Professional association football club in Okinawa, Japan
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Football club
FC Ryukyu Okinawa FC琉球OKINAWA
Full name
Football Club Ryukyu Okinawa
Founded
2003; 22 years ago (2003)
Ground
Okinawa Athletic Park Stadium Okinawa, Okinawa
Capacity
10,189[1]
Chairman
Keishiro Kurabayashi
Manager
Tadaaki Hirakawa
League
J3 League
2025
J3 League, 16th of 20
Website
fcryukyu.com
Home colours
Away colours
Current season
FC Ryukyu Okinawa (FC琉球OKINAWA, Efu Shī Ryūkyū OKINAWA) is a Japanese professional football club based in Okinawa. The club plays in the J3 League, Japanese third tier of professional football. The team's home stadium is Okinawa Athletic Park Stadium, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.
The team derive their name from Ryukyu, the historic name for Okinawa Prefecture. The club once had futsal and handball teams.
History
[edit]
The club was founded in 2003.[1] Most of the players who initially joined the club were those who had left Okinawa Kariyushi FC after a rift with their management, which were beholden to the Kariyushi hotel chain. Their first 2003 season saw them win the championship in Okinawa Prefectural Division 3 North. They were allowed to skip to Division 1 the next season, where they again succeeded in finishing top of the table.
In the 2005 season, they belonged to the Kyūshū Regional League (Kyu League). After finishing 2nd and winning the Regional League play-off, they were promoted to the JFL and became the first ever Okinawan football side who played in a national league.
In December 2007, the club appointed former Japan national coach Philippe Troussier as their general manager.[2] Jean-Paul Rabier was appointed as their manager in January 2008.[2]
They applied for J. League Associate Membership in January 2008, but their application was declined at the J. League board meeting held on February 19, 2008.
In December 2008, the resignation of Rabier was announced. Former coach Hiroyuki Shinzato was promoted to be the new manager in January 2009.
In 2014, FC Ryukyu could finally join the J3 League.
In January 2015, FC Ryukyu announced a partnership with Seoul United from the Korean Challengers League. According to the agreement the teams will play a friendly match every year. The first match was scheduled for 1 March 2015.
FC Ryukyu have made steady progress in recent years, finishing in 8th place in J3 in 2016, and improving on that the following year, finishing 6th.
In the 2018 season they secured promotion to J2 with 3 games left after a 1–1 draw at Nagano Parceiro, and in the following game beat Thespakusatsu Gunma to claim the J3 title with two games to spare.
They started their first season in J2 in 2019, in style with 4 straight wins to top the league, but faded as the season progressed eventually finishing in 14th place.
In 2022, after spending four years in the J2 League, the club was relegated back to the J3 League after scoring their lowest points total in the second-tier. The club finished in 21st place with 37 points, only 3 points off the last placed team.
On 26 October 2023, the club announced that they will use FC Ryukyu Okinawa for branding purpose starting 2024 season, although the club's current name will remain used in any competition.[3] The change initially also included the update of club's emblem. However, the plan eventually revised and Ryukyu decided to keep the current emblem for 2024 season, albeit with modified colorway.[4]
For the 2025 season, FC Ryukyu Okinawa announced a new logo.[5]
Home stadium
[edit]
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The home stadium is the Okinawa Athletic Park Stadium, based in Okinawa City.[2]
Until 2014, the Okinawa City Athletic Stadium in Okinawa City was used as the main home stadium, and multiple stadiums were used.
League & cup record
[edit]
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Promoted
Relegated
League
J. League Cup
Emperor'sCup
Season
Div.
Tier
Teams
Pos.
P
W
D
L
F
A
GD
Pts
Attendance/G
2005
Kyushu SoccerLeague
4
10
2nd
18
13.5
1
3.5
51
12
-39
42
–
Not eligible
3rd round
2006
JFL
3
18
14th
34
6
11
17
29
57
-28
29
3,189
2nd round
2007
17th
34
7
6
21
38
82
-44
27
2,443
Did not qualify
2008
16th
34
7
6
21
31
58
-27
27
2,882
2009
16th
34
11
5
18
42
57
-15
38
1,348
2010
10th
34
14
6
14
51
51
0
48
1,777
2nd round
2011
9th
33
14
4
15
47
51
-4
46
1,860
2nd round
2012
17
9th
32
12
7
13
58
62
-4
43
2,164
1st round
2013
18
11th
34
12
10
12
47
51
-4
46
2,069
2nd round
2014
J3
12
9th
33
8
10
15
31
50
-19
34
1,398
2nd round
2015
13
9th
36
12
9
15
45
51
-6
45
1,498
2nd round
2016
16
8th
30
12
8
10
46
46
0
44
1,561
2nd round
2017
17
6th
32
13
11
8
44
36
8
50
2,508
1st round
2018
1st
32
20
6
6
70
40
30
66
3,146
1st round
2019
J2
2
22
14th
42
13
10
19
57
80
-23
49
4,953
2nd round
2020 †
16th
42
14
8
20
58
61
-3
50
1,170
Did not qualify
2021 †
9th
42
18
11
13
57
47
10
65
1,618
2nd round
2022
21st
42
8
13
21
41
65
-24
37
1,996
2nd round
2023
J3
3
20
17th
38
12
7
19
43
61
-18
43
2,534
2nd round
2024
14th
38
12
11
15
45
54
-9
47
3,007
3rd round
Did not qualify
2025
16th
38
10
10
18
41
57
-16
40
2,729
1st round
Did not qualify
2026–27
TBD
38
TBD
TBD
Key
Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No.
Pos.
