JEF United Ichihara Chiba
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2
J. League Division 2
The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....

 had joined Ichihara, Chiba
Ichihara, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2010, the city has an estimated population of 279,080, with a population density of 758 persons per km². The total area of Ichihara was 368.20 km²...

 as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 and Furukawa Electric
Furukawa Electric
Furukawa Electric is a Japanese company. It is listed on the Nikkei 225. Its products include superconductivity cables....

- and United, represents the unity of the team and its home town. The club is also known as or .

History

The team began as the company team, in 1946. As the company team, it won the Japan Soccer League
Japan Soccer League
, or JSL, was the top flight soccer league in Japan between 1965 and 1992, and was the precursor to the current professional league, the J. League. JSL was the second national league of a team sport in Japan after the professional Japanese Baseball League that was founded in 1936...

 twice, the Emperor's Cup
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...

 four times and the JSL League Cup three times. Furukawa also won the 1986/87 Asia Club Championship
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...

, the top club honor in Asia
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...

; they were the first Japanese club to do so.

Since the league's inception in 1965
1965 in Japanese football
-National team:-Players statistics:...

, the team had always played in the top flight in Japan and was the only Japanese team to never be relegated from the JSL1, a record they kept into the J1 years. They did finish the 1978
Japan Soccer League 1978
-First Division:By winning the Emperor's Cup and Japan Soccer League Cup along with the title, Mitsubishi completed the first Japanese treble ever.-Promotion/Relegation Series:Nissan promoted, Fujitsu relegated.-Second Division:-Promotion/Relegation Series:...

 season in a relegation position (last of 10) but stayed up after beating Honda F.C.
Honda F.C.
are a Japanese football club based in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League.-History:The club was founded as in 1971. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1975 and to the JSL Division 1 in 1981; the closest they came to the title was in...

 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged playoff. The last place was not automatically relegated until the 1980
Japan Soccer League 1980
Statistics of Japan Soccer League in season 1980. For the first time ever, automatic promotion and relegation was introduced for the first and last places of the Second Division, which means that the last place in the First Division went down.-First Division:...

 season.

In 1991, it merged with the JR East's company team to become and rebranded itself as JEF United Ichihara upon the J. League's founding in 1993. The team initially built itself around the former Germany national football team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....

 player Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German football manager and former player. He was mainly a winger or attacking midfielder and is best known for his brilliant dribbling abilities. He was a FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990. He was also runner–up twice in 1982 and 1986 with West Germany...

.

From 1998 to 2000, the team struggled to stay in the J1 league and it began a series of efforts to be a competitive team. Since the hiring of Ivica Osim
Ivica Osim
Ivan "Ivica" Osim is a Bosnian former football player and manager. He was most recently head coach of Japan, before he suffered a stroke in November 2007 and left the post...

 in 2003, JEF United has contended for the league title each year despite limited resources and struggling attendance.

On July 16, 2006, Osim left the team to take over the coach of the Japan national team
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

 and was succeeded by Amar Osim
Amar Osim
Amar Osim is a former Bosnian football player and now a manager. He is currently managing FK Željezničar.-Playing career:...

, his son and assistant coach.http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/379023. On December 5, 2007, it was announced that Osim had been sacked after the club's lowly 13th place finish in the 2007 season.http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fbljpnbihasiaosim&prov=afp&type=lgns

After 13 games in the 2008 season Josip Kuže
Josip Kuže
Josip Kuže is a Croatian football coach and former player. He was a player and later coach of Dinamo Zagreb where he played from 1971-1981 making a total of 384 appearances and scoring 14 goals.-Playing career:...

 was sacked as team manager. On 8 May 2008 it was announced that the new manager was Alex Miller
Alex Miller
Alex Miller is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian...

. Miller was First Team Coach at Liverpool FC alongside Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....

 prior to joining JEF United.

On May 13, 2008, JEF United Chiba were linked with a move for Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...

 whose contract renewal talks at Newcastle United FC have broken down because of a pay cut.

Furukawa Electric
Furukawa Electric
Furukawa Electric is a Japanese company. It is listed on the Nikkei 225. Its products include superconductivity cables....

 is no longer the main sponsor of the club, a job these days taken over by Fuji Electric
Fuji Electric
, operating under the brand name FE, is a Japanese holding company that retains manufacturing companies of pressure transmitters, flowmeters, gas analyzers, controllers, inverters, pumps, generators, ICs, motors, and power equipments.-History:...

.

On November 8, 2009, JEF United Chiba was relegated to J2 after 44 seasons in the Japanese top division; 2010 will be their first season in the second tier.

