is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club was formed by fans of Yokohama Flügels as a protest against Flügels' merger with Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becoming the first supporter-owned professional sports team in Japan. They are set to play in the J2 League from 2026–27, the second tier of Japanese football, after relegation from the J1 League in 2025.

Since gaining J.League membership in 2001, Yokohama spent considerable time in the second tier of the Japanese football league system. The club gained promotion to J.League Division 1 for the 2007 season after winning the Division 2 title. However, YFC were immediately relegated in the following season. After 12 years in the J2 League, they returned to Japan's top tier, now called the J1 League, for the 2020 season. The team finished 15th in its first season back in the top flight, but in 2021 they were relegated to J2 after finishing the season in last place. The team was promoted again to J1 in 2025 after a one year stint in the second tier in 2024, then relegated once again the following season.

History

Yokohama was formed on 25 December 1998 following the merger of Yokohama's two J.League clubs, the Flügels and the Marinos. Flügels supporters felt that their club had essentially been dissolved rather than merged with, so rejected the suggestion that they should start supporting Marinos – who had been their crosstown rivals. Instead, with money raised through donations from the general public and an affiliation with talent management company IMG, the former Flügels supporters founded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club. Following the socio model used by FC Barcelona, the Fulie Sports Club created Yokohama Football Club, the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters.

For its first season in 1999, Yokohama hired former Germany national team and FIFA World Cup star Pierre Littbarski to be the manager and Yasuhiko Okudera, the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, to be the chairman. The club attempted to gain entry directly into the professional J.League, but the Japan Football Association only permitted entry to the amateur Japan Football League (JFL), at the time the third level of the Japanese football league system, and ruled that the club would not be eligible for promotion into J.League Division 2 at the end of its first season. So, despite finishing as JFL champion in 1999, Yokohama finished as JFL champion again in 2000 before being promoted to J.League Division 2.

Although they had a dire season in 2005, ending 11th out of 12, they were in the top half of table throughout the 2006 season. Yokohama had lost all of their pre-season matches, including against college teams; they later hired player-manager Takuya Takagi, under whom they saw success. On 26 November 2006, they finished in the top spot of the J2 League and were promoted to the J. League 1. Yokohama's financial situation remained poor, with no ownership of their stadium or training ground, and few staff members. One of their players, Kazuyoshi Miura, last played for the team at the age of 53, and a former player, Atsuhiro Miura (one of their main players before his 2010 retirement) was 36 when he last played for the club. These players once played for the Japan national team.

In 2007, just the ninth year of its existence, Yokohama played its first season in the top flight of Japanese football. After a poor season, the team were relegated with five games of the season still remaining. Despite their early relegation, Yokohama defeated title contenders Urawa Red Diamonds on the last day of the season, allowing Kashima Antlers to secure the J.League Division 1 title.

In 2018, Yokohama narrowly missed out on automatic promotion by goal difference. The team made it to the J2 promotion final, losing to Tokyo Verdy on a stoppage time winner. In 2019, Yokohama finished second in J2 and gained automatic promotion to J1.

After finishing in last place in 2021, Yokohama would be relegated back to J2 for the 2022 season, but they bounced back immediately to J1 League the next year. On 25 November 2023, Yokohama FC were relegated from J1 to J2 from 2024 after the club lost to Shonan Bellmare. On 11 November 2024, Yokohama FC secure promotion again to J1 from 2025 after draw against Renofa Yamaguchi FC 0–0 in final matchweek and ended one year stint in second tier.

Crest Yokohama's crest features a phoenix, symbolizing the rise of Yokohama from the ashes of the Yokohama Flügels. The blue ribbon on the top represents the Blue Ribbon Movement, a movement that began at the end of the 1998 J.League season to keep the Flugels alive.

Kit and colours

As they could not adopt directly Flügels' white and blue strip given its similarity to that of Marinos, Yokohama decided to adopt an all-cyan kit, after NKK SC, a former company club which had closed in 1994. NKK SC was based in Kawasaki and played most matches at Todoroki Athletics Stadium, but used Mitsuzawa Stadium on days when the other Kawasaki clubs at the time (Verdy Kawasaki, Toshiba and Fujitsu) used the Todoroki stadium.

Current squad

Out on loan

Club officials For the 2024 season.

