Zweigen Kanazawa (ツエーゲン金沢, ''Tsuēgen Kanazawa'') is a Japanese football club based in

Kanazawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Overview Cityscape File:もて� ...

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

. They currently play in the

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 Y ...

, Japan's 2nd tier of professional league football.

History

The club was formed in 1956 under the simple name ''Kanazawa Soccer Club'' and adopted its current identity in 2006. The Hokushinetsu region, long sleepy in football terms and whose potential only arose with

Albirex Niigata is a professional football club based in Niigata, Japan. Formed in 1955 as Niigata Eleven SC, it was renamed Albireo Niigata FC in 1995, and Albirex Niigata in 1997. From 2023, Albirex will be playing on the J1 League, coming back to the f ...

leading the way, provided few opportunities for Kanazawa to rise in Japan's football ranks until the late 2000s. On 19 December 2009 they were promoted to the JFL after beating

FC Kariya are a Japanese football club based in Kariya, Aichi. They're aiming to gain professional status. Since the 2022 season, after being relegated from the Japan Football League, they are playing in the Tōkai Adult Soccer League History The club ...

at the promotion/relegation playoff with 2–1 aggregate score, following a third-place finish in the 2009 All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series. On December 15, 2010, a new management company called ''Zweigen, Inc.'' was established in order to apply to the J-League associate membership. On January 7, 2011 the team applied for J-League associate membership. On 16 November 2014, Zweigen became the inaugural J3 League champions, and gained a licence to compete in

from 2015. The club will play their 9th consecutive season at the J2 League on

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

Name and symbolism

The name "Zweigen" is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsGerman German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

''zwei'', for the number 2, and ''gen'', to advance. In Kanazawa dialect, the phrase ''tsuyoi noda!'' (We're strong!) became ''tsuee gen!'' by

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...

. In German, the word ''Zweigen'' means ''branches'' (dative—nominative: Zweige), and owing to this, a

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

is a key part of the club's crest.

Stadium

Their home stadium is the

Ishikawa Kanazawa Stadium is an athletic stadium in Kanazawa, Ishikawa is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the cit ...

. The capacity is 20,261. The stadium was built on 1974. The new Kanazawa Football Stadium has been in construction since 2022, and it is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2023.

League & cup record

;Key

Honours

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 ...

** Champions:

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

Current squad

''As of 6 January 2023.''

Out on loan

Coaching staff

For the 2023 season.

Managerial history

Kit evolution

References

External links

* {{Japanese Club Football, group=clubs Football clubs in Japan

Sports teams in Ishikawa Prefecture 2006 establishments in Japan

1956 establishments in Japan Japan Football League clubs J.League clubs