Yokohama FC

is a Japanese professional fitba club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, pairt o the Greater Tokyo Area. The club wis formed by fans o Yokohama Flügels as a protest against Flügels' merger wi Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becomin the first supporter-owned professional sports team in Japan. 
They are set tae play in the J2 League fae 2024, the second tier o fitba in the country, efter relegation fae J1 League in 2023.

Since gainin J.League memburship in 2001, Yokohama FC spent considerable time in the second tier o the Japanese football league system. The club gained promotion tae J.League Division 1 fir the 2007 season efter winnin the Division 2 title. However, YFC wir immediatly relegated in the followin season. Efter 12 years in the J2 League, they returned tae Japan's tap tier, noo cawed J1 League, fir the 2020 season. History repeated itself, as they wir relegatit tae J2 efter finishin the season as J1's last-place team. The club wis promotit again tae J1 in 2022, thir third stint in the first division, enly tae be relegatit again tae the second tier in 2024.

## Crest
Yokohama FC's crest features a phoenix, symbolisin the rise o Yokohama FC fae the ashes o the Yokohama Flugels. The blue ribbin oan the tap represents the Blue Ribbon Movement, a movement that began at the end o the 1998 J.League season tae keep the Flugels alive.

## History

Yokohama FC wis formed oan 25 December 1998 followin the merger o Yokohama's two J.League clubs, the Flügels an the Marinos. Flügels supporturs felt that thir club hud essentially binn dissolved rather than merged wi, so rejectit the suggestion that they shid start supportin Marinos – who hud bin thir crosstoon rivals. Instead, wi money raised through donations fae the general public an an affiliation wi talent management company IMG, the former Flügels supporters foonded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club. Followin the *socio* model used by FC Barcelona, the Fulie Sports Club creatit Yokohama FC, the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters.

Fir its first season in 1999, Yokohama FC hired former Germany national team an World Cup star Pierre Littbarski tae be the manager an Yasuhiko Okudera, the first Japanese fitbawler tae play professionally in Europe, tae be the chairman. The club attemptit tae gain entry directly intae the professional J.League, bit the Japan Football Association enly permitit entry tae the amateur Japan Football League (JFL), at the time the third level o the Japanese football league system, an ruled that the club widnae be eligible fir promotion intae J.League Division 2 at the end o its first season. So, despite finishin as JFL champion in 1999, Yokohama FC finished as JFL champion again in 2000 befare bein promotit tae J.League Division 2.

The club spent the next 6 seasons in J.League Division 2 befare finishin as champions in 2006 an gainin promotion tae J.League Division 1. In 2007, jist the ninth year o its existince, Yokohama FC played its first season in the tap flight o Japanese fitba. Efter a poor season, the team wir consigned tae relegation wi five games o the season still remainin. Despite thir early relegation, Yokohama FC nevertheless decidit the final ootcome at the opposite end o the table; by defeatin title contenders Urawa Red Diamonds oan the last day o the season, Kashima Antlers sicured the J.League Division 1 title.

In 2018, Yokohama FC narrowly missed oot oan automatic promotion by goal difference. The team made it tae the J2 promotion final, losin tae Tokyo Verdy oan a stoppage time winner. In 2019, Yokohama finished second in J2 an gained automatic promotion tae J1.

Efter finishin in last place in 2021, Yokohama FC wid be relegatit back tae J2 fir the 2022 season.

Oan 2 December 2023, Yokohama FC wit relegatit fae J1 tae J2 in 2024 efter the club defeatit Kashima Antlers by a score o 2–1 in final match day an return tae the second tier efter a year absence.

## Fight fir promotion in 2005 an 2006
Although they hud a dire season in 2005, endin 11th oot o 12, they wir in the tap hauf o the table throughoot the 2006 season. Oan 26 November they finished in the tap spot o the J2 League, an hence wir finally promotit tae the J. League 1.

This success story wis so dramatic as tae make people somewhit excitit in Japan. Yokohama FC's financial sitiation wis so poor that they didnae iven awn ther awn fitba groond or a club hoose. Players did everyhing thumselves includin cairrying the goal posts an washin the jerseys.

Wan of thir players, Kazuyoshi Miura, last played fir the team at the age o 53, an a former player, Atsuhiro Miura (wan o thir main players befare his 2010 retirement) wis 36 when he last played fir the club. These players wance played fir the Japan national team.

They lost aw thir pre-season matches, even against college students, then also the first official match o the year. Efter this, they suddenly chynged the player-manager tae a freshman wi little experience named Takuya Takagi, who wis 38. At the beginnin o the season few expected them tae become champions.

## Record as J.League member

; Key

## Honours

* **Japan Football League**
** Champions (2): 1999, 2000
* **J.League Division 2**
** Champions (1): 2006
** Runners-up (2): 2019, 2022

## Current players
 

### Oot oan loan
 

### Yokohama FC Youth
The U-18 team o Yokohama FC currently plays in the Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League, the tap-flight league fir U-18 clubs in the country. Enly the registered players fir the competition will be displayed.
 

## Colours
As they cid not adopt directly Flügels' white and blue strip given its similarity tae that o Marinos, Yokohama FC decided tae adopt an all-cyan kit, efter NKK SC, a former company club which hid closed in 1994. NKK SC wis based in Kawasaki an played maist matches at Todoroki Athletics Stadium, bit used Mitsuzawa Stadium oan days when the other Kawasaki clubs at the time (Verdy Kawasaki, Toshiba and Fujitsu) used it.

## Kit evolution

## Management staff
Fir the 2023 season.
}
|Vacant
|-
|**Assistant goalkeeper coach**
|
|Taiki Murai
|-
|**Analyst**
|  
|Gerry Peyton  Tatsuro Takenaka
|-
|**Physical coach**
|
|Takeshi Ikoma
|-
|**Conditioning coach**
|
|Akihiro Tanaka
|-
|**Chief trainer**
|
|Masahiro Watanabe
|-
|**Trainer**
|           
|Kodai Takahashi  Hiroki Naito  Yuki Katase  Shin Fukushi  Hiromi Murata  Hudson
|-
|**Interpreter**
|      
|Ryohei Ikeda  Yuki Masuda  Takayoshi Fujii  Koji Kurosu
|-
|**Kit Manager**
|    
|Takaya Amimori  Yuto Nakahata  Yuta Nakashima
|}

## Managerial history

## Mascot
The Yokohama FC's mascoat is named Fulie-maru, an alien-bird like figure. He is, supposedly, a tribute tae Yokohama Flugels' mascot, Tobimaru, a flyin squirrel.

## References

## External links

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