Renofa Yamaguchi FC

The original football team consisted of a group of teaching staff who were based within Yamaguchi prefecture, a team called Yamaguchi Prefecture Teachers Football Club (山口県サッカー教員団, Yamaguchi-ken sakkā kyōin dan), often abbreviated to Yamaguchi Teachers or Yamaguchi KFC (compare Tochigi S.C. and Gainare Tottori, who started as teachers' clubs and are now members of the J.League).

In February 2006, the Yamaguchi Football Association eyed the placement of a team from Yamaguchi in the J.League. Setting its heart of operations at Yamaguchi Teachers, a new football club was established.^[1] At the same time, a public appeal was made to name the new club, with Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. being decided in March of the same year. The word renofa is a wasei-eigo, a combination of three English words: renovation, fight, and fine.^[2][3]

Without a specified home ground, the team played Chūgoku league matches across a number of different venues within the prefecture, including Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium, Yamaguchi Kirara Expo Memorial Park, Onoda Football Park, Shunan City Athletic Stadium, and Yamaguchi Football Park. Now however, home games are played at Yamaguchi Ishin Park Stadium.

Though structured with a hometown manager and local players, sponsored by local business and enterprises, and local action plans within the local community, Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. is aiming for a national future in the J.League.^[4]

In the days of Yamaguchi Teachers, the team frequently finished mid to low table in the Chūgoku league. However, since the establishing of the new club in 2006, the team has consistently improved their final league position. This culminated in the 2008 season where they achieved their first league win. In the All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series of that year the team finished fourth in the final round, missing the opportunity for promotion to the Japan Football League. The 2009 season saw them win their first Emperor's Cup match, beating Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima F.C. in a penalty shoot out.^[5]

Since the team's formation it had operated as a private organisation, however when the Nonprofit organization Yamaguchi Athletics Club was established on 24 May 2011, managing control of the team changed hands putting the new NPO in charge.^[6]

After the club finished on 4th-place in 2014 Japan Football League and passed the necessary licensing, J.League officially admitted Renofa Yamaguchi to participate in J3 League, starting from the 2015 season.^[7] Their J.League debut came in 2015 season. On 23 November 2015, Renofa earned their first and successful promotion from the JFL after winning the J3 League. The club was promoted for the J2 League ahead of the 2016 season. The club was guaranteed promotion after a 2–2 draw against Gainare Tottori in the closing rounds of the season, as Renofa were working towards J2 licensing before the season ended, for the promotion to be actually earned.

On 26 September 2023, Renofa Yamaguchi announcement officially granted J1 License.^[8]

The club will play their 8th consecutive season at the J2 League on 2023.

• Yamaguchi Prefecture Teachers Football Club (山口県サッカー教員団, Yamaguchi-ken sakkā kyōin dan) (Yamaguchi Teachers, Yamaguchi KFC) (1949–2005)
• Renofa Yamaguchi FC (レノファ山口FC, Renofa Yamaguchi Efu Shī) (2006–)

(Note that prior to the 1991 season a team would earn two points for a win)
(From 1997 to 2006 when a match ended in a draw, a penalty shoot-out would occur. The winning team were awarded 2 points, and the losing team 1 point)

Key

As of 2 August 2024.^[9] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   KOR Choi Hyung-chan 2 DF   JPN Hidenori Takahashi 3 DF   BRA Renan 4 MF   THA Sarach Yooyen (on loan from BG Pathum United) 6 DF   KOR Kim Byeom-yong 8 MF   JPN Kensuke Sato 9 FW   JPN Yamato Wakatsuki 10 MF   JPN Joji Ikegami 11 MF   JPN Toshiya Tanaka 13 DF   JPN Takeru Itakura 14 DF   JPN Keigo Numata 15 DF   JPN Takayuki Mae 16 MF   JPN Masakazu Yoshioka 17 MF   JPN Hiroto Ishikawa 18 MF   JPN Yuki Aida 19 FW   JPN Shunsuke Yamamoto 20 FW   JPN Kota Kawano

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 GK   JPN Kentaro Seki 22 GK   JPN Koshiro Itohara 26 GK   JPN Junto Taguchi 28 MF   JPN Seigo Kobayashi 30 MF   JPN Yohei Okuyama (on loan from Machida Zelvia) 33 MF   JPN Koji Yamase 37 MF   JPN Kohei Tanabe 38 FW   JPN Toua Suenaga 40 DF   JPN Dai Hirase (on loan from Sagan Tosu) 41 DF   JPN Ryusei Shimodo 43 DF   JPN Shun Isotani DSP 48 DF   JPN Kaili Shimbo 49 DF   JPN Yuya Mineda DSP 51 FW   JPN Noriyoshi Sakai (on loan from Nagoya Grampus) 55 FW   JPN Taiyo Igarashi (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale) 68 FW   JPN Kazuya Noyori 94 FW   BRA Sílvio

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 MF   JPN Hiro Mizuguchi (at Atletico Suzuka) 50 DF   JPN Naiki Imai (at Kochi United)

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK   JPN Genki Yamada (at Kataller Toyama)

League matches only.

Manager	Nationality	Tenure		Managerial Record
		From	To	P	W	D	L	W%
Takashi Yamamoto	Japan	1990	31 January 2006
Takashi Miyanari	Japan	1 February 2006	31 January 2010
Takashi Kawamura	Japan	1 February 2012	31 January 2013
Genki Nakayama	Japan	1 February 2013	31 January 2014
Nobuhiro Ueno	Japan	1 February 2014	23 May 2017	119	57	21	41	047.90
Shinji Sarusawa	Japan	24 May 2017	5 June 2017	2	0	0	2	000.00
Carlos Mayor	Argentina	6 June 2017	31 December 2017	25	9	1	15	036.00
Masahiro Shimoda	Japan	1 February 2018	31 January 2021	130	40	27	63	030.77
Susumu Watanabe	Japan	1 February 2021	28 September 2021	31	8	8	15	025.81
Yoshihiro Natsuka	Japan	29 September 2021	9 May 2023	67	18	21	28	026.87
Genki Nakayama	Japan	10 May 2023	7 June 2023	4	0	1	3	000.00
Juan Esnáider	Argentina	8 June 2023	13 November 2023	23	6	7	10	026.09
Ryo Shigaki	Japan	1 December 2023	present	0	0	0	0	!—

Key

• Source: J.League Data Site

• Official Site (in Japanese)
• Chūgoku League Official Site (in Japanese)