Japanese Regional Leagues
are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis. They form the fifth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football League. Overview Japan is divided regionally in a variety of ways, some of them administrative and some more historical. For the football purposes, the country is divided into nine regions. All regional league champions earn the right to participate in the Regional Football League Competition (since 2016 renamed Japan Regional Football Champions League) at the end of the year. Runners-up may also qualify according to criteria set by the Japan Football Association. Regional league clubs also compete in the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a cup competition. The winner of this cup also earns a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and the runner-up may also qualify depending on space and JFA criteria. Regional league clubs must win the qualifying ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in some countries/territories in Asia and Oceania. It has 47 member countries most of which are located in Asia. Australia, formerly in Oceania Football Confederation, OFC, joined AFC in 2006. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, both Territories of the United States, territories of the United States, are also AFC members that are geographically in Oceania. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC) was the section of AFC who managed women's association football in Asia. The group was independently founded in April 1968 in a meeting involving Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. In 1986 ALFC merged with AFC. Executive Committee Sponsors Member associations It has 47 member associations split into 5 regions. Some nations proposed a South West Asian Federation that would not interfere with AFC zones. Afghanistan Football Federation, Afghanistan, Myanma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cerezo Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of Osaka. The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. They form a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka. History The club, originally called Yanmar Diesel, started in 1957 as the company team of Yanmar and was an original founder ("Original Eight") of the now-disbanded Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965. With four Japanese league titles to its credit, it was a mainstay of the JSL Division 1 until 1990 when it was first relegated, and joined the former Japan Football League (JFL) in 1992. In 1993, the club incorporated as Osaka Football Club Co., Ltd. and adopted the name Cerezo after a public contest. In 1994, they won the JFL championship and was promoted to the J1 League in 1995. This also coincided with a run to the finals o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hokkaido Soccer League
is the Japanese fifth tier of league football, which is part of the Japanese Regional Leagues. It covers the prefecture/region of Hokkaidō. Hokkaido is the only regional league whose clubs have never been promoted. The top representative of Hokkaido in the Japanese league system, Consadole Sapporo, entered the J.League from the Kanto region Kantō (Japanese) Kanto is a simplified spelling of , a Japanese word, only omitting the diacritics. In Japan Kantō may refer to: *Kantō Plain *Kantō region *Kantō-kai, organized crime group *Kanto (Pokémon), a geographical region in the ' ... in 1995. Overview The Hokkaido Soccer League is the fifth tier in the Japanese soccer structure and the block leagues below corresponds to the sixth tier. There are four block leagues under the Hokkaido Soccer League, and district-based leagues are established under them. Currently, as of 2022, there are fifteen district leagues under the four main block leagues. Eight teams from all over ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team's home stadium is Noevir Stadium Kobe, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku. History Beginnings in Chugoku The club was founded in 1966 as the semi-professional ''Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club'' in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. It was first promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1986, and stayed there until the JSL folded in 1992. Move to Kansai and professionalism In 1995, the city of Kobe reached an agreement with Kawasaki Steel, the parent company, to move the club to Kobe and compete for a spot in the professional J.League as ''Vissel Kobe''. ''Vissel'' is a combination of the words "victory" and "vessel", in recognition of Kobe's history as a port city. (Owing to its importance to the city of Kobe, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, parent compan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club, currently competing in the J1 League. The team is located in Hakata, Fukuoka. "Avispa" means "wasp" in Spanish. They were originally called Fujieda Blux and based in Fujieda, Shizuoka before moving to Fukuoka in 1994. After becoming the champions of 1995 Japan Football League as Fukuoka Blux, and being admitted to the J.League since 1996 season, Avispa Fukuoka has the longest history as a J.League club being uncrowned in any nationwide competitions such as J.League Division 1, Division 2, J.League Cup, or Emperor's Cup. History In Fujieda The club was founded as Chūō Bōhan SC in 1982 by the workers of security company Chuo Bohan in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1991. They participated in the newly founded former Japan Football League Division 2 in 1992 and were promoted to Division 1 in 1993. They changed their name to Fujieda Blux with intention to be a J.League member. Howev ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kashima Antlers
