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 finishing in 4th place in the 2014 Japan Football League and securing the necessary licensing, the J.League officially welcomed Renofa Yamaguchi to join the 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 September 26, 2023, Renofa Yamaguchi announced that they had officially been granted a J1 License.^[8]

In 2025, Renofa Yamaguchi were relegated to the J3 League for the next season after finishing 19th, marking their worst performance in the league and ending a nine-year run in the second tier.

• 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–)

Key

Club officials for 2025 season.^[10]

More information Position, Staff ...

Position	Staff
Manager	Genki Nakayama
Head coach	Hideo Yoshizawa
Coach	Ryo Yokotani
Goalkeeper coach	Kenji Yamada
Physical Coach	Tetsuya Sakamoto
Assistant coaches	Kensuke Akasaka Kensuke Sato
Doctor	Toru Moriwaki
Fitness coach	Tomoyuki Sato
Physical coach	Junichi Matsumoto
Chief trainer	Tomoyuki Sato
Trainers	Atsushi Noto Akihiko Masunari
Physiotherapist	Takashi Sasaki
Competent	Hiroki Fujikawa
Deputy officers	Taiyo Kodama Rui Nagao
Interpreter	Yuto Kabazawa

Close

League matches only.Updated end of 2025 season

More information Manager, Nationality ...

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	24 June 2025	58	18	16	24	031.03
Genki Nakayama[11]	Japan	24 June 2025	present	18	4	7	7	022.22

Close

Key

• Source: J.League Data Site