Nation
Player
3
DF
JPN
Shūta Kikuchi(on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
4
DF
JPN
Hiroki Fujiharu
5
DF
JPN
Kaito Kamiya
7
MF
JPN
Shunsuke Motegi
8
MF
JPN
Ryota Iwabuchi
9
FW
JPN
Hayato Asakawa
10
MF
JPN
Yu Tomidokoro
11
MF
JPN
Taiga Ishiura
13
MF
JPN
Sho Iwamoto
14
DF
JPN
Junya Suzuki
15
DF
JPN
Ryota Araki
16
GK
JPN
Hisaya Sato
17
MF
JPN
Takatora Einaga(on loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
18
MF
JPN
Sho Hiramatsu
19
FW
JPN
Miyu Sato
20
MF
JPN
Sota Nagai(on loan from Tokyo Verdy)
No.
Pos.
Nation
Player
21
GK
JPN
Shioki Takayama(on loan from Vissel Kobe)
22
DF
JPN
Yuzuki Yamato(on loan from Ventforet Kofu)
23
FW
JPN
Kazuki Sota
24
MF
JPN
Yuta Sato
25
FW
JPN
Hidetaka Maie
28
MF
JPN
Jitsuki Tsuha
32
MF
JPN
Anri Narita
33
GK
JPN
Akihito Ozawa
37
DF
JPN
Koki Gotoda
39
FW
JPN
Atsuhito Ihara
47
FW
JPN
Mohamad Sadiki Wade(on loan from Kashiwa Reysol)
50
GK
JPN
Koki Kawashima
51
GK
JPN
Takeshi Harrell Type 2
55
MF
JPN
Yushin Koki
58
MF
JPN
Koyo Shigema Type 2
89
FW
JPN
Daisuke Takagi
Club officials
[edit]
Club officials for 2025 season [7]
Position
Name
Manager
Tadaaki Hirakawa
Coach
Naotsugu Obata Jin Kanaoya
Goalkeeping coach
Kazushi Haebaru
Analytical coach
Teraoka Hiroki
Physical coach
Sho Watanabe
Chief trainer
Syuta Irei
Trainer
Takuya Kawasaki Ryuki Shindo Ryota Osawa
Side manager
Naoki Egawa
Managerial history
[edit]
Manager
Nationality
Tenure
Start
Finish
George Yonashiro
Japan
1 February 2004
31 January 2007
Hideo Yoshizawa
Japan
1 February 2007
31 January 2008
Jean-Paul Rabier
France
1 January 2008
31 December 2008
Hiroyuki Shinzato
Japan
1 February 2009
31 January 2012
Takeo Matsuda
Japan
1 February 2012
31 January 2013
Norihiro Satsukawa
Japan
1 February 2013
31 January 2016
Kim Jong-song
North Korea
1 February 2016
31 January 2019
Yasuhiro Higuchi
Japan
1 February 2019 [8]
20 October 2021
Tetsuhiro Kina
Japan
20 October 2021 [9]
8 June 2022 [10]
Kazuki Kuranuki (caretaker)
Japan
9 June 2022
13 June 2022
Nacho Fernández
Spain
14 June 2022
31 January 2023
Kazuki Kuranuki
Japan
1 February 2023 [11]
16 May 2023 [12]
Tetsuhiro Kina
Japan
16 May 2023
15 September 2023 [13]
Kim Jong-song
North Korea
16 September 2023
31 January 2025 [14]
Tadaaki Hirakawa
Japan
1 February 2025
Current
Team colour and crest
[edit]FC Ryūkyū former logo until 2023
The men team's name is FC Ryukyu Okinawa.
Their team colour is bengara, a shade of red pigment. It is called red ochre in English and can be generally described as claret. Bengara derives from a Dutch word 'bengala' which in turn derives from Bengal, a historic region located in India and Bangladesh. This name was given because the pigment was traditionally imported from Bengal to Japan. Okinawa has a close association with the bengara colour which is prominently applied to Shuri Castle, one of the most symbolic historical buildings in the area.
In 2008 they adopted a sky-blue trim for their home uniform, as their bengara pigment pattern was considered too similar to Aston Villa from England (the claret and sky-blue pattern was around long before Troussier and the French staff arrived, so a coincidence in colours is feasible).[citation needed]
Their crest features a pair of Shisas, imaginary talismanic creatures in the area, and the crown of the kings of the former Ryukyu Kingdom.
Kit evolution
[edit]
Home kits - 1st
2003
2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009 - 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
Away kits - 2nd
2006 - 2007
2008
2009 - 2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
3rd kits - Other
2011 3rd
2020charity
2021 3rd
2022 3rd
2022Shuri Castle Reconstruction Support Charity Match Okinawa Legend
^ abc"NEWS". FC琉球公式サイト | FC Ryukyu Official Website. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
^"新チーム名称・エンブレム決定のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
^"2024シーズン使用プロパティの一部見直し 及びリブランディングプロジェクト再始動について". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
^"New logo for 2025 season". fcryukyu.com/. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
^"2025 Squad". fcryukyu.com. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
^"2025 Club officials". fcryukyu.com/. FC Ryukyu Okinawa. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
^"Yasuhiro Higuchi sacked". fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
^"Tetsuhiro Kina appointed as manager". fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
^"喜名哲裕監督 解任のお知らせ" [Notice of dismissal of Tetsuhiro Kina]. fcryukyu.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
^"倉貫一毅ヘッドコーチ 監督就任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
^"倉貫一毅監督 解任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 16 May 2023. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
^"News Interim manager appointed". FC琉球公式サイト | FC Ryukyu Official Website. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
^"金鍾成（キン・ジョンソン） 氏 監督就任のお知らせ". fcryukyu.com (in Japanese). FC Ryukyu. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
External links
[edit]
Official website(in Japanese)
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