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Albirex Niigata

This article is about the men's football club based in Japan. For the women's team, see Albirex Niigata Ladies.
Albirex Niigata
Full nameAlbirex Niigata
Nickname(s)Albi
Founded1955; 69 years ago (1955) as Niigata Eleven SC
GroundDenka Big Swan Stadium,
Niigata
Capacity42,300
ChairmanDaisuke Korenaga
ManagerDaisuke Kimori [1]
LeagueJ1 League
2024J1 League, 16th of 20
Websitewww.albirex.co.jp
Current season

Albirex Niigata (アルビレックス新潟, Arubirekkusu Nīgata) is a professional football club based in Niigata, Japan. Formed in 1955 as Niigata Eleven SC, it was renamed Albireo Niigata FC in 1995, and Albirex Niigata in 1997. They currently play in J1 League after being promoted from J2 League as champions in 2022.

History

See also: List of Albirex Niigata seasons

For many years it had been a local autonomous amateur club, Niigata 11, that could never hope to see the light of day in an old Japan Soccer League dominated almost entirely by company teams. The creation of the J. League spurred the club to rise, and in the 1990s it began climbing fast through the divisions.[2]

In 1998, Albirex Niigata joined the Japan Football League, and was merged into the J2 League after its creation in 1999. The team gradually became competitive and in 2001 and 2002 it came close to getting promoted to J1 and in 2003,[3] it became the champion of J2 and finally joined the top flight.

Name changed

The team name is made from combining the star Albireo of the constellation Cygnus (the Swan) and the Latin word Rex meaning 'king'.[4] In 1997, due to copyright issues, the team name was changed from Albireo Niigata to the current Albirex Niigata.

Team name transition

  • Niigata Eleven SC (Soccer Club) (1955)
  • Albireo Niigata FC (1995)
  • Albirex Niigata (1997)

Home stadium

The Big Swan
Main article: Denka Big Swan Stadium

Joining the J. League in 1999, its hometowns are Niigata and Seiro. Until 2003, it used Niigata Perfectural Sport Ground as the home ground but since 2004, the team began using Niigata Stadium Big Swan as well and now plays most of its games there. In 2003,[5] it set a record for highest attendance in the J. League with the cumulative total of around 660,000.[6] Its practice grounds are Albirex's training facilities in Seiro Albillage and the Ijimino Sports Park (五十公野運動公園, Ijimino Undō Kōen) in Shibata.

The club plays its home games in the Niigata Stadium "Big Swan", which is currently called Denka Big Swan Stadium through a sponsorship deal. The stadium was opened in 2001 and has a capacity of 42,300. Prior to this the club had played its matches in the Niigata City Athletic Stadium constructed in 1938 with a capacity of 18,000.

The stadium was the site of two first round matches and one Round of 16 match in the past 2002 FIFA World Cup. It was also the venue for the 2009 National Sports Festival.

Current squad

As of 30 July 2024.[7]

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
1 GK Japan JPN Ryosuke Kojima
3 DF Australia AUS Thomas Deng
5 DF New Zealand NZL Michael Fitzgerald
6 MF Japan JPN Hiroki Akiyama (vice-captain)
7 FW Japan JPN Kaito Taniguchi
8 MF Japan JPN Eiji Miyamoto
9 FW Japan JPN Koji Suzuki
11 FW Japan JPN Shusuke Ota
14 MF Japan JPN Motoki Hasegawa
16 FW Japan JPN Yota Komi
17 MF Brazil BRA Danilo Gomes
18 DF Japan JPN Fumiya Hayakawa
19 MF Japan JPN Yuji Hoshi
20 MF Japan JPN Yuzuru Shimada
21 GK Japan JPN Koto Abe
22 MF Japan JPN Eitaro Matsuda (on loan from Yokohama F. Marinos)
23 GK Japan JPN Daisuke Yoshimitsu
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 DF Japan JPN Riita Mori
25 MF Japan JPN Soya Fujiwara
26 DF Japan JPN Ryo Endo
27 FW Japan JPN Motoki Nagakura
30 MF Japan JPN Jin Okumura
31 DF Japan JPN Yuto Horigome (captain)
32 DF Japan JPN Takumi Hasegawa
33 MF Japan JPN Yoshiaki Takagi
35 DF Japan JPN Kazuhiko Chiba
39 GK Japan JPN Haruki Nishimura
40 MF Japan JPN Aozora Ishiyama
42 DF Japan JPN Kento Hashimoto
45 DF Japan JPN Hayato Inamura DSP
46 MF Japan JPN Keisuke Kasai DSP
51 GK Japan JPN Shota Uchiyama Type 2
99 MF Japan JPN Yuji Ono

