commonly known as Ehime (愛媛FC, Ehime Efu Shī) is a professional football club based in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. The club will play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football, starting from the 2026–27 season after finishing 20th in the 2025 J2 League.
The club has won 1 J3 League title in the 2023 season which is their only highest honours in the club history.
History The club was founded in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club and renamed itself as Ehime Football Club in 1995. For many years it competed in the regional and prefectural league, as Matsuyama was represented in the Japan Soccer League by the local club belonging to the Teijin company.
Ehime was promoted to the Japan Football League in 2003. After winning the JFL in 2005 season, Ehime spent 16 seasons in the J2 League before being relegated to the J3 League at the end of the 2021 season.
On 28 November 2007, Ehime pulled off a major shock by consigning the Urawa Red Diamonds, the AFC Champions League 2007 winners, to a fourth-round exit from the Emperor's Cup courtesy of a 2–0 win on Urawa's home soil, Urawa Komaba Stadium.
On 11 November 2023, after two years absence from Japanese second division, Ehime officially returned to J2 League for 2024 season. They were promoted as J3 League champions of 2023 season with a narrow 1–0 win against their local rivals, FC Imabari on matchweek 35 with Riki Matsuda scored the only goal of the match.
Stadium The club plays its home games at Ningineer Stadium in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. The stadium, which is owned by Ehime Prefecture, has a capacity of 20,919 spectators. The sports facility is operated and managed by the Ehime Prefectural Sports Promotion Corporation as the designated manager.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Kit evolution Home kit – 1st
Away kit – 2nd
Players
First-team squad
Out on loan
Management and staff Club officials for 2025 Position Name Manager Shinya Aono (Interim) Coaches Kazuhiro Murakami Naoyuki Iwata On Byung-hoon Goalkeeper coach Keisuke Hada Physical coach Takehisa Tsugawa Analysis coach Toya Takemoto Interpreter Yohei Murayama Koji Kurosu Chief trainer Haruhiko Tsukada Physiotherapist Yukinari Miyamoto Conditioning coach Yo Maezuru Chief doctor Kazuki Morizane Doctors Takashi Inoue Yoshito Homma Shinji Iwata Tomofumi Kinoshita Koji Yamashita Competent Hideki Ikenaga Deputy Officers Manato Fujitsu Taichi Zen Mental advisor Konomi Kimura
Honours +TypeHonoursTitlesSeasonLeagueJ3 League12023Shikoku Football League31998, 1999, 2000Japan Football League12005 Bold is for those competition that are currently active.
Managerial history Manager TenureHonoursStart Finish Takashi Onishi 1 February 2001 31 January 2005 | Kazuhito Mochizuki 1 February 2005 14 September 2009 |− 2005 Japan Football League Ivica Barbarić 15 September 2009 15 November 2012 | Kiyotaka Ishimaru 1 February 2013 31 January 2015 | Takashi Kiyama 1 February 2015 31 January 2017 | Shuichi Mase 1 February 2017 15 May 2018 | Kenta Kawai 15 May 2018 31 January 2021 | Shigenari Izumi 1 February 2021 4 April 2021 | Noritada Saneyoshi 7 April 2021 16 December 2021 | Kiyotaka Ishimaru 17 December 2021 21 May 2025 |− 2023 J3 League Shinya Aono (Interim) 21 May 2025 Current
Season by season record ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated League J. League Cup Emperor'sCupSeason Div. Teams Pos. P W D L G A GD Pts Attendance/G2006J2 13 9th 48 14 11 23 51 63 −13 53 4,139 Not eligible4th round200713 10th 48 12 9 27 39 66 −27 45 3,317 Quarter-final200815 14th 42 9 10 23 39 66 −27 37 3,704 4th round200918 15th 51 12 11 28 54 80 −26 47 3,694 2nd round201019 11th 36 12 12 12 34 34 0 48 4,386 2nd round201120 15th 38 10 14 14 44 54 −10 44 3,475 4th round201222 16th 42 12 14 16 47 46 1 50 3,629 2nd round201322 17th 42 12 11 19 43 52 −9 47 3,950 2nd round201422 19th 42 12 12 18 54 58 −4 48 3,820 4th round201522 5th 42 19 8 15 47 39 8 65 3,771 3rd round201622 10th 42 12 20 10 41 40 1 56 4,089 3rd round201722 15th 42 14 9 19 54 68 −14 51 3,866 3rd round201822 18th 42 12 12 18 34 52 −18 48 3,161 2nd round201922 19th 42 12 6 24 46 62 −16 42 3,780 2nd round2020 †22 21st 42 8 10 24 38 68 −30 34 1,512 Did not qualify2021 †22 20th 42 7 14 21 38 67−29 35 1,854 1st round2022J3 18 7th 34 14 10 10 51 41 10 52 2,938 Did not qualify202320 1st 38 21 10 7 59 48 11 73 3,6742024J2 20 17th 38 10 10 18 41 69 −28 40 4,721 1st round Round of 16202520 20th 38 3 1322 35 71 -36 22 4,714 1st round 2nd round2026J3 10 TBD 18 N/A N/A2026–2720 TBD 38 TBD 2nd round
Key
References
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