Iwaki FC
ClubnameIwaki
いわきFC
Upright0.9
FullnameIwaki Football Club
Founded2012 (age 14)
GroundHawaiians Stadium Iwaki
Iwaki, Fukushima
Capacity5,600
ChairmanSatoshi Okura
ManagerYuzo Tamura
Websiteiwakifc.com
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Iwaki FC (いわきFC, Iwaki Efushi) is a professional football club based in Iwaki, a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The club competes in the J2 League, the second tier of the Japanese football league system.

History

Foundation

Iwaki FC was founded in 2012, before getting official recognition in 2013 with the creation of their homonymous corporation.[1][2] The club name got more attention when Under Armour decided to support them in climbing the Japanese football pyramid from the bottom.[3] The vision behind the club’s formation, was an intention of "making Iwaki the central football-city in Tohoku".[4] In service of this, a new training field opened in November 2016 and the club-house was just launched in May 2017: two central structures necessary to rise to the top of Japanese football.[5][6]

Fukushima Prefectural Football League (2013–2017)

Results during this period supported Iwaki FC’s rise, as they won several titles in the Fukushima Prefectural Football League, eventually joining the first division. Their next target was the Tohoku Soccer League. Meanwhile, the club achieved their first win at the 23rd National Club Team Football Championship Tournament (winning by 9–0).[7] Iwaki FC also debuted at the Emperor's Cup in 2017 edition. After defeating Norbritz Hokkaido in the first round, they surprisingly overcame Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo by 5–2 after extra-time.[8] They lost against Shimizu S-Pulse in the third round.

Tohoku Soccer League (2018–2019)

First advancing to the Tohoku Soccer League in 2018, Iwaki FC earned promotion to the following year's JFL for the first time in 2019. The club won the All Japan Regional Promotion Series.

Japan Football League (JFL) (2020–2021)

Joining the Japan Football League for the 2020 season, in the 2021 season, Iwaki FC finished in first position in the JFL competition, earning promotion to the following year's J3 League.

J. League (2022–)

In the 2022 season, their first year in the J3 League, Iwaki FC received a J2 League license on 28 October 2022, and become eligible for promotion.[9] On 6 November, they were crowned the J3 League champions, earning promotion to the following year's J2 League. They secured the league title in the 32nd round, following a 3–0 win against Kagoshima United. Iwaki FC ended their 2022 season with 78 points from 34 matches. On 26 September 2023, Iwaki FC was declared to have met the requirements to obtain a license up to the J1 League.[10]

Stadium

Iwaki FC played at J-Village Stadium in Hirono during the 2022 J3 season. However, following their promotion to the J2 League, they now use Hawaiians Stadium Iwaki, located in Iwaki.

On 25 September 2025, Iwaki FC announce new stadium name Iwaki Stadium Labo. Construction has been start from November 2027 and complete in 2031.[11]

League and cup record

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated
LeagueJ. League
Cup		Emperor's
Cup		Shakaijin
Cup
SeasonDivisionTierTeamsPos.PWDLFAGDPtsAttendance/G
2013Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 3 West)[12][13]		862nd1053230131718Not eligible
2014953rd83141715210
2015Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 3 East)[14]		61st1010004193230
2016Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 2)[15]		861st1010009319230Did not qualifyQuarter final
2017Fukushima Prefectural
Football League (Div. 1)[16]		761st10100093093303rd round2nd round
2018Tohoku Soccer
League (Div. 2 South)		6101st18180013912127541st round3rd
2019Tohoku Soccer
League (Div. 1)		5101st181530821468481st round3rd
2020Japan Football
League		4167th1563624240211,1252nd roundNot eligible
2021171st322183652837711,1301st round
2022J3 League3181st342374722349762,174Did not qualify
2023J2 League22218th421211194569-24473,4902nd round
2024209th3815914534112544,2902nd round3rd round
2025209th38151112554411564,3711st round2nd round
202610TBD18N/A
2026–2720TBD38TBDTBD
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

Honours

Iwaki FC Honours
HonourNo.Years
Fukushima Prefectural Adult Soccer League Division 3 East Block12015
National Club Team Football Championship Tournament22016, 2017
Fukushima Prefecture Adult Soccer League Division 212016
Fukushima Prefecture Adult Soccer League Division 112017
Fukushima Prefectural Football Championship
Emperor's Cup Fukushima Prefectural Qualifiers		42017, 2018,
2019, 2021
Tohoku Adult Soccer League Division 2 South12018
Tohoku Adult Soccer League Division 112019
Japanese Regional Football Champions League12019
Japan Football League JFL12021
J3 League12022

Current squad

[17]

Club officials

PositionName
ManagerYuzo Tamura
Assistant managerRyo Kobayashi
First-team coachTakumi Watanabe
Goalkeeper coachJiro Takeda
Sprint coachShingo Akimoto
Strenght and conditioning coachTsubasa Hisanaga
Kazuhiko Tomooka
Athletic trainerAtsushi Hokari
Tsubasa Hisanaga
AnalystYuta Murakami
DoctorYoshifumi Fukushima
Yoshitomo Saita
Nanako Yamamoto
Medical officerHidenori Izawa
PhysiotherapistDaiki Iwadate
TrainerKodai Harada
Shunichiro Saito
InterpreterLim Seung-geon

Managerial history

ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
Pieter Huistra13 January 201631 December 2016
Yuzo Tamura1 February 201731 January 2021
Hiromasa Suguri1 February 202214 June 2023
Yuzo Tamura15 June 2023present

Kit evolution

Home kit - 1st
Away kit - 2nd
Third / special kits

References

  1. ^ "一般社団法人いわきスポーツクラブ　いわきFC代表　向山　聖也　さん – 福島県ホームページ". www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  2. ^ "元蘭代表ハウストラ氏が福島県2部で監督就任。現役時代は広島に在籍"
  3. ^ "ドーム、「いわきFC」を運営する会社「株式会社いわきスポーツクラブ」を設立". www.facebook.com
  4. ^ "「サッカーを通じて、いわき市を東北一の都市にする」いわきFC発足!!第1期メンバー募集開始 – ゲキサカ". ゲキサカ
  5. ^ "「いわきＦＣパーク」開所　国内初の商業施設複合型クラブハウス". Archived from the original on 2017-07-27. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  6. ^ "「いわきＦＣフィールド」オープン　地域活性化の一翼に期待". Archived from the original on 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  7. ^ "第23回全国クラブチームサッカー選手権大会"
  8. ^ "注目急上昇！Ｊ１撃破「いわきＦＣ」　凱旋の勇姿に熱い視線". Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2017-07-14.
  9. ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2023年シーズン「J2クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ" (in Japanese). いわきFC OfficialSite. 25 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. ^ "[いわきFC OfficialSite] 2024年シーズン「J1クラブライセンス」交付のお知らせ" (in Japanese). いわきFC OfficialSite. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  11. ^ "「いわきFC新スタジアム構想特設サイト」を公開" (in Japanese). いわきFC OfficialSite. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  12. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2013". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2014". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  14. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2015". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  15. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2016". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  16. ^ "RSSSF Japan Regional League data 2017". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  17. ^ "いわきFC OfficialSite" (in Japanese). いわきFC OfficialSite. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.