CLUB PROFILEClub Profile
Team Overview
J.League Entry
Tokyo Gas Football Club, the predecessor of FC Tokyo, was founded in 1935. The team, which played in the Tokyo Metropolitan League, was promoted to the Kanto League in 1986 and achieved a strong 4th place finish in its first year. In 1991, they won the National Regional League Championship and were promoted to JSL Division 2. From 1992, they joined the JFL, and while watching the launch of the J.League in 1993, they consistently maintained top positions in the JFL from 1995 onwards. In the 1997 Emperor's Cup, they made a remarkable run by defeating J.League teams three times in a row to reach the Semifinal Round, and in 1998, the final season of the JFL, they achieved their long-cherished first championship.
In 1999, the year the team was renamed "FC Tokyo" and joined the J.League Division 2 (J2), they defeated three J1 teams in a row in their first Yamazaki Nabisco Cup appearance to reach the semifinals, with Yukihiko SATO winning the New Hero Award. Meanwhile, despite struggling in the final stages of the league, they finished in second place and secured promotion to J.League Division 1 (J1).
In 2000, when promoted to J1, the team caused a "Tokyo whirlwind" by winning three consecutive matches from the opening in the 1st stage to finish 6th, and achieving five consecutive wins from the opening in the 2nd stage to finish 8th (7th overall for the year). The following year, 2001, the home Tokyo Stadium (now Ajinomoto Stadium) opened, and the inaugural match on March 10 saw a victory over Verdy. The team maintained a mid-table position with 9th in the 1st stage and 8th in the 2nd stage (8th overall for the year), establishing a solid position in J1 in just their second year. After the season ended, Kiyoshi OKUMA, who had led the team for seven years, stepped down as manager, and Hiromi HARA took over as manager from the 2002 season. Building on the "unyielding perseverance until the end" and "spirit of always giving full effort" established by former manager OKUMA, the team entered a new stage with HARA's philosophy of "attacking soccer."
In 2002, the team struggled with key players getting injured one after another, resulting in a low 10th place in the 1st stage. However, in the 2nd stage, thanks to the growth and performance of young players, the team improved to 5th place (9th overall for the year), and the attacking soccer style aimed for by Coach Hara gradually took hold. In 2003, with the abolition of extra time, the team adopted the slogan "90 minutes of attacking soccer." In the 1st stage, they achieved their best-ever 4th place with the fewest goals conceded, and in the following 2nd stage, they were involved in the championship race until the very end, finishing 5th with the highest number of goals scored. The overall annual ranking was also the best ever at 4th place. After the season ended, Amaral, the "King of Tokyo" who had contributed as the team's core for 12 years, left the team, closing a chapter in the club's history.
In 2004, true to the slogan "Aggressive, Dramatic, Offensive Soccer," the team adopted a more attacking stance than ever before. However, due to the dispatch of players to the German World Cup qualifiers and the Athens Olympics, the team was not at full strength, finishing 8th overall in the J1 League (6th in the 1st stage, 10th in the 2nd stage), which was not a satisfactory result. Nevertheless, the team united and advanced to the final round of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. Despite having a player sent off in the first half, they endured the full 120 minutes including extra time and won against Urawa Reds in the penalty shootout, securing the club's long-awaited first title.
In 2005, the league changed to a single-stage system. With the motto "Attack to win. Attack to conquer," the team led the standings from the opening match through Sec. 4, but from Sec. 5 onward, after one draw, they suffered seven consecutive losses. Ultimately, they finished in 10th place, and after the season ended, it was announced that Manager Hara, who had led the team for four years, would step down. In 2006, the club appointed its first foreign manager, Mr. Alessandro Gallo, and under the slogan "Ousadia – Trust, Courage, Challenge," they approached the season with a new style of play. However, with a long break due to the Germany World Cup and an irregular schedule, the team's form did not improve, and Gallo was dismissed in August. From Sec. 18, Hisao KURAMATA, who had been managing FC Tokyo U-18, was entrusted with leading the top team, but due to a six-game losing streak starting from Sec. 20 and other factors, the team finished in a record low 13th place. In 2007, aiming for a comeback, Manager Hiromi Hara returned, and with the slogan "It's Our Time – Blue Gale, Red Tempest," the team faced the season. However, after losing the league opener, they continued to struggle with more losses than wins. New signing Wanchope (former Costa Rica national team player) scored two goals by Sec. 11 but was unable to deliver the expected results and left the team by the end of June. Unable to gain momentum throughout the season, the team finished 12th in the J1 League for the 2007 season.
