INAC Kobe is a Japanese
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 from
Kobe
Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
, founded in 2001. INAC stands for International Athletic Club while Leonessa means Lioness in Italian.
In 2006 INAC Leonessa was promoted to the
Nadeshiko.League, where it has played since 2020. In 2021 they are playing in
WE League
The , officially the , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's soccer league in Japan.
History
On 3 J ...
. The 2008 season marked a great leap for the team as it was the runner-up both in the
Nadeshiko.League and the
All Japan Women's Football Championship
, since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" ( ja, 皇后杯 JFA 全日本女子サッカー選手権大会) or The Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be ...
. 2010 saw INAC lift its first title as they beat
Urawa Red Diamonds
, colloquially Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, is a professional football club in the city of Saitama, part of the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The club plays in the J ...
in the final of the
All Japan Women's Football Championship
, since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" ( ja, 皇后杯 JFA 全日本女子サッカー選手権大会) or The Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be ...
through a penalty shootout, and in 2011, coinciding with the club's 10th anniversary, the team won the double
Nadeshiko.League –
All Japan Women's Football Championship
, since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" ( ja, 皇后杯 JFA 全日本女子サッカー選手権大会) or The Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be ...
.
Leonessa's 2011 squad included seven champions of the
2011 World Cup:
Ayumi Kaihori
is a former Japanese football player. She played for the Japan national team.
Club career
Kaihori was born in Nagaokakyo on September 4, 1986. In 2004, she was a high school student and joined the youth team for the Speranza FC Takatsuki. She ...
,
Yukari Kinga
is a Japanese football player. She is currently playing as a defender for Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina in the WE League. She previously played for the Japan women's national football team, winning a World Cup and an Olympic silver medal before h ...
,
Nahomi Kawasumi
is a Japanese footballer who plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC. A full international since 2008, she won gold at the 2011 World Cup as well as silver at the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 World Cup. During the 2011 World Cup, she scored two goals—in ...
,
Shinobu Ohno
is a Japanese Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for Nojima Stella Kanagawa Sagamihara. She formerly played for the Japan women's national football team.
Club career
Ohno was born in Zama, Ka ...
,
Homare Sawa
is a Japanese former professional footballer who played as a forward or a midfielder. Regarded by many as one of the greatest female footballers of all time and the greatest Asian female footballer of all time, Sawa had a professional club care ...
,
Megumi Takase
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the WE League and the Japanese national team.
Club career
Takase was born in Kitami on November 10, 1990. After graduating from high school, she joined INAC Kobe Leonessa ...
and
Asuna Tanaka
is a Japanese football player. She plays for Gyeongju KHNP. She played for Japan national team.
Club career
Tanaka was born in Sakai on 23 April 1988. After graduating from high school, she joined Tasaki Perule FC in 2007. However, the club w ...
.
Kits
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Players
First-team squad
[
]
Type 2
Type 2
Club staff
Honours
Domestic
*
WE League
The , officially the , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's soccer league in Japan.
History
On 3 J ...
**Champions (1):
2021–22
*
Nadeshiko.League Division 1
**Champions (3):
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
**Runners-up (5): 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
*
Empress's Cup
, since 2018 renamed "Empress's Cup JFA Japan Women's Football Championship" ( ja, 皇后杯 JFA 全日本女子サッカー選手権大会) or The Empress's Cup, is a Japanese Women's football competition. As an elimination tournament, it can be ...
**Champions (6):
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
,
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
**Runners-up (2): 2008, 2018
*
Nadeshiko League Cup
The Nadeshiko League Cup (Japanese: なでしこリーグカップ) is a cup competition for women's football clubs in Japan. The competition began as the L.League Cup in 1996 and it was abolished after the 1999 edition. It reappeared on the occ ...
**Champions (1):
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
**Runners-up (3): 2012, 2018, 2019
International
*
Japan/Korea Women's League Championship
**Champions (1): 2012
*
International Women's Club Championship
The International Women's Club Championship (IWCC), previously named the mobcast Cup and the Nestlé Cup for sponsorship reasons, was an international association football knockout cup competition contested by women's champion clubs. It was organ ...
**Champions (1):
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
**Runners-up (1): 2012
Season-by-season records
Transition of team name
*INAC Leonessa: 2001–2008
*INAC Kobe Leonessa: 2009–present
See also
*
Japan Football Association
The Japan Football Association (JFA, ) is the governing body responsible for the administration of football, futsal, beach soccer and efootball in Japan. It is responsible for the national team, as well as club competitions.
History
The organisat ...
(JFA)
*
List of women's football clubs in Japan
This article contains a list of the women's football clubs in Japan. There are many football leagues, including WE League, Nadeshiko League, and regional leagues. Additionally there are leagues for University / College football clubs.
WE Leag ...
*
2022–23 in Japanese football
This article summarizes Japanese football in the 2023 season.
National teams
SourceJFA Men's Senior
JFA.jp
U-23
JFA.jp
U-20
JFA.jp
U-17
JFA.jp
Futsal
U-23 futsal
U-20 futsal
Beach soccer
Esports football
Women's Senior
U- ...
References
External links
Official website
Women's football clubs in Japan
Association football clubs established in 2001
2001 establishments in Japan
Sports teams in Kobe
WE League clubs
{{Japan-footyclub-stub