Stadiums

It had played its home matches at Ichihara Seaside Stadium
Ichihara Seaside Stadium
is a football and athletics stadium located in Ichihara, Japan. Completed in 1987, the stadium consists of a large main stand and several smaller stands in a ring. Approximately 500 seats are covered; the cold Ichihara winds tend to create an uncomfortable experience for most patrons.From 1993...

, but has since moved to the larger, football-specific and more conveniently located Fukuda Denshi Arena
Fukuda Denshi Arena
, known commonly as Fuku-Ari , is a football stadium in Chiba, Japan. It was completed in 2005 and is home to the J. League club JEF United Ichihara Chiba following their move from the Ichihara Seaside Stadium. This stadium has 18,500 seats and 1,281 standings...

, which opened in Chiba during the 2005 season. The club had initially practiced at Urayasu, Chiba
Urayasu, Chiba
is a city located in the far western corner of northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,822 and a population density of 9530 persons per km²...

 planning to base itself in Narashino, Chiba
Narashino, Chiba
is a city located in northern Chiba, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,809 and a population density of 7850 persons per km². The total area was 20.99 km².-Geography:...

 before opposition by those living around Akitsu Stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

 forced it to be based in Ichihara. Since 2000, training has been held at Footpark Anesaki in Ichihara.

Mascot

JEF United Ichihara's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

 characters are Akita Inu brothers named Jeffy and Unity. The squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...

 of Jeffy is 2 and that of Unity is 9.

Furukawa Electric Chiba

This was JEF's reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...

 during the JSL years. They were formed in 1967 and were first promoted to the JSL Second Division in 1975. They still exist, although they are no longer affiliated on paper, and play in the Kanto Regional League. In 2008 they renamed themselves S.A.I. Ichihara

JEF United Ichihara Chiba B

JEF's current reserve team plays in the Japan Football League
Japan Football League
The is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...

, the current third tier of Japanese football.

Record as J. League member

Season Div. Tms. Pos. Attendance/G J. League Cup
J. League Cup
J. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...

Emperor's Cup
Emperor's Cup
, commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...

1992 - - - - Group Stage Quarter-final
1993 J1 10 8 20,273 Group Stage Quarter-final
1994 J1 12 9 22,262 2nd Round 2nd Round
1995 J1 14 5 15,418 - 1st Round
1996 J1 16 9 12,008 Group Stage 3rd Round
1997 J1 17 13 5,693 Quarter-final 4th Round
1998 J1 18 16 5,365 Final 3rd Round
1999 J1 16 13 5,774 2nd Round 3rd Round
2000 J1 16 14 6,338 2nd Round Quarter-final
2001 J1 16 3 7,818 Quarter-final Quarter-final
2002 J1 16 7 7,897 Quarter-final Semi-final
2003 J1 16 3 9,709 Group Stage Quarter-final
2004 J1 16 4 10,012 Group Stage 4th Round
2005 J1 18 4 9,535 Winner 5th Round
2006 J1 18 11 13,393 Winner 4th Round
2007 J1 18 13 14,149 Group Stage 4th Round
2008 J1 18 15 14,084 Quarter-final 4th Round
2009 J1 18 18 14,730 Group Stage 4th Round
2010
J. League Division 2
The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J...

J2 19 4 11,689 - 4th Round

Key
  • Tms. = Number of teams
  • Pos. = Position in league
  • Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Furukawa Electric FC

  • Japan Soccer League: (2) 1976
    Japan Soccer League 1976
    - First Division :- Promotion/Relegation Series :No relegations. As Eidai Sangyo dissolved the club and withdrew from the league in March 1977, Fujitsu was promoted anyway.- Second Division :- JSL Promotion/Relegation Series :...

    , 1985
  • JSL Cup: (3) 1977, 1982, 1986-87
  • Emperor's Cup
    Emperor's Cup
    , commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League...

    : (4)
    1960, 1961, 1964, 1976
  • Japanese Super Cup
    Japanese Super Cup
    The Japanese Super Cup or is an annual one-match football competition in Japan organised by J. League and the Japan Football Association . This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the J. League Champions and the Emperor's Cup Winners of the previous season...

    : (1)
    1977
  • Asian Club Championship: (1) 1987

Current Squad

As of July 23, 2010

2011 season transfers

In
Out

Notable Players

Japan Yuki Abe
Yuki Abe
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at...

 Tadahiro Akiba
Tadahiro Akiba
is a Japanese footballer and manager. He is currently the playing manager of Sagamihara.-International career:Akiba played for the Japan national football team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta....

 Takayuki Chano
Takayuki Chano
is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for JEF United Ichihara Chiba.After graduating from Municipal Funabashi High School, he joined JEF United Ichihara. His first appearance as a professional player came in a league match against Kashiwa Reysol on April 1, 1995. His first professional goal...