Relegation to J2 and Emperor's Cup Victory
In 2008, marking the 10th anniversary of joining the J.League, under the new management of Hiroshi JOFUKU and embracing the slogan "Moving Football," the team entered the season aiming for steady growth. The first half of the league went smoothly, accumulating points steadily and reaching the mid-season break in May in 3rd place, but after the restart, the team struggled to secure wins. Although a late five-game winning streak brought them back into the title race, they finished in 6th place. In the Emperor's Cup, the team advanced to the semifinals for the first time as FC Tokyo. The following year, 2009, started with two consecutive losses, making the early season difficult. However, as Naohiro ISHIKAWA began scoring frequently, the team recovered and climbed back to 5th place in the J1 League. In the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, the team reached the final for the first time in five years, and the players responded dynamically on both offense and defense to the passionate support behind the blue and red goals at the Japan National Stadium. Defying the pre-match expectations favoring Kawasaki Frontale, they earned their second cup winner title. This season also marked the end of an era, as Ryuji FUJIYAMA and Satoru ASARI, both homegrown players from Tokyo Gas FC, transferred and retired respectively, signaling the dawn of a new era.
The year 2010 marked the third year under the Shirofuku regime. Although the opening match was a victory, the team struggled near the bottom from the early stages. After the South Africa World Cup, and following their win as the previous year's cup winner in the "Suruga Bank Championship 2010 TOKYO," the league resumed but the team was unable to accumulate points. In September, after losing in Sec. 23 and falling to 16th place within the relegation zone, Coach Shirofuku was dismissed, and Mr. Okuma, who had previously managed the team until 2001, was reinstated as coach. Despite continued tough battles, the team reached the final match in 15th place, just one point above the relegation line, but lost that match and their position was reversed. The season ended with the club's first-ever relegation to J2.
In 2011, under the Okuma regime, with the slogan "TOKYO SPIRIT ~Everything for Victory~", the goal was to "become stronger and return to J1." Reinforcements were made in each position, and with strong determination, the team faced the J2 League for the second time. However, after the opening match, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, causing major schedule changes. In the early stages, due to injuries, the team could not play as expected and languished in the lower ranks. Amid a sense of crisis within the club, with "independence" as the keyword, the players themselves thought about and acted on what they should do to win, and the team gradually improved. In June, Lucas, who had been with FC Tokyo until 2007 and announced his retirement in his home country in 2011, made a sudden comeback and became the center of the attack. The team took the lead in Sec. 21, and thereafter accumulated points steadily with stable play. After winning in Sec. 36 and securing promotion to J1, they ultimately won their first J2 championship. Furthermore, in the Emperor's Cup, riding the momentum from the league, they advanced to the New Year's Day Final Round for the first time. In the Final Round against Kyoto Sanga F.C., despite conceding the first goal, they showed calm game management and won with a large 4-goal tally including 2 goals by Lucas. They achieved the club's first Emperor's Cup victory and also earned the right to participate in the 2012 ACL season.
Challenge to Asia
In 2012, when the team returned to J1, they newly appointed coach Ranko POPOVIC and adopted the slogan "C・O・A Football," aiming for an attractive, attacking passing style of play. In the ACL, they faced Brisbane Roar (Australia) away in the first match, scored 2 goals to achieve their first victory in Asia, and continued to steadily accumulate points to advance from the group stage in 2nd place. The knockout round of 16, a single-elimination match, was against Guangzhou Evergrande (China), who had strengthened their team with enormous financial power. Despite fighting tenaciously in a fully away environment with about 40,000 spectators, they could not score and lost 0-1, ending the club's first ACL campaign there. In the J1 league, they had a smooth start with three consecutive wins at the opening, but afterward, they could not maintain stable performances and finished with a disappointing 10th place with 48 points. Continuing the passing football style aimed by coach Ranko POPOVIC, the 2013 season started well with two consecutive wins. However, although their scoring ability improved significantly, they also conceded more goals, and matches where they took the lead but ended in draws or come-from-behind losses became noticeable, leading to unstable performances. As a result, the team scored 61 goals, 14 more than the previous year, but their ranking remained at 8th place.
