# Tokushima Vortis

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.

## 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.

## History

Founded in 1955 as Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Soccer Club, VORTIS joined the J-League in 2005. They are still sponsored by Otsuka's best-known brand, Pocari Sweat sports drink.
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 Tokushima Vortis name for good after winning the new JFL championship in 2004 and being promoted.
The first season in J2 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.
In 2013, they 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 F.C. 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.
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.
In the 2019 season, they 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, they did one better and were promoted as J2 champions.

### Team name transition

* Otsuka Pharmaceutical (1955–1996, 1998–2004)
* Vortis Tokushima (1997)
* Tokushima Vortis FC (2005–present)

## Stadium

Their home stadium is Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium, in Naruto, Tokushima.

## League & 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 | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Attendance/G | J.League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
| Otsuka Pharmaceuticals |||||||||||||||
| 2003 | JFL | 16 | 1st | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 65 | 21 | 44 | 72 | 781 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2004 | JFL | 16 | 1st | 30 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 74 | 20 | 54 | 78 | 3,046 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| Tokushima Vortis |||||||||||||||
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 9th | 44 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 60 | 76 | -16 | 52 | 4,366 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 13th | 48 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 43 | 92 | -49 | 35 | 3,477 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2007 | J2 | 13 | 13th | 48 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 31 | 67 | -36 | 33 | 3,289 | Not eligible | 4th round |
| 2008 | J2 | 15 | 15th | 42 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 40 | 72 | -32 | 29 | 3,862 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2009 | J2 | 18 | 9th | 51 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 67 | 52 | 15 | 72 | 4,073 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2010 | J2 | 19 | 8th | 36 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 51 | 47 | 4 | 51 | 4,614 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2011 | J2 | 20 | 4th | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 65 | 5,207 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2012 | J2 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 45 | 49 | -4 | 51 | 3,991 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2013 | J2 | 22 | 4th | 42 | 20 | 7 | 15 | 56 | 51 | 5 | 67 | 4,348 | Not eligible | 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 | J2 | 22 | 9th | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 46 | 42 | 4 | 57 | 4,565 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2017 | J2 | 22 | 7th | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 71 | 45 | 26 | 67 | 4,979 | Not eligible | 2nd round |
| 2018 | J2 | 22 | 11th | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 48 | 42 | 6 | 56 | 4,997 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2019 | J2 | 22 | 4th | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 67 | 45 | 22 | 73 | 5,736 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2020 † | J2 | 22 | 1st | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 67 | 33 | 34 | 84 | 3,100 | Not eligible | 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 | J2 | 22 | 15th | 42 | 10 | 19 | 13 | 43 | 53 | -10 | 49 | 5,976 | Not eligible | 3rd round |
| 2024 | J2 | 20 | 8th | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 42 | 44 | -2 | 55 | 6,054 | 1st round | 3rd round |
| 2025 | J2 | 20 | TBA | 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

## Honours

Tokushima Vortis honours :
| Honour | No. | Years | Notes |
| Shikoku Football League | 4 | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1989 | as Otsuka Pharmaceutical |
| Japan Football League | 2 | 2003, 2004 | as Otsuka Pharmaceutical |
| J2 League | 1 | 2020 | |

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 6 January 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 | Hayate Tanaka |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Taiki Tamukai |
| 3 | DF | JPN | Nao Yamada |
| 4 | DF | BRA | Kaique Mafaldo (on loan from V-Varen Nagasaki) |
| 5 | DF | JPN | Hayato Aoki |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Kohei Uchida |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Shunto Kodama |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Ken Iwao |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Thonny Anderson |
| 10 | MF | JPN | Taro Sugimoto |
| 11 | MF | JPN | Koki Sugimori |
| 13 | FW | JPN | Taiyo Nishino |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Rio Hyon |
| 15 | DF | JPN | Kohei Yamakoshi |
| 16 | FW | JPN | Daiki Watari |
| 18 | DF | BRA | Elsinho |
| 19 | FW | BRA | João Victor |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Kengo Nagai |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 22 | DF | JPN | Ko Yanagisawa |
| 23 | MF | JPN | Yu Takada |
| 24 | MF | JPN | Soya Takada |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Yudai Yamashita |
| 26 | MF | JPN | Yusei Onoe |
| 27 | FW | NGA | Lawrence David |
| 28 | MF | JPN | Naoki Kanuma |
| 29 | GK | JPN | Daiki Mitsui |
| 30 | FW | JPN | Kiyoshiro Tsuboi |
| 31 | GK | JPN | Toru Hasegawa |
| 40 | MF | JPN | Ryota Nagaki |
| 42 | DF | JPN | Yuya Takagi |
| 44 | DF | JPN | Tatsuya Yamaguchi (on loan from Renofa Yamaguchi) |
| 55 | MF | JPN | Takuya Shigehiro |
| 84 | MF | JPN | Muku Fukuta $^{Type2}$ |
| 85 | DF | JPN | Riku Miyamura $^{Type2}$ |
| 86 | FW | JPN | Neo Nagamura $^{Type2}$ |
| 99 | FW | BRA | Lucas Barcellos |

### 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 |
| — | GK | JPN | Naoki Goto (at Vanraure Hachinohe) |
| — | DF | JPN | Towa Nishisaka (at ReinMeer Aomori) |
| — | MF | JPN | Hiroshi Omori (at Tochigi SC) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | BRA | Thales Paula (at Vanraure Hachinohe) |
| — | FW | JPN | Wadi Ibrahim Suzuki (at Azul Claro Numazu) |
| — | FW | JPN | Akito Tanahashi (at Tochigi SC) |

## Club staff

| Position | Staff |
| Manager | Kosaku Masuda |
| 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 |
| General manager | Yusuke Abe |
| Assistant general manager | Yuya Ishii Daiki Sugawara |

## Managerial history

| Manager | Nationality | Tenure | Tenure |
| Manager | Nationality | Start | Finish |
| Kunio Yamade | Japan | 1988 | 31 January 1993 |
| Hajime Ishii | Japan | 1 February 1993 | 31 January 1996 |
| Edinho | Brazil | 1 February 1996 | 31 December 1998 |
| Shinji Tanaka | Japan | 1 January 1999 | 28 September 2006 |
| Yutaka Azuma | Japan | 28 September 2006 | 31 January 2007 |
| Masataka Imai | Japan | 1 January 2007 | 31 January 2008 |
| Naohiko Minobe | Japan | 1 February 2008 | 31 January 2012 |
| Shinji Kobayashi | Japan | 1 February 2012 | 31 January 2016 |
| Hiroaki Nagashima | Japan | 25 November 2015 | 31 January 2017 |
| Ricardo Rodríguez | Spain | 1 February 2017 | 31 January 2021 |
| Takeshi Komoto (Interim) | Japan | 1 February 2021 | 16 April 2021 |
| Dani Poyatos | Spain | 1 February 2021 Actual start date 16 April 2021 | 31 January 2023 |
| Beñat Labaien | Spain | 1 February 2023 | 22 August 2023 |
| Tatsuma Yoshida | Japan | 23 August 2023 | 31 March 2024 |
| Kosaku Masuda | Japan | 1 April 2024 (Interim) 7 May 2024 (Official) | Current |

## 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 - | | | |
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 |