or Simply Matsumoto Yamaga FC (松本山雅, ''Matsumoto Yamaga Efu Shī'') is the Japanese football (soccer) club based in

Matsumoto, Nagano is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a core city since 1 April 2021. , the city had a population of 239,466 in 105,207 households and a population density of 240 persons per km2. The total area of the city ...

Prefecture. The club currently 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 ...

after relegation from

J2 League 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 Yas ...

at the end of the 2021 season.

History

The club was founded in 1965 by the players who represented Nagano Prefecture. The players frequented a cafe called Yamaga in front of Matsumoto railway station and initially they were simply called ''Yamaga Club''. In 2004, they were renamed as Matsumoto Yamaga FC when

nonprofit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Alwin Sports Project were set up to support the club with the intention of promotion to J. League. The very coffee shop where they founded the club no longer exists, but the club opened a new one in 2017. In the

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

and

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

season they finished respectively 1st and 4th in the Hokushin'etsu First Division, but failed to gain the promotion 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 ...

as they exited at the group stage of the

Regional League promotion series In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

against other regional champions. 2008 also brought a crucial

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 ...

run, where they defeated former Japanese champions Shonan Bellmare in the third round by penalty kicks, only to be eliminated 8–0 by Vissel Kobe. The 2009 season brought inconsistency, as they took 4th place in the regional league but knocked Urawa Red Diamonds out of the

in the second round, their biggest giant-killing ever. By virtue of winning the

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 ...

, they earned a berth in the

, and won the series at home to earn promotion to the

for

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 ...

. They earned 7th place on their first season in the third tier. In 2011, despite a season thrown off by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting inability of Sony Sendai to play a full schedule, Yamaga earned 4th place and were promoted 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 ...

. After three seasons they earned their first ever promotion to J1 League, only to be relegated after one season. After failing to secure promotion in

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 ...

and

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, Yamaga finished their

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

season at the top of the J2 table, winning their first ever league title and securing automatic promotion to J1 in the process. This began the downfall of Matsumoto Yamaga FC, due to the club's bad idea of high player turnover. Ahead of the

2020 J2 League The 2020 J2 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th season of J2 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1993. The league started on 21 February 2020. For this ...

, Yamaga turned over more than 20 players, in which began a slow start in 2020, as the club also went through many winless runs, including 5 losses in a row, which at the time was a record amount of defeats for the club in J2. Eventually, in September 2020, manager

Keiichiro Nuno is a former Japanese football player and manager. He was currently manager of Vonds Ichihara until 31 January 2023. Coaching career Nuno was born in Chiba Prefecture on December 21, 1960. After attending Nippon Sport Science University in the ...

was sacked, and the club finished 13th that season. Things were about to get worse as they continued high player turnover, with 27 players leaving and 24 coming to the club before the

2021 J2 League The 2021 J2 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 23rd season of J2 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1999. The league started on 27 February 2021 and ended ...

. In June that year, Nuno's replacement, Kei Shibata, was fired from the club, and was replaced with Hiroshi Nanami, who couldn't help the club escape relegation after finishing dead last that season.

Rivalry

The biggest rival of Matsumoto Yamaga are the prefectural neighbors and former Hokushin'etsu League fellows

Nagano Parceiro Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

. Matches between those teams are labelled "

Shinshū or is an old province of Japan that is now Nagano Prefecture. Shinano bordered on Echigo, Etchū, Hida, Kai, Kōzuke, Mikawa, Mino, Musashi, Suruga, and Tōtōmi Provinces. The ancient capital was located near modern-day Matsumoto, whi ...

derby" and generate a lot of interest in both cities. For 2011 season, Parceiro joined their rivals in JFL bringing the derby to the national level.

Stadium

Matsumoto Yamaga's home ground is

Matsumoto Stadium The is a multi-use stadium in Matsumoto, Japan. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Matsumoto Yamaga FC. The stadium has a capacity of 20,396 spectators. Its nickname, Alwin, is a blend of the words "Alps" ( ...

(popularly known as Alwin) located in the Kambayashi area of Matsumoto city. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 (16,000 seats and 4,000 standings). It is the third largest Sport venue in

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

Mascot

The mascot of the club is named "Gans-kun" (ガンズくん), who is a , the symbol bird of

Theme song

The club's theme song is "wanna be a superstar" by local rock band ASIAN2.

League & cup record

;Key

Honours

**Champions: 2018 **Runners-up: 2014 * Hokushin'etsu League **Champions: 1985, 2007 **Runners-up: 1979, 1989, 2006 * Hokushin'etsu League Division 2 **Champions: 2005 *

All Japan Senior Football Championship 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 ...

**Winners: 2009 * Regional Champions League **Winners: 2009

Current squad

; ''Squad for the 2023 season.''

Out on loan

Club officials

''For the 2023 season''

Managerial history

Kit evolution

References

External links

Official website
{{J.League Football clubs in Japan J.League clubs Association football clubs established in 1965 Sports teams in Nagano Prefecture 1965 establishments in Japan Japan Football League clubs