In 2014, Massimo Ficcadenti was invited from Italy as the head coach. Under the slogan "Bello e Aggressivo! ~Beyond the Limits to the Top~", the team adopted new tactics and a new system. Especially as the style focusing on defensive tactics took hold and goals conceded began to decrease, starting with the Sec. 13 match against Tokushima Vortis on May 10, the club achieved a new record of 14 unbeaten league matches. The ranking also temporarily rose to 5th place. However, in the final stages, as points could not be accumulated as expected, the team finished the league in 9th place without a win in the last 5 matches. In the 2015 season, Massimo's second year in charge, the team built on what was achieved last season and started producing results from the beginning. After drawing the opening match of the league, which revived the two-stage system, the team went unbeaten for the next 5 matches, ending Sec. 5 tied for first place. Although they lost in Sec. 6, they maintained a top position by winning 4 consecutive matches again and accumulated points, but a 3-match losing streak from Sec. 11 affected their standing, and they finished the 1st stage in 2nd place. In the 2nd stage, they could not increase points towards the end and finished 6th, but recorded the club's highest ever annual points total of 63, closing the year in 4th place overall. Due to the Emperor's Cup results, the league's 4th place earned a spot in the ACL, and the following season they participated starting from the ACL playoffs.
With the slogan "Challenge The Top ~The Pinnacle Battle~," the 2016 season aimed for the J1 League championship. Welcoming back head coach Hiroshi JOFUKU to FC Tokyo for the first time in six years, the season involved competing simultaneously in the ACL and J1 League. Furthermore, from the perspective of strengthening the development of young players, FC Tokyo U-23 participated in the J3 League, marking a new challenge for the club. Although the team secured a 9-0 victory in the ACL playoff, qualifying for the main tournament, the congested schedule and injuries affected performance, resulting in a 9th place finish in the league's 1st stage and elimination in the ACL Round of 16 on away goals. Matches where points were lost due to late goals continued, leading to a managerial change in July. Coach Yoshiyuki SHINODA was appointed as the new head coach, and under his leadership, the team recorded 8 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in the remaining league matches, finishing 9th overall. Building on continuity under Coach SHINODA and making significant reinforcements with experienced players who had proven records in J1, the 2017 season adopted the slogan "TOKYO GRIT ~All Our Strength~." The team started strong with consecutive wins but suffered consecutive losses in Sec. 6 and Sec. 7, causing a decline in both ranking and momentum. After three consecutive losses from Sec. 23, Coach SHINODA resigned, and Coach Takayoshi AMMA took over, but the team could not regain momentum, finishing the J1 League season with 40 points and 13th place. Additionally, this season marked the retirement of Naohiro Ishikawa, who had long led the team, and the transfer announcement of Yuhei Tokunaga. Meanwhile, Takefusa Kubo from FC Tokyo U-18 signed a professional contract at the youngest age in club history, 16 years, 4 months, and 28 days, making this another season that changed the club's history.
Aiming to be a strong and beloved team
The 2018 season, marking the club's 20th anniversary, was a time to return to the basics with the hope of future team growth and new challenges. The team slogan was set as "Aiming to be a strong and beloved team," a concept unchanged since the club's founding. To achieve the goal of winning the J1 League, the team was entrusted to new manager Kenta HASEGAWA, an experienced champion. With fast vertical soccer, the team steadily accumulated points and finished the first half of the league in 2nd place. However, from Sec. 21 onward, the team struggled to gain points and ended the season 6th with 50 points. At the end of this season, Yohei KAJIYAMA, who had long worn the number 10 jersey as an academy graduate, retired. In the 2019 season, HASEGAWA's second year as manager, the team started strong with 12 unbeaten matches from the opening and led the J1 League from Sec. 8 to Sec. 27. Despite a challenging schedule with eight consecutive away games due to the Rugby World Cup and other factors, the team tenaciously accumulated points, and the championship race went down to the final match. Entering the final match in 2nd place, they faced the top-ranked Yokohama F. Marinos in a direct showdown. To win the title, they needed to win by a margin of four goals or more, but they could not create a "miracle" on Yokohama's away ground. Although the long-awaited first championship was not achieved, the season ended with the club's highest-ever finish of 2nd place, securing a spot in the 2020 ACL.
The 2020 season started under the third-year Hasegawa regime, aiming for the ACL challenge for the third time and the league title that was just out of reach the previous year. However, the league was forced to suspend immediately after the opening due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection. Even after the restart in July, remote matches (no-audience games) and entry restrictions were implemented, forcing the team to endure significant difficulties in terms of condition and schedule, and the club faced severe challenges in event management and business operations. Struggling with an irregular congested schedule, the ACL held in a centralized format in Qatar in November once again ended at the Round of 16. The J1 League also finished in 6th place. Nevertheless, the postponed Levain Cup Final Round was held on January 4, 2021, at the Japan National Stadium, where the team achieved its third championship, beautifully concluding the season. Then, the 2021 season began under various restrictions due to infection control measures, continuing from the previous year. The early J1 League matches saw the team steadily accumulate points, but from Sec. 9, they suffered five consecutive losses, causing their ranking to decline. In June, they were defeated by Juntendo University in the Emperor's Cup 2nd Round, and the league matches afterward continued with severe fluctuations in performance. In September, Yuto NAGATOMO returned to the team for the first time in 11 years, temporarily regaining momentum, but the situation did not improve. In October, the Levain Cup, where they aimed for consecutive championships, ended in defeat at the Semifinal Round. In November, following a humiliating 0-8 defeat in the league, Coach Hasegawa, who had led the team for four years, resigned. Goalkeeper Coach Shinichi Morishita took over as head coach for the remaining three matches, and the season ended in 9th place.