are a football club in Kashima, Ibaraki, currently playing in the J1 League, top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The name ''Antlers'' is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island". The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese e-commerce company. Since the J.League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have proven themselves to be by far Japan's most successful football club in terms of trophies won, having won the J.League title a record eight times, the J.League Cup a record six times and the Emperor's Cup five times for an unprecedented nineteen major domestic titles. Kashima became Asian champions for the first and most recent time as they won the AFC Champions League in 2018. Kashima are also one of only two clubs to have competed in Japan's professional top-flight football every year since its inception (the other being Yokohama F. Marinos). History The name 'Antlers' i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kagoshima United FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan that was formed from the merger of ''Volca Kagoshima'' and ''FC Kagoshima''. Both clubs played in the Kyushu Soccer League before the merger. Their top team currently plays in the J3 League, Japan's 3rd tier of professional league football. Their secondary team plays in the Kagoshima Prefectural League as Kagoshima United FC SECOND. History Origins (1959–2013) Volca Kagoshima was established in 1959 as Kagoshima Teachers' Soccer Club. The club was a founding member of the Kyushu Soccer League in 1973. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in this league and never be relegated to the Prefectural Leagues until the merge with FC Kagoshima in 2014. They advanced to the Regional League promotion series five times, but never succeeded to promote to the upper tier, Japan Football League, known as the highest level for amateur club football in the country. The club changed th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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YKK AP SC
is a Japanese football club based in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. They play in Toyama Prefectural League. Their team colour is blue. History The club was founded as the football club of YKK (then Yoshida Kōgyō) in 1962. They won the inaugural 1972 season title of the Hokushin'etsu Regional League, and went on to win another 10 championships in the league before they were promoted to the JFL for the 2001 season. They changed their name to the current one in 2004 when YKK passed the ownership to one of their affiliate company, YKK AP (AP stands for ''Architectural Products''). As they were in regional league, ALO's Hokuriku had been the biggest rival all the time as they have to compete for right to participate in Emperor's Cup as the representative of Toyama. Merger as a professional team On September 10, 2007, YKK and Hokuriku Electric Power Company, the owner of ALO's Hokuriku, agreed with merging their teams to aim promotion to the J. League, the professional football leagu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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ALO's Hokuriku
was a Japanese football club based in Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture. They played in the Japan Football League, and their team colour was blue. Their nickname ''ALO's'' derives from ''Antelopes.'' '' Hokuriku'' refers to the region that includes Toyama and its neighbouring prefectures. History As an amateur team The club was founded as Hokuriku Electric Power Company's football club in 1990. They changed their name to ALO's Hokuriku to show their intention to be more community-oriented in 1996, although the company still control the club (thus rendering it ineligible for promotion to the J. League, regardless of results). They have been playing in the JFL since 2000. Since they were in regional league, YKK AP F.C. had been the biggest rival all the time as they have to compete for the right to participate in Emperor's Cup as the representative of Toyama. Merger as a professional team On September 10, 2007, Hokuriku Electric Power Company and YKK agreed with merg ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kataller Toyama
is a football club in Japan that was formed from the merger of the ALO's Hokuriku and YKK AP SC. The club currently plays in J3 League. History The idea of a merged club had been discussed by the Toyama Prefectural Football Association as early as 2005, but discussions had come to nothing. On September 10, 2007, YKK (owner of YKK AP SC) and Hokuriku Electric Power Company (owner of ALO's Hokuriku), agreed with merging their clubs to aim promotion to the J.League in response of eager request by the TPFA. According to Tulip TV, local broadcasting company, over 20 companies informally promised to invest in the new club. In the media briefing, the governor of Toyama Prefecture also participated. TPFA has founded an organization named "Civic Football Club Team of Toyama Prefecture (富山県民サッカークラブチーム)" with two major economic organization and representatives of Hokuriku Electric Power Company and YKK. The Japan Football League confirmed that the merged c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yokohama FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the first tier of football in the country. 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. Since gaining J.League membership in 2001, Yokohama FC long lasted at the second tier of the Japanese football league system. The club gained promotion to J.League Division 1 for the 2007 season, promoted after winning the Division 2 title. However, YFC were immediately relegated in the following season. After twelve years in the J2 League, they returned to Japan's top tier, now called J1 League, for the 2020 season. And as history repeated itself, the club got relegated back to J2 for another time, after finishing the season as J1's last-placed team. The club was promoted again to J1 in 2 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tosu Futures
was a Japanese football club that played in the former Japan Football League between 1994 and 1996. History PJM Futures was founded in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka in 1987 as the team of PJM Japan, a company based on Paul J. Meyer's U.S. academy Success (the company name came from Meyer's initials). The club was later moved to Tosu, Saga in 1994, in which it changed its name to Tosu Futures. This happened one year after joining the former Japan Football League's Division 2 (which was merged into a single JFL division in 1994). Saga Stadium was used as a temporary home ground until Tosu Stadium opened in 1996. In January, 1997, Tosu futures caught the withdrawal of PJM Japan and was dissolved. In February, 1997, Sagan Tosu was established. Former players * Hitoshi Morishita (1987-1996) * Shigetatsu Matsunaga (1995-1996) * Stephen Tataw (1995-1996) * Sergio Batista (1993-1994) * Hugo Maradona (1992-1994) * Pedro Pasculli (1994) * Héctor Enrique Héctor Adolfo Enrique (born 26 Apr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |