FC Imabari (FC今治, ''Efu Shī Imabari'') is a Japanese

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in Imabari,

Ehime Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...

. 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 Yasud ...

after promotion from J3 League in 2024, Japan's second tier of professional football.

History

The club was founded in 1976 and were promoted to the Shikoku Football League in 2001. From 2009 to 2011, they were owned by Ehime FC as their reserve team, ''Ehime FC Shimanami''. In 2014, the majority of FC Imabari was bought by former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada. In February 2016, the club made another step forward towards the J. League, as JFA recognised J.League Hundred Year Vision clubs. In November, they won the Regional Promotion Series and were promoted 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 100 Year Plan club sta ...

. During their debut season on the JFL, they opened their new stadium and acquired a

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 under the organization of J.League. The league is known as the for sponsorship reasons. The third-tier nation ...

license from the 2018 season. In

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, after finishing on third place at the JFL, FC Imabari were promoted to Japan's professional league system, becoming a professional club, as they were promoted to the J3 for the first time in their history. FC Imabari acquired a J2 license in 2021, meaning that Imabari can be promoted to the J2 League once they are able to finish the season in the promotion zone. On 10 November 2024, FC Imabari secure promotion to

for the first time in history from next season after defeat Gainare Tottori 0-5 in Matchweek 36 and ending five years stint in third tier.

Stadium

Arigato Service Dream Stadium (2017–2022)

FC Imabari played their J3 League matches on the Arigato Service Dream Stadium from 2017 to 2022. They played their final league match there (as their home stadium) at the club's last home match of the 2022 season. Imabari played this match against Nagano Parceiro on 13 November 2022, at the 33rd Matchweek, with the match ending tied by 3–3.

ASICS Satoyama Stadium (2023–)

From 2023, Imabari decided to change its home stadium to their newly built ASICS Satoyama Stadium. The opening ceremony was decided to be held on 29 January 2023. Satoyama Stadium was opened to the public on 29 January 2023, with a charity match contested between an XI of J-League Legends against FC Imabari U-18 and Ladies, respectively. On 5 March of the same year, FC Imabari played their first match of the season at their new stadium against Fukushima United in the J3 League, which ended in a 1–0 win for Imabari.

League and cup records

;Key

Honours

Players

Current squad

''As of 29 May 2025''.

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Kit evolution

References

External links

* {{Japanese Club Football, group=clubs Association football clubs established in 1976 Football clubs in Japan J.League clubs Japan Football League clubs Sports clubs and teams in Ehime Prefecture 1976 establishments in Japan Imabari, Ehime