Out on loan

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
— GK Japan JPN Kazuki Fujita (to JEF United Chiba)
— MF Japan JPN Yushin Otake (to YSCC Yokohama)
— DF Japan JPN Shosei Okamoto (to Kagoshima United)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Peru PER Kazuyoshi Shimabuku (to Fujieda MYFC)
— MF Japan JPN Jimpei Yoshida (to Kamatamare Sanuki)

Notable players

Main article: List of Albirex Niigata players

Club officials

Position Name
Manager Japan Daisuke Kimori
Head coach Japan Yusuke Ogura
Coaches Japan Toru Irie
Japan Motoharu Watanabe
Assistant coach Japan Tatsuya Tanaka
Technical coach Japan Mirai Morita
Japan Namito Ikezawa
Physical coach Japan Tsutomu Anno
Goalkeeping coach Japan Ryuji Ishizue
Assistant goalkeeping coach Japan Yasuhiro Watanabe
Chief doctor Japan Satoshi Watanabe
Chief trainer Japan Seiichi Narahara
Training coaches Japan Tetsuo Hasegawa
Japan Koji Okamoto
Physiotherapist Japan Takeshi Iokawa
Interpreter Japan Yu Kusayanagi
Brazil Yoshio Silvio Kanashiro Cantao
Competent Japan Takaaki Onozaki
Deputy officer Japan Ryo Doi
Equipment manager Japan Kota Tamakawa

Managerial history

Correct as of 23 October 2022

Manager Nationality Tenure Managerial Record
League
Start Finish P W D L W %
Frans van Balkom  Netherlands 1 February 1995 31 January 1998 [8] 36 28 3 5 077.78
Yoshikazu Nagai  Japan 1 February 1998 31 December 2000 [8] 76 35 7 34 046.05
Yasuharu Sorimachi  Japan 1 February 2001 31 January 2006 [8] 196 97 40 59 049.49
Jun Suzuki  Japan 1 February 2006 31 January 2010 [8][9][10][11] 136 51 32 53 037.50
Hisashi Kurosaki  Japan 1 February 2010 21 May 2012 [12][13][14][15] 80 24 25 31 030.00
Nobuhiro Ueno (caretaker)  Japan 22 May 2012 10 June 2012 [15][16] 1 0 0 1 000.00
Masaaki Yanagishita  Japan 11 June 2012 31 January 2016 [14][15][17] 68 20 18 30 029.41
Tatsuma Yoshida  Japan 1 February 2016 27 September 2016 [18] 30 7 6 17 023.33
Koichiro Katafuchi (caretaker)  Japan 27 September 2016 31 January 2017 [18] 4 1 0 3 025.00
Fumitake Miura  Japan 1 February 2017 7 May 2017 10 1 2 7 010.00
Koichiro Katafuchi (caretaker)  Japan 8 May 2017 10 May 2017 0 0 0 0 !—
Wagner Lopes  Japan 11 May 2017 31 December 2017 23 6 5 12 026.09
Masakazu Suzuki  Japan 1 February 2018 7 August 2018 27 8 5 14 029.63
Koichiro Katafuchi  Japan 8 August 2018 13 April 2019 24 10 6 8 041.67
Kazuaki Yoshinaga  Japan 14 April 2019 31 January 2020 33 14 7 12 042.42
Albert Puig Ortoneda  Spain 1 February 2020 31 January 2022 84 32 29 23 038.10
Rikizo Matsuhashi  Japan 1 February 2022 31 January 2025 [19] 43 25 9 9 058.14
Daisuke Kimori  Japan 1 February 2025 Current — − − − —

