Football Club Gifu (フットボールクラブ岐阜, ''Futtobōrukurabu Gifu''), abbreviated as is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in

Gifu is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. They play in the

J3 League or simply J3 is the third division of . It was established in 2013 as the third-tier professional association football league in Japan. The third-tier nationwide league is a relatively recent development in Japanese football with a first attempt ...

, the third tier of Japanese professional football.

History

During the

Japan Soccer League , or JSL, was the top flight association football league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J.League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional ...

and former Japan Football League years, the city and prefecture of Gifu were represented by the Seino Transportation Co. (西濃運輸 ''Seinō Un'yu'') works team, which was relegated from the old JFL for the last time in 1997 and folded shortly thereafter. The modern-day Gifu club was founded in 2001 (Seino's last manager Masayuki Katsuno was among the founders, and a former Seino player,

Takashi Umeda is a former Japanese football player. Playing career Umeda was born in Kakamigahara on May 30, 1976. After graduating from high school, he joined Japan Football League (JFL) club Seino Transportation in 1995. He played many matches from first s ...

, recently returned to town and joined the club following a decade-long stint with

Oita Trinita is a Japanese football club currently playing in J2 League, having been relegated after the 2021 season after a three-year stint in J1 League. The club's home town is Ōita, Ōita, Ōita city, but the club draws support from Beppu, Ōita, Beppu, ...

). The club was promoted to the new Japan Football League in 2007 after beating

Honda Lock S.C. , formerly are a Japanese football (soccer) club based in Miyazaki, the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League, the country's 4th tier of professional league football. Their team colour is blue. History ...

in the promotion/relegation play-offs. The team earned third place at the end of the 2007 season, meaning it qualified for promotion to

J. League Division 2 The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Ya ...

. On December 3, 2007, J. League approved a promotion for the team for the 2008 season. The club finished the 2012 season in 21st place, narrowly missing out on relegation to the

Japan Football League The also known as simply the JFL is the 4th tier of the Japanese association football league system, positioned beneath the three divisions of the J.League. The league features fully professional teams that hold J.League associate membership am ...

. Between 2013 and 2018, the team has constantly been placed in the lower realms of J. League Division 2 and narrowly avoiding relegation until 2019 when they finished last in the league and were relegated to J. League Division 3.

Crest

The team's crest was designed to represent Gifu Prefecture. The top of the crest represents the mountain ranges of the northern part of the prefecture. The flowers are Chinese milk vetch, which are the prefectural flower. Each of the three lines represents one of the

Kiso Three Rivers The refers to the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Given their location, they are sometimes referred to as the Nōbi Th ...

flowing through the prefecture. The banner at the base of the crest is the same as the symbol on the helmet of the victorious

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty that was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) through the Matsudaira clan. The early history of this clan r ...

at the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

in 1600.

League & cup record

;Key

Honours

Current squad

''As of 5 April 2024.''

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Kit evolution

Other teams

They also run as a reserve team FC Gifu Second, which currently plays in the Tōkai Adult League Division 2. They have played in the

Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or also Japan FA Cup is a Japanese football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, J ...

and

Shakaijin Cup The , officially called the All Japan Adults Football Tournament, is a football (soccer) cup competition in Japan. It is run by the Japan Football Association. As it only involves non-league teams (teams not affiliated to either J.League or the ...

in the past.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gifu

Gifu Sports clubs and teams in Gifu Prefecture Tourist attractions in Gifu Prefecture 2001 establishments in Japan Japan Football League clubs Phoenix clubs (association football)