FC Ryukyu
FC琉球
Logo
Full nameFC Ryukyu
Founded2003 (2003)
GroundTapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium
Okinawa, Okinawa
Capacity25,000
ChairmanKeishiro Kurabayashi
ManagerKim Jong-song
LeagueJ3 League
2023J3 League, 17th of 20
WebsiteClub website

FC Ryukyu (FC琉球, Efu Shī Ryūkyū) is a Japanese professional football club based in Okinawa. The club plays in the J3 League, which is the third tier of football in the country. The team's home stadium is Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

The team derive their name from Ryukyu, the historic name for Okinawa Prefecture. The club once had futsal and handball teams.

History

The club was founded in 2003. Most of the players who initially joined the club were those who had left Okinawa Kariyushi FC after a rift with their management, which were beholden to the Kariyushi hotel chain. Their first 2003 season saw them win the championship in Okinawa Prefectural Division 3 North. They were allowed to skip to Division 1 the next season, where they again succeeded in finishing top of the table.

In the 2005 season, they belonged to the Kyūshū Regional League (Kyu League). After finishing 2nd and winning the Regional League play-off, they were promoted to the JFL and became the first ever Okinawan football side who played in a national league.

In December 2007, the club appointed former Japan national coach Philippe Troussier as their general manager. Jean-Paul Rabier was appointed as their manager in January 2008.

They applied for J. League Associate Membership in January 2008, but their application was declined at the J. League board meeting held on February 19, 2008.

In December 2008, the resignation of Rabier was announced. Former coach Hiroyuki Shinzato was promoted to be the new manager in January 2009.

In 2014, FC Ryukyu could finally join the J3 League.

In January 2015, FC Ryukyu announced a partnership with Seoul United from the Korean Challengers League. According to the agreement the teams will play a friendly match every year. The first match was scheduled for 1 March 2015.

FC Ryukyu have made steady progress in recent years, finishing in 8th place in J3 in 2016, and improving on that the following year, finishing 6th.

In the 2018 season they secured promotion to J2 with 3 games left after a 1–1 draw at Nagano Parceiro, and in the following game beat Thespakusatsu Gunma to claim the J3 title with two games to spare.

They started their first season in J2 in 2019, in style with 4 straight wins to top the league, but faded as the season progressed eventually finishing in 14th place.

In 2022, after spending four years in the J2 League, the club was relegated back to the J3 League after scoring their lowest points total in the second-tier. The club finished in 21st place with 37 points, only 3 points off the last placed team.

On 26 October 2023, the club announced that they will use FC Ryukyu Okinawa for branding purpose starting 2024 season, although the club's current name will remain used in any competition.[1] The change initially also included the update of club's emblem. However, the plan eventually revised and Ryukyu decided to keep the current emblem for 2024 season, albeit with modified colorway.[2]

Home stadium

The home stadium is the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium (Okinawa Prefectural Sports Park Athletic Stadium), based in Okinawa City.

Until 2014, the Okinawa City Athletic Stadium in Okinawa City was used as the main home stadium, and multiple stadiums were used.

League & cup record

Champions Runners-up Promoted Relegated
SeasonDiv.TierTeamsPos.PWDLFAGDPtsAttendance/GEmperor's
Cup
2005 Kyushu Soccer
League		4102nd 1813.513.55112-3942–3rd round
2006 JFL31814th34611172957-28293,1892nd round
2007 1817th3476213882-44272,443Did not qualify
2008 1816th3476213158-27272,882
2009 1816th34115184257-15381,348
2010 1810th341461451510481,7772nd round
2011 189th33144154751-4461,8602nd round
2012 179th32127135862-4432,1641st round
2013 1811th341210124751-4462,0692nd round
2014 J33129th33810153150-19341,3982nd round
2015 139th36129154551-6451,4982nd round
2016 168th301281046460441,5612nd round
2017 176th321311844368502,5081st round
2018 171st322066704030663,1461st round
2019 J222214th421310195780-23494,9532nd round
2020 † 2216th42148205861-3501,170Did not qualify
2021 † 229th42181113574710651,6182nd round
2022 2221st42813214165-24371,9962nd round
2023 J332017th38127194361-18432,5342nd round
2024 20TBA38
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

