Team Overview

The predecessor of FC Tokyo, the Tokyo Gas Football Club, was founded in 1935. The team, which played in the Tokyo Metropolitan League, achieved a remarkable 4th place finish after being promoted to the Kanto League in 1986. In 1991, they won the National Regional League Championship and earned promotion to JSL Division 2. They joined the JFL in 1992 and have consistently maintained a top position since 1995. In the 1997 Emperor's Cup, they achieved a remarkable feat by defeating J-League teams three times in a row and advanced to the Semifinal Round. In their final season in the JFL in 1998, they celebrated their long-awaited first championship.
Renamed the team to "FC Tokyo" and entered the J.League Division 2 (J2) in 1999, where they defeated J1 teams three times in a row in their first participation in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup and advanced to the semifinals. Meanwhile, despite struggling in the latter part 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 achieved three consecutive wins at the start of the 1st stage, finishing in 6th place, and also accomplished five consecutive wins at the start of the 2nd stage, finishing in 8th place (7th overall), creating a "Tokyo whirlwind." In 2001, they maintained a mid-table position with 9th in the 1st stage and 8th in the 2nd stage (8th overall), establishing a solid position in J1 in their second year. After the season, Kiyoshi OKUMA, who had led the team for seven years, stepped down, and Hiromi HARA took over as head coach starting from the 2002 season. The team entered a new stage based on the "never give up tenacity" and "always giving full effort spirit" established by former coach OKUMA, combined with the "attacking football" promoted by the new coach HARA.

In 2002, the team struggled in 10th place during the 1st stage due to a series of injuries to key players, but in the 2nd stage, thanks to the growth and performance of young players, they finished 5th (9th overall), marking the gradual implementation of Coach Hara's attacking football philosophy. In 2003, with the abolition of extra time, the slogan "90 minutes of attacking football" was adopted. The team achieved its best-ever 4th place in the 1st stage with the fewest goals conceded, and in the subsequent 2nd stage, they remained in the title race until the end, finishing 5th with the most goals scored. The overall ranking was also the best ever at 4th place. After the season, Amaral, who had contributed as the team's core for 12 years and was known as the 'King of Tokyo,' departed from the club. One chapter of history closed, and the club began to move towards an even higher stage.
In 2004, following the slogan "Aggressive, Dramatic, Attacking Soccer," the team adopted a more offensive stance. However, due to the dispatch of players for the Germany World Cup qualifiers and the Athens Olympics, as well as injuries to key players, the team struggled to assemble a strong lineup, finishing the league in 8th place (6th in the 1st stage, 10th in the 2nd stage), which was far from satisfactory. Nevertheless, the team united in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup and advanced to the Final Round. They won against Urawa in a penalty shootout, achieving their long-awaited first club title. In 2005, the league format changed to a single league system, aiming for the league championship with the slogan "Attack to Score. Attack to Win." They successfully made a strong start and temporarily took the lead, but injuries continued, leading to 7 consecutive losses after the 5th round, with only one draw in between. This ultimately had a significant impact, resulting in a 10th place finish in the league. After the season ended, Coach Hara, who had been in charge for four years, resigned, and in 2006, the club appointed its first foreign coach, Mr. Garo. With the slogan "Ousadia - Trust, Courage, Challenge" in mind, they approached the new season with a different style of play. However, the team's performance did not improve amid a schedule that included the Germany World Cup, leading to the dismissal of Coach Garo. After the 18th round, Hisao KURAMATA, who was the U-18 coach, took over, but ultimately the team finished with a record low of 13th place for the year.

In 2007, with Hiromi HARA returning as the coach, the season began under the slogan "It's Our Time - The Blue Gale, The Red Torrent." After losing the league opener, the team continued to struggle with a series of defeats. The newly joined former Costa Rica national team player, Wanchope, scored 2 goals by Sec. 11 but could not achieve the desired results, leading to his departure from the team by the end of June. In the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, the team advanced to the knockout stage with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses but was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Throughout the season, the team could not find its rhythm, finishing the league with 14 wins, 3 draws, and 17 losses in 12th place, and also lost in the quarterfinals of the Emperor's Cup, concluding the 2007 season.

