Kagoshima United's club colours are white and navy.
Home kit – 1st :
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 2024 - | | | | |
Away kit – 2nd :
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 2024– | | | | |