Current squad

As of 6 September 2023.[3][4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Costa Rica CRC Danny Carvajal
2 MF Japan JPN Takayuki Fukumura
3 DF Japan JPN Yuri Mori
4 DF Japan JPN Yusuke Muta
5 MF Japan JPN Kazuto Takezawa
6 MF Japan JPN Kosei Okazawa (on loan from Cerezo Osaka)
7 FW Japan JPN Haruto Shirai
8 MF Japan JPN Koki Kiyotake
9 FW Japan JPN Ryunosuke Noda
10 MF Japan JPN Yu Tomidokoro
11 MF Japan JPN Katsuya Nakano
13 MF Japan JPN Sho Iwamoto
14 FW Japan JPN Takuya Hitomi
15 DF Japan JPN Ryota Araki
16 FW Japan JPN Takuma Abe
17 GK Japan JPN Keisuke Tsumita
18 MF Japan JPN Sho Hiramatsu (on loan from Shonan Bellmare)
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF Japan JPN Takayuki Takayasu
21 GK South Korea KOR Jeon Ji-wan (on loan from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
22 DF Japan JPN Makito Uehara
23 DF Japan JPN Shusei Yamauchi
26 GK Japan JPN Junto Taguchi
28 MF Japan JPN Jitsuki Tsuha
29 DF South Korea KOR Cho Eun-su
33 FW Japan JPN Shiryu Fujiwara (on loan from Tokushima Vortis)
34 FW Brazil BRA Kelvin
35 FW Ghana GHA Sadam Sulley
37 DF Japan JPN Shogo Terasaka (on loan from Vissel Kobe)
41 DF Japan JPN Keiji Kagiyama
44 FW Japan JPN Mu Kanazaki
45 MF Japan JPN Yushin Koki Type 2
46 MF Japan JPN Yura Nakamura Type 2
47 FW Japan JPN Koya Ishimine Type 2
99 DF Japan JPN Takahiro Yanagi

Club officials

For the 2023 season.[5]

PositionName
Head coach North Korea Kim Jong-song
Assistant coach Japan Norichika Kanemura
Japan Hiroyuki Shirai
First-team coach Brazil Duda Dos Santos
Goalkeeping coach Japan Hiroaki Hidaka
Physical coach Japan Tatsuaki Shimoji
Analytical coach Japan Yamato Saino
Chief trainer Japan Keita Miyazawa
Trainer Japan Ryuki Take
Japan Hayato Yamakawa
Manager Japan Takumi Kato
Japan Keita Higa
Sports director Japan Minoru Takehara
Assistant sport director Japan Tetsuhiro Kina
Medical director Japan Kenji Murakami
Chief doctor Japan Kotaro Ishizuka
Medical supervisor Japan Tomoyuki Oshiro
Doctor Japan Fuminari Uehara
Japan Hiroki Yabiku
Japan Naori Akamine

Managerial history

ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
George Yonashiro Japan1 February 200431 January 2007
Hideo Yoshizawa Japan1 February 200731 January 2008
Jean-Paul Rabier France1 January 200831 December 2008
Hiroyuki Shinzato Japan1 February 200931 January 2012
Takeo Matsuda Japan1 February 201231 January 2013
Norihiro Satsukawa Japan1 February 201331 January 2016
Kim Jong-song North Korea1 February 201631 January 2019
Yasuhiro Higuchi Japan1 February 2019 [6]20 October 2021
Tetsuhiro Kina Japan20 October 2021 [7]8 June 2022 [8]
Kazuki Kuranuki (caretaker) Japan9 June 202213 June 2022
Nacho Fernández Spain14 June 202231 January 2023
Kazuki Kuranuki Japan1 February 2023 [9]16 May 2023 [10]
Tetsuhiro Kina Japan16 May 202315 September 2023 [11]
Kim Jong-song North Korea16 September 2023Current [12]

Team colour and crest

Their team colour is bengara, a shade of red pigment. It is called red ochre in English and can be generally described as claret. Bengara derives from a Dutch word bengala which in turn derives from Bengal, a region in India and Bangladesh. This name was given because the pigment was traditionally imported from Bengal to Japan. Okinawa has a close association with the bengara colour which is prominently applied to Shuri Castle, one of the most symbolic historical buildings in the area.

In 2008 they adopted a sky-blue trim for their home uniform, as their bengara pigment pattern was considered too and similar to Aston Villa from England (the claret and sky-blue pattern was around long before Troussier and the French staff arrived, so a coincidence in colours is feasible).

Their crest features a pair of Shisas, imaginary talismanic creatures in the area, and the crown of the kings of the former Ryukyu Kingdom.

Kit evolution

Home kits - 1st
2003
2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009 - 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 -
Away kits - 2nd
2006 - 2007
2008
2009 - 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021 -
2022
2023 -
3rd kits - Other
2011 3rd
2020
charity
2021 3rd
2022 3rd
2022
Shuri Castle Reconstruction
Support Charity Match
Okinawa Legend

References

  1. ↑ "新チーム名称・エンブレム決定のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "2024シーズン使用プロパティの一部見直し 及びリブランディングプロジェクト再始動について". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "2023シーズン ＦＣ琉球 トップチーム体制". FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "PROFILE | 選手・スタッフ". FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Ryukyu Club Profiles". fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Yasuhiro Higuchi sacked". fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Tetsuhiro Kina appointed as manager". fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "喜名哲裕監督 解任のお知らせ" [Notice of dismissal of Tetsuhiro Kina]. fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "倉貫一毅ヘッドコーチ　監督就任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "倉貫一毅監督　解任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 16 May 2023. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "News Interim manager appointed". FC琉球公式サイト | FC Ryukyu Official Website. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  12. ↑ "金鍾成（キン・ジョンソン） 氏　監督就任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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