In 2008, marking the 10th anniversary of J League participation, under the new coach Hiroshi JOFUKU, the team entered the season aiming for upward growth with the slogan "Moving Football - Moving the Ball, the Body, and the Hearts of the Spectators." The first half of the league went smoothly, accumulating points and finishing the break in May in 3rd place. However, after the restart, the team struggled to secure wins, and despite a late five-game winning streak that brought them back into the championship race, they finished in 6th place. In the Emperor's Cup, they advanced to the Semifinal Round for the first time as FC Tokyo. In 2009, with the slogan "Moving Football - Move the Hearts of the Spectators," they approached the season with a strong desire to compete for the championship until the end, but after losing the opening match, they struggled to accumulate points as expected, facing tough battles in the early stages. However, once Naohiro ISHIKAWA began to score consistently, the team revived and climbed the rankings. They fought until the end for an ACL qualification but finished in 5th place. Meanwhile, in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, rookie Takuji YONEMOTO's remarkable performance led them to the Final Round for the first time in five years. They withstood Kawasaki's fierce attacks, steadily adding two goals to secure victory, bringing the club its second title. Additionally, this season marked the end for homegrown players Ryuji FUJIYAMA and Satoru ASARI, who both retired, signaling the dawn of a new era.

In 2010, the third year under the Jofuku regime, the slogan "Moving Football - Uniting Hearts" was set, aiming for a "true championship battle" as the goal for the season. However, although they celebrated victory in the opening match, they struggled in the lower ranks from the beginning. After winning the "Suruga Bank Championship 2010 TOKYO" following the South Africa World Cup, the league resumed in an attempt to make a comeback, but they were unable to accumulate points and found themselves in the relegation battle. After Sec. 24, Coach Jofuku was dismissed, and Mr. Okuma, who had previously managed FC Tokyo until 2001, was reappointed as coach. As tough battles continued in every match, they entered the final match in 15th place, just one point above the relegation zone in 16th place, but lost this match, resulting in a reversal of their ranking. The season ended with the club's first relegation to J2.

In 2011, under the leadership of Okuma, the slogan "TOKYO SPIRIT - Everything is for Winning -" was raised, aiming to "become stronger and return to J1" as they faced their second J2 league season. After the opening match, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, significantly altering the schedule. In the early stages, due to injuries, the team struggled to perform as expected and fell to the lower ranks. Amidst a sense of crisis within the team, with the keyword "self-reliance," the players began to think about and execute what they needed to do to win, gradually turning the team around. By Sec. 21, they took the lead and continued to accumulate points with stable performances, securing their return to J1 with a victory against Tottori in Sec. 36. Ultimately, they celebrated their first J2 championship. Furthermore, in the Emperor's Cup, they fought against J1 teams without fear, advancing to the New Year's Day Final for the first time. In the final round, although they allowed an early goal against Kyoto, they displayed calm gameplay and won with a total of 4 goals. They achieved their first Emperor's Cup victory and also secured a spot in the AFC Champions League for the 2012 season.

In 2012, which marked our return to J1, we invited coach Ranko POPOVIC and aimed to play attractive attacking football under the slogan "C・O・A Football." We made our debut in the "FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP 2012," where we faced Kashiwa and lost, but shortly after, we played our first ACL match away against Brisbane Roar (Australia). We scored two goals with our characteristic passing football, achieving our first victory in Asia. After that, we steadily accumulated points in the ACL and advanced to the group stage in second place. In the Round of 16, we faced Guangzhou Evergrande (China), managed by former Italy national team coach Lippi. Despite fighting hard in front of around 40,000 away fans, we were unable to score and lost. This marked the end of our first ACL campaign. In the league, we started strong with three consecutive wins, but after that, we struggled to maintain stability, finishing in 10th place with a disappointing total of 48 points.

In the second year of the Popovic regime, the 2013 season began with the slogan "C・O・A Football - Aiming for Further Evolution -" and the battle for the league title truly commenced. Although it seemed like a smooth start with two consecutive opening wins, the team then experienced an unstable pattern of alternating losses and wins. While the scoring ability improved significantly compared to the previous season, the number of goals conceded also increased, leading to several matches where, despite taking the lead, the team ended up drawing or losing. This resulted in an inability to accumulate points. Additionally, the team struggled in crucial matches that could have allowed them to compete for higher rankings, ultimately finishing in 8th place with 54 points. It was also announced that Lucas would retire from professional football at the end of this season, and he was newly appointed as the club's goodwill ambassador, "FC Tokyo Ambassador 2014."