A New Challenge
In the 2022 season, under a new management system led by MIXI, Inc., with the management vision of "Tokyo Enthusiasm," the club entered a new phase by appointing head coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, who advocates an aggressive passing soccer style. The team strengthened each position with proven players, and Kuryu MATSUKI made his first starting appearance in the opening match as a high school rookie, the first for the club in 15 years. Although the opening match ended in a draw, expectations for the team rose. While glimpses of the desired style of play were shown in both offense and defense, the team was unable to fully refine it, finishing 6th in the J1 League. On the other hand, the club promoted creating a space where visitors could enjoy themselves all day centered around football, including hosting the first home game at Japan National Stadium, innovative productions and sophisticated decorations, the inaugural AO-AKA STREET event, and the expansion of AO-AKA PARK.
The 2023 season marked the 25th anniversary of the club's founding. In the second year under Albert PUIG ORTONEDA's management, the team started strong with a victory in the opening match, but as the style of football they aimed for did not translate into results, their ranking gradually dropped. In June, Albert PUIG ORTONEDA announced his resignation as head coach. Peter CKLAMOVSKI was appointed as the new head coach and attempted a comeback, but the team was unable to rise into the top ten at any point afterward, finishing 11th in the J1 League. On the other hand, the club was recognized for its player development achievements from the academy and received the "J.League Best Youth Development Club Award" for the third time, following 2010 and 2017. In the following 2024 season, with the J1 League expanded to 20 teams, the team started off unstable but steadily accumulated points. With three consecutive wins from Sec. 10, they rose to 4th place. However, they could not shake off their inconsistency in securing wins and ultimately finished 7th in the league without breaking into the top ranks. At the Japan National Stadium, the club attracted an average of about 50,000 spectators over four home games, with a total attendance exceeding 200,000. Across 19 matches in the season, the club achieved a record-high total attendance of approximately 630,000 and an average of about 33,000 per game. Additionally, for the second consecutive year and the fourth time overall, the club received the "J.League Best Youth Development Club Award," demonstrating the club's value.
All-Time Managers
- Morio MURAI / Tetsuro MIURA / Taira SHIGE (1960)
- Toru Ishii (1965)
- Akihito Hashimoto (1971)
- Keiji Yoshida (1974)
- Takuma Ogawa (1976)
- Mitsunori Torihara (1980)
- Yoshihiro Sugano (1984)
- Kiyoshi Watanabe (1987)
- Toshiaki IMAI (1993)
- Kiyoshi OKUMA (1995)
- Hiromi HARA (2002)
- Alexandre GALLO (2006)
- Hisao KURAMATA (2006.8)
- Hiromi HARA (2007)
- Hiroshi JOFUKU (2008)
- Kiyoshi OKUMA (2010.9)
- Ranko POPOVIC (2012)
- Massimo FICCADENTI (2014)
- Hiroshi JOFUKU (2016)
- Yoshiyuki SHINODA (2016.7)
- Takayoshi AMMA (2017.9)
- Kenta HASEGAWA (2018)
- Shinichi MORISHITA (2021.11)
- Albert PUIG ORTONEDA (2022)
- Peter CKLAMOVSKI (2023.6)
- Rikizo MATSUHASHI (2025)
History of FC Tokyo
Team Color
- BLUE
- RED
Team Mascot
Born on October 1, 1998, in Azabu-Tanukiana-cho, Minato Ward. Located almost in the middle of Roppongi and Tokyo Tower, Tanukiana-cho is a true city kid. The playground is, of course, the lovely Tanukiana Park with its fountain.
Suddenly appearing and disappearing without a trace, he eventually came to be called <TOKYO DOROMPA> by his friends. Since he lives near Tokyo Tower, he is named <TOKYO DOROMPA>.
In the world of raccoons, he is recognized as a Tokyo fan by everyone. He received an offer to be the official mascot and became the team mascot.
Home Stadium
376-3 Nishimachi, Chofu City, Tokyo 182-0032
Capacity: 49,970 people
Activity Report
We have compiled information on FC Tokyo's hometown activities, match events, social contribution activities, promotion and development activities, volleyball team, company profile, and more.
For more details, please see the PDF file.