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Shonan Bellmare
湘南ベルマーレ
Shonan Bellmare logo.svg
Full name Shonan Bellmare
Founded 1968; 56 years ago (1968) as Towa Real Estate SC
Stadium Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
Stadium
capacity
15,380
Chairman Kiyoshi Makabe
Manager Satoshi Yamaguchi
League J1 League
2022 J1 League, 12th of 18

Shonan Bellmare (湘南ベルマーレ, Shōnan Berumāre) is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium. Shonan refers to a coastal area along Sagami Bay that includes Hiratsuka. Bellmare is a portmanteau of the Italian words bello and mare, meaning "beautiful sea".

History

Early years as corporate team

The club was founded in 1968 as Towa Real Estate SC in Nasu, Tochigi. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League (JSL) Division 1 in 1972. They changed their name to Fujita Kogyo S.C. when Towa Estate Development gave up the ownership to their parent company Fujita Industries, which moved the club to Hiratsuka.

They won the JSL three times (including two doubles with the Emperor's Cup) between 1977 and 1981. They were nevertheless relegated to the JSL's Division 2 in 1990. Although they won the last JSL Division 2 season in 1991–92, the professionalization and formation of the J.League meant they did not meet the new top flight league's criteria and the runners-up, Kashima Antlers (formerly Sumitomo), were promoted instead.

1993: JFL

In 1993, they adopted new name Shonan Bellmare. Their application to the J.League Associate membership was accepted. They played in the former Japan Football League Division 1 and won the league championship. After Hiratsuka City Council committed to finance the refurbishment of the Hiratsuka Stadium to meet the J.League requirements, J.League accepted the club.

1994–1997: Golden era

Hidetoshi Nakata in Okinawa
Hidetoshi Nakata, who won the Asian Cup Winners' Cup trophy in 1996

The club was forced to change their name to Bellmare Hiratsuka because J.League required the participants to designate only one city or town as their hometown and include its name in the club names at that time. The club initially struggled to cope with the J.League opponents and finished 11th out of 12 in the first stage of the 1994 season. However, they came back in the second stage and finished 2nd. With this momentum, the club won the 1994–1995 Emperor's Cup. This title qualified Bellmare for the 1996 Asian Cup Winners' Cup, which they won by beating Iraq's Al Talaba in the final. Hidetoshi Nakata joined the team in 1995 and they also successfully recruited Brazilian-born Wagner Lopes and influential Korean international Hong Myung-bo. This is arguably the most successful period of the club.

1998–1999: Difficult period

Four Bellmare players were selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They were Nakata, Lopes, Hong and a goalkeeper Nobuyuki Kojima. However, as Nakata left for Italian club Perugia just after the World Cup, the club's fortune started to decline. The main sponsor Fujita decided to discontinue the financial support in 1999 due to their own financial difficulties. It forced the club to release some highly paid players including Lopes, Hong and Kojima. They finished bottom of J1 in 1999 and were relegated to J2.

2000–2009: J2

The club made a new start. The ownership was transferred to a community-owned organisation. They also changed their name to Shonan Bellmare as J.League allowed them to enlarge their designated hometowns to include several cities and towns surrounding Hiratsuka. The club's performance on the pitch has not been strong and they have not been serious contenders for the promotion to J1 so far.

A J1 comeback in 2010, if they are able to achieve promotion, will be the first without Fujita as their sponsor. Although for a time they refused to consider their history as the championship-winning Fujita corporate team in their current history, this year they celebrated the club's 40-year anniversary in 2009 as deduced from the badge in their Web site.

On 5 December 2009, Shonan returned to J1 as third-place finishers in 2009 seasons.

2010–present: Return to J1

The club returned to the J1 in 2010, but injured one after another and J2 was relegated after leaving four games. In the end, he won 21 consecutive league games. It was the worst record of J1 at that time. After that, the team will be repeatedly demoted to J2 and promoted to J1.

In recent years, the team has been steadily emphasizing. In 2014, the team made good progress in the J2, winning 14 consecutive games from the opening. The team was defeated by Ehime FC in the 15th round, but after that they lost 21 battles. J1 automatic promotion is confirmed. As a result, he won the J2 with 31 wins, 8 draws, 3 losses and 101 points in the 2014 season. In 2016, in the J1, Shonan Bellmare was the final result in 8th place, and it was the first time for J1 to remain in history. In addition, at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2015 held in August, Wataru Endo, who was on the team at the time, participated as a representative of Japan. In 2018, won the J.League Cup. It was the first time for Shonan Bellmare to win three major titles since winning the 74th Emperor's Cup in the Bellmare Hiratsuka.