In 2014, we invited Massimo FICCADENTI, the first Italian coach in J-League history. With the slogan "Bello e Aggressivo! ~Beyond Limits to the Top~", the season started with some defensive instability, but as the new system took hold, goals conceded decreased, and victories began to accumulate. Starting with the match against Tokushima on May 10, we achieved a club record of 14 consecutive league matches without defeat, and the team's ranking temporarily rose to 5th place. However, as the season progressed, we struggled to accumulate points, finishing the last 5 matches without a win, ending the league with 48 points in 9th place.

In the 2015 season, which was the second year for coach Massimo Ficcadenti, the team aimed to translate the progress made since last season into results. In the league opener against Gamba Osaka, they managed to draw in stoppage time, and after that, they finished Sec. 5 unbeaten, tying for first place. Although they lost in Sec. 6, they achieved another four consecutive wins leading up to the match against Kashima, where they narrowly lost. They then faced consecutive losses but continued to accumulate wins, finishing the 1st stage in 2nd place. In the 2nd stage, they maintained 3rd place in the annual standings after Sec. 5, but could not extend their points in the final stages, closing the year in 4th place overall. The 2nd stage ranking was 6th, and the annual points total of 63 was the highest in the club's history. In the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, they advanced to the knockout stage by finishing first in the qualifying group with 3 wins and 3 draws, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals. The Emperor's Cup also ended with a result of reaching the best 8, concluding the 2015 season.

In the 2016 season, with the slogan "Challenge The Top ～Top Battle～" aimed at winning the J1 League, FC Tokyo welcomed back Hiroshi JOFUKU as head coach for the first time in six years. It became a season where they competed in both the AFC Champions League (ACL) and the J1 League simultaneously. Additionally, they participated in the J3 League as FC Tokyo U-23. It was a year of new challenges for the club, but due to a congested schedule and injuries, the team struggled. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the ACL. Furthermore, a series of defeats due to late goals led to a coaching change in July. Yoshiyuki SHINODA was appointed as the new head coach, and the team recorded 8 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in the subsequent league matches, finishing the season in 9th place.

In the 2017 season, under the management of Yoshiyuki SHINODA, the slogan "TOKYO GRIT - All Strengths Combined" was adopted, and significant reinforcements were made in an effort to conquer the J1 League. The team started strong with consecutive wins, but struggled to accumulate points as expected and could not maintain momentum. Furthermore, in the Emperor's Cup, they were eliminated in the 2nd Round, and in the Levain Cup, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals. In September, Coach SHINODA resigned, and Takayoshi AMMA took over the top team, but the team could not regain their momentum and finished the J1 League with 40 points in 13th place. Additionally, this season marked the retirement of Naohiro ISHIKAWA, who had led the team for a long time, and Yuhei TOKUNAGA announced his transfer, while Rei HIRAKAWA and Takefusa KUBO were promoted to the top team from FC Tokyo U-18 mid-season. It was a season that took a step towards new challenges.

The 2018 season, marking the 20th anniversary of the club's founding, was dedicated to returning to our roots with the team slogan "Aiming to be a strong and beloved team" as we embark on new challenges and the growth of the team. Under the new manager Kenta HASEGAWA, who took charge from the 2018 season, the team began its journey. Although we started slowly, we accumulated points after Sec. 4 and finished the first half of the season in 2nd place. However, after Sec. 21 of the league, we struggled to gather points as we aimed for the championship and the ACL qualification, ultimately finishing the season in 6th place with 50 points. Although we ended the Levain Cup and Emperor's Cup without titles, the players fought tenaciously and showed their dynamic presence on the pitch. Additionally, this season marked the retirement of Yohei KAJIYAMA, who had worn the number 10 jersey and contributed significantly for many years.

In the 2019 season, which was Kenta HASEGAWA's second year as head coach, the team started off strong with 12 consecutive matches without a loss, aiming for the J1 championship. From Sec. 8 to Sec. 27, they maintained the top position in the league. Despite a challenging schedule with eight consecutive away matches due to the Rugby World Cup and other factors, they persevered and accumulated points, leading to a title race that extended to the final match. Entering the final match in second place, they faced the league leaders, Yokohama F. Marinos. To achieve a comeback victory, they needed to win by a margin of four goals or more, but they were unable to create a 'miracle.' Although they did not achieve their long-desired first championship, they finished the season in a record-high second place and secured a spot in the 2020 AFC Champions League.