 Atsuhiko Ejiri Shoji Jo
Shoji Jo
is a retired Japanese football player.He was born on the island of Hokkaidō and began his footballing career with JEF United in 1994. He quickly established himself, scoring twelve goals in his first season; he scored his first goal on his debut against Gamba Osaka on 12 March...

 Seiichiro Maki
Seiichiro Maki
is a Japanese professional football player. He is a forward and currently plays for Tokyo Verdy, and has been a member of the Japanese national football team since 2005.-Personal life:...

 Yoshika Matsubara Michel Miyazawa Koki Mizuno
Koki Mizuno
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Kashiwa Reysol.He is the cousin of Keita Suzuki, also a footballer.-JEF United:After graduating from Shimizu Commercial High School, Mizuno joined JEF United in 2004. He was the MVP of the 2006 J...

 Shigeyoshi Mochizuki
Shigeyoshi Mochizuki
is a retired Japanese football player. He was capped 14 times for the Japanese national team and scored the winning goal in Asian Cup 2000 Final, Japan vs Saudi Arabia.Mochizuki played for Vissel Kobe and JEF United Ichihara in the J. League....

 Shinji Murai Eisuke Nakanishi Tomoyuki Sakai
Tomoyuki Sakai
Tomoyuki Sakai 酒井 友之 is a Japanese football player who plays for Persiwa Wamena. He was capped 1 time for the Japanese national team.-Career:...

 Yuji Sakakura
Yuji Sakakura
is a retired Japanese football player. He was a defender.-Career:He was educated at and played for Yokkaichi Chuo Technical High School and Juntendo University. After finishing the university, he joined Japan Soccer League side Furuawa Electric S.C....

 Takayuki Suzuki
Takayuki Suzuki
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Mito HollyHock in the J. League Division 2.-Club:Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87...

 Nobuhiro Takeda
Nobuhiro Takeda
is a former Japanese football player. He was a forward and known as a superb opportunistic goal-scorer, making most of his quick thinking and canny positioning. He currently works at Nippon Television and belongs to an entertainment agency Horipro as a sportscaster -Club:He was educated at and...

AFC Matthew Bingley
Matthew Bingley
Matthew Bingley is a former Australian football player. A utility who can play in midfield or defence, he has played over 300 matches in nearly 20 years at the highest level of domestic football in Australia...

 Eddy Bosnar
Eddy Bosnar
Edward "Eddy" Bosnar is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse.-Club career:...

 Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Daniel Milligan is an Australian football player who is currently playing for JEF United Ichihara Chiba. He was also the regular captain of the Australian Under 23 football team and has been capped for the junior Australian National team...

 Choi Yong-Soo
Choi Yong-Soo
Choi Yong-Soo is a former professional footballer and current coach. He spent his professional career playing for Korea and Japan and was regarded as a prolific striker in both countries, known for his hard-nose aggressiveness and work rate.Choi has played in 1996 Summer Olympics and also...

CONMEBOL Alex Baron Reinaldo Marquinhos
Marcos Gomes de Araujo
Marcos Gomes de Araujo, better known as Marquinhos , is a Brazilian striker who currently plays for Clube Atlético Mineiro. He has spent his career playing mostly in the J. League.-Biography:...

 Sandro
Sandro Cardoso dos Santos
Sandro Cardoso dos Santos , simply known as Sandro is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a role of forward.He was a member of U-19 Brazil national football team and a top scorer of 2001 season K-league....

UEFA Mario Haas
Mario Haas
Mario Haas is an Austrian football forward, who currently plays for SK Sturm Graz.-Club career:thumb|left|275px|Haas in action with SK Sturm Graz...

 Edin Mujčin
Edin Mujcin
Edin Mujčin is a Bosnian football player.Mujčin moved to Croatia during the Bosnian war.Mujčin spent most of his career with Croatian top team Dinamo Zagreb, winning several national titles and appearing in both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup...

 Ilian Stoyanov
Ilian Stoyanov
Ilian Stoyanov is a Bulgarian football player, defender. In Bulgaria he is also known as Collovati, because of his haircut in the past. He recently plays for Fagiano Okayama of Japan's J...

 Ivan Hašek
Ivan Hašek
Ivan Hašek is a retired Czech footballer who played as a central midfielder.He spent 11 years of his career with Sparta Prague, appearing in more than 300 official games with the club, and later acting as its manager....

 Pavel Řehák Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Littbarski
Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German football manager and former player. He was mainly a winger or attacking midfielder and is best known for his brilliant dribbling abilities. He was a FIFA World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990. He was also runner–up twice in 1982 and 1986 with West Germany...

 Frank Ordenewitz
Frank Ordenewitz
Frank Ordenewitz is a retired German football player. He was capped 2 times for the West German national team. In a German League match against FC Cologne on 7 May 1988 the Werder Bremen player admitted handball in the penalty area to the referee. Cologne went on to win the match 2–0...