On the operational side, there was some report that the club fell into excess debt of more than 100 million yen in February 2012, and in the worst case the club itself could be dissolved (the actual amount of excess debt was 82.68 million yen). However, the debt insolvency was resolved by two capital increases. In April 2018, SANEI ARCHITECTURE PLANNING, which was the largest shareholder of Shonan Bellmare, established "Merudia RIZAP Shonan Sports Partners" in collaboration with RIZAP GROUP. The new company acquired a 50% stake in Shonan Bellmare. RIZAP GROUP intends to invest 1 billion yen in Bellmare over the next three years.

Colour, sponsors and manufacturers

Season(s) Main Shirt Sponsor Collarbone Sponsor Additional Sponsor(s) Kit Manufacturer
2019 MELDIA
Sanei Architecture Planning
- /
Anritsu
RIZAP Sanno University Nippon Tanshi Fujita - Penalty
2020 - - /
HNK Higashinippon Express
2021 - /
Nippon Tanshi
- /
Mackenzie House

Kit evolution

Home Kits - 1st
1994 - 1996
1997 - 1998
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
2003 - 2004
2005 - 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022 -
Away Kits - 2nd
1994 - 1996
1997 - 1998
1999 - 2000
2001 - 2002
2003 - 2004
2005 - 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022 -
Alternative Kits - 3rd
2012
Tanabata
Memorial
2013
Tanabata
Memorial
2014
Tanabata
Memorial
2015
Tanabata
Memorial
2016
Tanabata
Kinen
2017
Tanabata
Memorial
2018
Tanabata
Memorial
2018
50th anniversary
2019
Tanabata
Memorial
2020
Tanabata
Memorial

Rivalries

Historically the Shonan area was part of a pre-modern province, Sagami Province, whereas Yokohama and Kawasaki were part of Musashi Province, hence Bellmare's intraprefectural rivalries with Yokohama F. Marinos, Yokohama FC and Kawasaki Frontale are based on the hard-working port cities of South Musashi as opposed to the more laid-back attitude of Sagami.

Record as J.League member

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
Season Div. Teams Pos. Attendance/G J.League Cup Emperor's
Cup
Asia
1994 J1 12 5th 17,836 1st round Winner
1995 14 11th 16,111 2nd round CWC Winner
1996 16 11th 10,483 Semi-final Quarter final CWC Quarter Final
1997 17 8th 7,841 Group stage Quarter final
1998 18 11th 10,158 Group stage 4th round
1999 16 16th 7,388 1st round 3rd round
2000 J2 11 8th 4,968 1st round 3rd round
2001 12 8th 4,112 1st round 2nd round
2002 12 5th 4,551 4th round
2003 12 10th 4,731 4th round
2004 12 10th 4,691 5th round
2005 12 7th 5,746 3rd round
2006 13 11th 5,365 4th round
2007 13 6th 4,677 4th round
2008 15 5th 5,994 3rd round
2009 18 3rd 7,273 2nd round
2010 J1 18 18th 11,095 Group stage 3rd round
2011 J2 20 14th 6,943 Quarter final
2012 22 2nd 6,852 3rd round
2013 J1 18 16th 9,911 Group stage 3rd round
2014 J2 22 1st 8,478 3rd round
2015 J1 18 8th 12,208 Group stage 3rd round
2016 18 17th 11,530 Group stage Quarter finals
2017 J2 22 1st 8,454 3rd round
2018 J1 18 13th 12,120 Winner 4th round
2019 18 16th 12,848 Group stage 2nd round
2020 18 18th 4,467 Group stage Did not qualify
2021 20 16th 4,850 Play-off stage 4th round
2022 18 12th 9,228 Play-off stage 3rd round
Key
  • Pos. = Position in league
  • Attendance/G = Average league attendance
  • 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J. League Data Site

Honours

Domestic

As Towa / Fujita
  • All Japan Senior Football Championship: 1971
  • Japan Soccer League: 1977, 1979, 1981
  • JSL Cup: 1973
  • Emperor's Cup: 1977, 1979
  • Japan Soccer League Division 2: 1991–92
  • (old) Japan Football League Division 1: 1993
As Bellmare Hiratsuka / Shonan Bellmare