Role NameManager Fumitake MiuraAssistant manager Takafumi HoriFirst-team coach Seiya Takeuchi Shunsuke Nakamura Shingi OnoGoalkeeper coach Yoichi DoiAssistant goalkeeper coach Taiki MuraiPhysical coach Takeshi IkomaConditioning coach Akihiro TanakaAnalyst Shohei Waki

Managerial history Manager Nationality TenureStart FinishPierre Littbarski 1 February 1999 31 December 2000Yoshikazu Nagai 1 January 2001 10 September 2001Yūji Sakakura 11 September 2001 15 September 2001Pierre Littbarski 1 February 2003 31 January 2005Yūsuke Adachi 1 January 2005 6 March 2006Takuya Takagi 7 March 2006 27 August 2007Júlio César Leal 28 August 2007 31 December 2007Satoshi Tsunami 1 February 2008 31 January 2009Yasuhiro Higuchi 1 February 2009 31 January 2010Yasuyuki Kishino 1 February 2010 18 March 2012Takahiro Taguchi 18 March 2012 21 March 2012Motohiro Yamaguchi 21 March 2012 31 January 2015Miloš Rus 1 January 2015 14 September 2015Hitoshi Nakata 14 September 2015 1 December 2015Miloš Rus 1 December 2015 15 June 2016Hitoshi Nakata 16 June 2016 15 October 2017Tomonobu Hayakawa 15 October 2017 17 October 2017Yasuhiko Okudera 19 October 2017 23 October 2017Edson Tavares 24 October 2017 13 May 2019Takahiro Shimotaira 14 May 2019 8 April 2021Tomonobu Hayakawa 8 April 2021 31 January 2022Shūhei Yomoda 1 February 2022 23 July 2025Fumitake Miura 23 July 2025 present

Record as J.League member ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated League J.LeagueCup Emperor'sCupSeason Div. Teams Pos. P W (OTW) D L (OTL) F A GD PtsAttendance/G 2001J2 12 9th 44 12 (3) 1 25 (3) 58 81 -23 43 3,007 2nd round Round of 16200212th 44 8 11 25 43 81 -38 35 3,477 – 3rd round200311th 44 10 12 22 49 88 -39 42 3,743 20048th 44 10 22 12 42 50 -852 4,219 Round of 16200511th 44 10 15 19 48 64 -16 45 5,938 4th round200613 1st 48 26 15 7 61 32 -29 93 5,119 3rd round2007J1 18 18th 34 4 4 26 19 66 -47 16 14,039 Group stage Round of 162008J2 15 10th 42 11 17 14 51 56 -5 50 6,793 – 200918 16th 51 11 11 29 43 70 -27 44 3,535 3rd round201019 6th 36 16 6 14 54 47 7 54 5,791 201120 18th 38 11 8 19 40 54 -14 41 5,770 2nd round201222 4th 42 22 7 13 62 45 17 73 6,039 3rd round201311th 42 15 13 14 49 46 3 58 6,064 2nd round201442 14 13 15 49 47 2 55 5,146 201515th 42 13 13 16 33 58 -25 52 5,113 20168th 42 16 11 15 50 51 -1 59 4,892 Round of 16201710th 42 17 12 13 60 49 11 63 5,967 2nd round20183rd 42 21 13 8 63 44 19 76 6,141 3rd round20192nd 42 23 10 9 66 40 26 79 7,061 2020 †J1 18 15th 34 9 6 19 38 60 -22 33 3,559 Group stage Did not qualify2021 †20 20th 38 6 9 23 32 77 -45 27 4,511 Group stage 2nd round2022J2 22 2nd 42 23 11 8 66 49 17 80 5,088 – 3rd round2023J1 18 18th 34 7 8 19 31 58 -27 29 9,128 Group stage 3rd round2024J2 20 2nd38 22 10 6 60 27 33 76 6,963 3rd round 3rd round2025J1 18th 38 9 8 21 27 45 -18 35 10,199 Semi-final 3rd round2026J2 10 TBA 18 –2026–2720 TBA 38 Key

Honours +Yokohama FC honours Honour No. YearsJapan Football League21999, 2000J2 League12006

Kit evolution Home kits - 1st

Away kits - 2nd

Special / 3rd Kit

Mascot The Yokohama mascot is named Fulie-maru, an alien-bird like figure. He is, supposedly, a tribute to Yokohama Flugels' mascot, Tobimaru, a flying squirrel.

References

External links