 Gabriel Popescu
Gabriel Popescu
Gabriel Popescu is a Romanian former footballer.Popescu went on to represent the Romanian national team 21 times and scored four goals, he was also capped 37 times for the U-21 side...

 Nenad Maslovar Peter Bosz
Peter Bosz
Peter Bosz is a former football midfielder from the Netherlands currently serving as head coach of Dutch Eredivisie team Heracles Almelo.-Career:...

 Rade Bogdanovic
Rade Bogdanovic
Rade Bogdanović is a Bosnian Serb football manager and former player.-Yugoslavia:...

 Ľubomír Moravčík
Lubomír Moravcík
Ľubomír "Lubo" Moravčík is a football manager and former footballer from Slovakia, who played internationally for Czechoslovakia and Slovakia...

 Željko Milinovič
Željko Milinovic
Željko Milinovič is a former Slovenian footballer who has represented his country at the two major tournaments for which they have qualified .-Club career:...

Other Matthew Lam
Matthew Lam
Matthew "Matt" Lam is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for JEF United in the Japanese J. League Division 2, on loan from FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League....

 Owusu Benson
Owusu Benson
Owusu Benson or Benson Owusu is a Ghanaian football player. He currently plays for SC Buochs.- Career :He played in Switzerland since 1995, except one and a half year left for JEF United Japan. He also holds a Swiss passport....

 Wynton Rufer
Wynton Rufer
Wynton Alan Whai Rufer, CNZM, , is a retired New Zealand footballer, who played as a striker. He spent most of his professional career in Germany with Werder Bremen, winning a total of six titles. He also appeared for the New Zealand national team in its first FIFA World Cup participation, in 1982...


Managers

ManagerNat.Tenure
Yoshikazu Nagai
Yoshikazu Nagai
Yoshikazu Nagai is a former Japanese football player. He holds the record for most appearances in Japan Soccer League First Division. His son Shunta is also a footballer....

 
1992-94
Eijyun Kiyokumo  1994-95
Yasuhiko Okudera
Yasuhiko Okudera
is a former Japanese footballer who is currently the president of J. League Division 2 club Yokohama FC and was formerly the president of English club Plymouth Argyle. Okudera was the first Japanese footballer to play professionally in Europe, as well as being the first Asian football player to...

 
1996
Jan Versleijen
Jan Versleijen
Johannes Martinus Maria Versleijen is a Dutch professional association football coach who currently manages the Australian under-20 national team.-Career:...

 
1997-98
Gert Engels
Gert Engels
Gert Engels is a former German football player and current coach of Mozambique.- Career :He commenced his professional playing career with lowly SG Düren 99 and later joined Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Niederau...

 
1999
Nicolae Zamfir
Nicolae Zamfir
Nicolae Zamfir is a Romanian football manager.-References:*...

 
1999-00
Zdenko Verdenik
Zdenko Verdenik
Zdenko Verdenik is a Slovenian football manager and former player.He coached NK Olimpija Ljubljana, U-21 Slovenia NT, Slovenia NT, FK Austria Wien, JEF United Ichihara, Nagoya Grampus Eight and Vegalta Sendai.He is also a university teacher at the Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana.-External links:*...

 
2000-01
Jozef Vengloš
Jozef Vengloš
Dr. Jozef Vengloš is a former Czechoslovak football player and coach. He has a Doctorate in Physical Education, as well as specialising in Psychology...

 
2002
Ivica Osim
Ivica Osim
Ivan "Ivica" Osim is a Bosnian former football player and manager. He was most recently head coach of Japan, before he suffered a stroke in November 2007 and left the post...

 
2003-06
Amar Osim
Amar Osim
Amar Osim is a former Bosnian football player and now a manager. He is currently managing FK Željezničar.-Playing career:...

 
2006-07
Josip Kuže
Josip Kuže
Josip Kuže is a Croatian football coach and former player. He was a player and later coach of Dinamo Zagreb where he played from 1971-1981 making a total of 384 appearances and scoring 14 goals.-Playing career:...

 
2008
Alex Miller
Alex Miller
Alex Miller is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian...

 
2008-09
Atsuhiko Ejiri  2009-2010
Dwight Lodeweges
Dwight Lodeweges
Dwight Lodeweges is Dutch football coach and former professional player now coaching for JEF United Ichihara Chiba in J. League Division 2.- Early life :...

 
2011
Sugao Kambe
Sugao Kambe
is a Japanese football coach who had stints as national coach of the Philippines, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands national teams.As a player, he played for Shizuoka High School, Waseda University and Honda F.C....

 
2011-

External links

  • JEF United Official Site (in Japanese
    Japanese language
    is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

    )
  • Rising Sun News club profile
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