Continental

  • Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 1995

Invitational

  • BTV Cup: 2016

League history

  • Kanto Football League: 1970–71
  • Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1972–89 (1972–74 as Towa Real Estate Development; 1975–89 as Fujita Industries)
  • Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1990–91 (as Fujita Industries)
  • Division 2 (Japan Football League (former) Div. 1): 1992–93 (as Fujita Industries)
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 1994–99 (as Bellmare Hiratsuka)
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2000–09 (as Shonan Bellmare)
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2010
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2011–12
  • Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2013
  • Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2014
  • Division 1 (J1 League): 2015–16
  • Division 2 (J2 League): 2017
  • Division 1 (J1 League): 2018–

Total (as of 2017): 28 seasons in the top tier, 18 seasons in the second tier and 2 seasons in the Regional Leagues.

Players

Current squad

No. Position Player
1 Japan GK Kosei Tani (on loan from Gamba Osaka)
2 Japan DF Daiki Sugioka (on loan from Kashima Antlers)
3 Japan DF Hirokazu Ishihara (captain)
4 Japan DF Koki Tachi
5 Japan MF Shota Kobayashi
6 Japan DF Takuya Okamoto
8 Japan DF Kazunari Ono
9 Brazil FW Wellington
10 Japan MF Naoki Yamada
11 Norway FW Tarik Elyounoussi
13 Japan FW Yusuke Segawa
14 Japan MF Akimi Barada
15 Japan MF Takuji Yonemoto (on loan from Nagoya Grampus)
16 Japan DF Shuto Yamamoto
17 Japan FW Yuki Ohashi
18 Japan FW Shūto Machino
21 Japan GK Hiroki Mawatari (on loan from Fagiano Okayama)
22 Japan DF Kazuki Oiwa
No. Position Player
23 Japan GK Daiki Tomii
24 Japan DF Hayato Fukushima
25 Japan FW Yamato Wakatsuki
26 Japan MF Taiga Hata
27 Japan MF Masaki Ikeda
28 Japan MF Taiyo Hiraoka
29 Japan FW Akito Suzuki
30 Japan MF Junnosuke Suzuki
31 Japan GK Kotaro Tachikawa
32 Japan DF Sere Matsumura
33 Japan DF Taisei Ishii
34 Japan MF Naoki Hara
37 Japan MF Hisatsugu Ishii Type 2
42 Japan MF Ryo Takahashi
44 Japan MF Yoshihiro Nakano
46 Nigeria MF Mikel Agu
49 Japan MF Hiroyuki Abe (on loan from Nagoya Grampus)

Out on loan

No. Position Player
7 Japan MF Satoshi Tanaka (to Kortrijk)
19 Japan FW Ryo Nemoto (to Tochigi SC)
20 Japan DF Kodai Minoda (to SC Sagamihara)
41 Japan MF Ryota Nagaki (to Nagoya Grampus)
Japan GK Kota Sanada (to Tokyo Musashino United)
Japan GK Daiki Hotta (to Fagiano Okayama)
No. Position Player
Japan MF Asahi Yokokawa (to Tokyo Musashino United)
Japan MF Sosuke Shibata (to Kataller Toyama)
Japan MF Hikaru Arai (to Fukushima United)
Japan MF Mitsuki Saito (to Gamba Osaka)
Japan MF Sho Hiramatsu (to Zweigen Kanazawa)

Reserve squad (U-18s)