Record as J.League member

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League J.League
Cup		 Emperor's
Cup
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W (OTW) D L (OTL) F A GD Pts Attendance/G
1999 J2 10 4th 36 16 (4) 2 13 (1) 46 40 6 58 4,211 1st round 3rd round
2000 11 7th 40 11 (4) 5 18 (2) 54 63 9 46 4,007 1st round Round of 16
2001 12 4th 44 22 (4) 4 7 (7) 79 47 32 78 16,659 1st round Round of 16
2002 12 7th 44 23 13 8 75 47 28 82 21,478 Not eligible 3rd round
2003 12 1st 44 27 7 10 80 40 40 88 30,339 Round of 16
2004 J1 16 10th 30 10 7 13 47 58 -11 37 37,689 Group stage 4th round
2005 18 12th 34 11 9 14 47 62 -15 42 40,114 Group stage Round of 16
2006 18 14th 34 12 6 16 46 65 -19 42 38,709 Group stage Round of 16
2007 18 6th 34 15 6 13 48 47 1 51 38,276 Group stage 4th round
2008 18 13th 34 11 9 14 32 46 -14 37 34,490 Group stage Round of 16
2009 18 8th 34 13 11 10 42 31 11 50 33,446 Group stage Quarter-finals
2010 18 9th 34 12 13 9 48 45 3 49 30,542 Group stage Round of 16
2011 18 14th 34 10 9 15 38 46 -8 39 26,049 Quarter-finals 3rd round
2012 18 15th 34 10 10 14 29 34 -5 40 25,018 Group stage 3rd round
2013 18 7th 34 17 4 13 48 42 6 55 26,112 Group stage 3rd round
2014 18 12th 34 12 8 14 30 36 -6 44 22,979 Group stage 3rd round
2015 18 15th 34 8 10 16 41 58 -17 34 21,936 Semi-finals 3rd round
2016 18 15th 34 8 6 20 33 49 -16 30 21,181 Group stage Round of 16
2017 18 17th 34 7 7 20 28 60 -32 28 22,034 Group stage 3rd round
2018 J2 22 16th 42 15 8 19 48 56 -8 53 14,913 Group stage 3rd round
2019 22 10th 42 17 11 14 71 52 -19 62 14,497 Not eligible 2nd round
2020 † 22 11th 42 14 15 13 55 55 0 57 5,361 Did not qualify
2021 † 22 6th 42 18 14 10 61 40 21 68 10,879 3rd round
2022 22 1st 42 25 9 8 73 35 38 84 14,954 2nd round
2023 J1 18 10th 34 11 12 11 36 40 -4 45 21,731 Group stage Quarter-finals
2024 20 16th 38 10 12 16 44 59 -15 42 22,430 Runners-up 3rd round
2025 20 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
  • Attendance/G = Average league home attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendance reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J.League Data Site

Honours

Albirex Niigata Honours
Honour No. Years
Hokushinetsu Football League 3 1986, 1996, 1997
J2 League 2 2003, 2022

Kit and colours

Colours

Orange represents the sunset of Niigata, and blue represents the Sea of Japan.[20]

Kit evolution

Home kits - 1st
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
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
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
2003 - 2004
2005 - 2007
2008 - 2009
2010 - 2011
2012 - 2013
2014 - 2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
3rd kits - Other
2015 Cup
2016 3rd
2016 Cup
2017 3rd
2017
Summer
2018
Isao Honma retirement match
2020
ONE NIIGATA
Memorial Blue

Affiliated clubs

Active departments of Albirex
Football
(Men's)		 Football
(Women's)		 Football
(Singapore)
Basketball
(Men's)		 Basketball
(Women's)		 Cheerleading
Skiing Athletics Baseball
Racing Snowboarding Football
(Affiliate)

Since 2004, Albirex Niigata has selected a number of players for its satellite team in the Singapore Premier League. Albirex also has a women's team and joined L2 league (an equivalent of J2) in 2004. Albirex Ladies won the L2 title in 2006,[21] and went on to join L1 in 2007.

The following clubs are affiliated with Albirex Niigata

Former affiliated club

In addition to the J1 Albirex Niigata football team, there is a Niigata Albirex basketball club in the B.League, as well as a ski, snowboard, baseball, and track and field team. Even though the teams share the same name, the management and finances are completely separate for each team.


References

  1. ^ "New Managerial announcement". www.albirex.co.jp. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  2. ^ Niigata-Nippo. 11 years-History of Albirex Niigata (2007), pp. 2–10.
  3. ^ "Albirex won the promotion slot" Niigata-Nippo: p. 1. 24 November 2003.
  4. ^ "Club guide : Albirex Niigata" (in Japanese). J.League. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  5. ^ "History of Niigata stadium" (in Japanese). Albirex Niigata. and Niigata Urban Flowering and Greenery Foundation Group. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Venture spirits, Hiroshi Ikeda interview" (in Japanese). Biz STYLE. 27 December 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  7. ^ "TEAM". アルビレックス新潟 公式サイト｜ALBIREX NIIGATA OFFICIAL WEBSITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d The 11-year History of Albirex Niigata (in Japanese). Albirex Niigata. 2007. ISBN 978-4861322211.
  9. ^ "League Table 2007 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  10. ^ "League Table 2008 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  11. ^ "League Table 2009 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  12. ^ "League Table 2010 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  13. ^ "League Table 2011 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  14. ^ a b "League Table 2012 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  15. ^ a b c "Yanagishita named Albirex manager". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  16. ^ "SCORESHEET 2012 J.LEAGUE Division 1 2nd Day 13th Sec". J. League. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  17. ^ "League Table 2013 J.LEAGUE Division 1". J. League. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  18. ^ a b "2016 J.LEAGUE Division 1 Albirex Niigata". J. League. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  19. ^ "Coach to retire end of season". www.albirex.co.jp. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Club colours official profile from J League website". jleague.jp. J League website.
  21. ^ "2006 Nadeshiko League" (PDF) (in Japanese). Nadeshiko League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
Quelle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Albirex_Niigata_managers