Tokushima Vortis
Tokushima Vortis (徳島ヴォルティス, Tokushima Vorutisu) is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J2 League. The team is located in Tokushima, Tokushima Prefecture. Their home stadium is Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium, in Naruto, Tokushima.
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| Full name | Tokushima Vortis | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Vortis | ||
| Founded | 1955 | ||
| Ground | Naruto Otsuka Sports Park Pocari Sweat Stadium Naruto, Tokushima | ||
| Capacity | 17,924 | ||
| Owner | Otsuka Pharmaceutical | ||
| Manager | Ricardo Rodríguez | ||
| League | J2 League | ||
| 2019 | J2 League, 4th | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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The name, "Vortis" was named in 1997 (see below), and it was explained as a combination of Italian "Vortice" (meaning whirlpool, after the famous Naruto whirlpool in Naruto Strait).[1]
History
Founded in 1955 as Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Soccer Club, VORTIS joined the J-League in 2005. They are still sponsored by Otsuka's best-known brand, Pocari Sweat sports drink.[1]
They were first promoted to the old Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1989, but the company's reluctance to professionalize the team forced it to compete in the former JFL and current JFL. In the 1997 old JFL season, they first sported a Vortis Tokushima name, but the lack of fan interest at the time forced them to go back to the corporate identity. They finally adopted the Tokushima Vortis name for good after winning the new JFL championship in 2004 and being promoted.[2]
The first season in J2 was naturally a difficult one for Vortis, but they surprised many sceptics with their determination and quality of play. The team rose as high as fourth place, at one point, before slipping down the table later in the season to finish ninth. In 2006, the team was forced to rebuild, as the players who took the team into the J.League began to hit the ceiling of their abilities, and made way for younger replacements. As a result, despite the encouragement of a local rivalry with Ehime FC, Tokushima drifted down-table, and they followed it up with a last-place finish in 2007 and 2008.[2]
In 2013 they earned fourth place in J2, matching the same placement they had two years before in the division and twenty years before in the old JFL Division 1; this time they won the playoff, defeating Kyoto Sanga F.C. in the final round at the National Stadium in Tokyo, thus becoming the first professional Shikoku football club to compete in the top division of their national league.[3]
Until their promotion, they were the only former JSL member currently a member of the J.League which has never competed in the top tier of Japanese football. With promotion and the creation of the J3 League in 2014, the distinction was taken over by Blaublitz Akita.
In the 2019 season they finished 4th again and were one win away from a return to J1 in the playoffs, but ultimately failed to beat Shonan Bellmare away in the final game.
Record as J.League member
| Season | Div. | Tms. | Pos. | Attendance/G | J.League Cup | Emperor's Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | J2 | 12 | 9 | 4,366 | – | 4th round |
| 2006 | J2 | 13 | 13 | 3,477 | – | 4th round |
| 2007 | J2 | 13 | 13 | 3,289 | – | 4th round |
| 2008 | J2 | 15 | 15 | 3,862 | – | 3rd round |
| 2009 | J2 | 18 | 9 | 4,073 | – | 2nd round |
| 2010 | J2 | 19 | 8 | 4,614 | – | 3rd round |
| 2011 | J2 | 20 | 4 | 5,207 | – | 2nd round |
| 2012 | J2 | 22 | 15 | 3,991 | – | 3rd round |
| 2013 | J2 | 22 | 4 | 4,348 | – | 2nd round |
| 2014 | J1 | 18 | 18 | 8,884 | Group Stage | 3rd round |
| 2015 | J2 | 22 | 14 | 5,019 | – | 4th round |
| 2016 | J2 | 22 | 9 | 4,565 | – | 3rd round |
| 2017 | J2 | 22 | 7 | 4,979 | – | 2nd round |
| 2018 | J2 | 22 | 11 | 4,997 | – | 3rd round |
| 2019 | J2 | 22 | 4 | 5,736 | – | 3rd round |
- Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
- Attendance/G = Average league attendance
- Source: J. League Data Site
Current players
As of 4 July 2020.[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Managers
References
- "Tokushima Vortis Challenges J1 League Rivals". Otsuka Pharmaceutical. February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- "The 2013 Promotion Playoff winners are the first club from the island of Shikoku to participate in Japan's top flight". Goal.com. March 26, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- Gus Fielding (December 8, 2013). "Tokushima reaches J1 with playoff final victory". Kyodo News. The Japan Times. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- "Top team | トップチーム". Tokushima Vortis. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
External links
- (in Japanese) Tokushima Vortis Official Web Site