No. Position Player
Japan GK Haruto Matsumura
Japan GK Shunta Mizusawa
Japan GK Ryunosuke Takahashi
Japan GK Toa Tanaka
Japan GK Kosei Yamazaki
Japan DF Ikechukwu Brian Hara
Japan DF Rikuto Imamura
Japan DF Ryoma Inori
Japan DF Reiya Ishida
Japan DF Koki Iwata
Japan DF Keita Kosugi
Japan DF Noah Mason
Japan DF Shogo Masumori
Japan DF Ryosuke Miyata
Japan DF Kazuto Sato
Japan DF Kosuke Sugisaki
Japan DF Soru Tanaka
Japan DF Daniel Umetsu
Japan DF Takumi Yanagida
Japan MF Toranosuke Akiyama
Japan MF Haruto Hamakawa
Japan MF Yoshiki Honda
Japan MF Katsutoshi Higashi
Japan MF Takumi Ikeda
Japan MF Jun Inami
No. Position Player
Japan MF Shuba Manaka
Japan MF Ritsuki Matsui
Japan MF Kazuto Moriya
Japan MF Dai Nakano
Japan MF Yuki Nomura
Japan MF Miki Okumura
Japan MF Temmu Onizuka
Japan MF Sota Takada
Japan MF Kio Takara
Japan MF Hayato Tamura
Japan MF Taiga Tanaka
Japan MF Yuki Ueda
Japan MF Areki Watabe
Japan MF Kaito Watanabe
Japan FW Kotaro Honda
Japan FW Hisatsugu Ishii
Japan FW Yuma Nakamura
Japan FW Jo Sekiguchi
Japan FW Sota Sempuku
Japan FW Shoki Shinozaki
Japan FW Kuranosuke Suzuki
Japan FW Towa Terashita
Japan FW Soichiro Tomura
Japan FW Kakeru Yamazaki

Management & Support staff

Role Name
Manager Japan Satoshi Yamaguchi
Assistant Manager Japan Kenji Takahashi
Japan Yoshihiro Yatsukawa
First Team Coach Japan Masahiro Koga
Goalkeeper Coach Japan Kei Uemura
Physical coach Japan Kazutaka Takahashi
Conditioning coach Japan Yuta Iguchi
Chief Team Doctor Japan Eiichi Suzuki
Team Doctor Japan Koji Nikaido
Japan Makoto Takahashi
Physiotherapist Japan Shusuke Shimada
Physiotherapist Japan Shigeyuki Shimizu
Chief Trainer Japan Hisayoshi Kojima
Athletic trainer Japan Nobuhide Kurihara
Japan Takahiro Yoshikawa
Interpreter Japan Daimasa Soeda
Brazil Higa Chiago
Competent Japan Masataka Takada
Side affairs Japan Hiroto Araki
South Korea Park Qing-yu

Manager history

Manager Nationality Tenure
Start Finish
Yukio Shimomura  Japan 1 February 1972 31 January 1979
Yoshinobu Ishii  Japan 1 January 1975 31 December 1980
Tsutomu Nakamura  Japan 1 February 1981 31 January 1985
Hidemitsu Hanaoka  Japan 1 February 1985 30 June 1988
Yoshinobu Ishii  Japan 1 January 1988 31 December 1990
Mitsuru Komaeda  Japan 1 July 1990 27 November 1995
Shigeharu Ueki  Japan 28 November 1995 31 January 1996
Toninho Moura  Brazil 1 February 1996 19 September 1996
Shigeharu Ueki  Japan 20 September 1996 31 January 1999
Eiji Ueda  Japan 1 February 1999 30 June 1999
Mitsuru Komaeda  Japan 1 July 1999 31 January 2000
Hisashi Katō  Japan 1 February 2000 31 January 2001
Kōji Tanaka  Japan 1 February 2001 30 November 2002
Ajam Boujarari Mohammed  Morocco 1 February 2003 15 May 2003
Matsuichi Yamada  Japan 16 May 2003 14 July 2004
Tatsuya Mochizuki  Japan 15 July 2004 13 September 2004
Eiji Ueda  Japan 15 September 2004 5 June 2006
Masaaki Kanno  Japan 5 June 2006 31 January 2009
Yasuharu Sorimachi  Japan 1 February 2009 31 January 2012
Cho Kwi-jae  South Korea 1 February 2012 8 October 2019
Kenji Takahashi  Japan 13 August 2019 9 October 2019
Bin Ukishima  Japan 10 October 2019 31 August 2021
Satoshi Yamaguchi  Japan 1 September 2021 Current

Affiliated clubs

The following clubs ars currently affiliated with Shonan Bellmare:

  • Cambodia Boeung Ket FC (2022–present)
  • China Wuhan Three Towns FC (2022–present)
  • India Sudeva Delhi FC (2022–present)
  • Laos FC Chanthabouly (2022–present)
  • Malaysia Kelantan United FC (2022–present)
  • Philippines Davao Aguilas FC (2022–present
  • Thailand Nongbua Pitchaya FC (2022–present)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Shonan Bellmare para niños

  • Shonan Bellmare Futsal Club
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