Fukui United FC (福井ユナイテッドFC, Fukui Yunaiteddo Efu Sī) is a football (soccer) club based in Fukui, the capital city of Fukui Prefecture in Japan. They play in the Hokushinetsu Football League, which is part of Japanese Regional Leagues. They were founded in 2019 to take the place of their dissolved predecessor, Saurcos Fukui (サウルコス福井, Saurukosu Fukui).

Fukui United FC
福井ユナイテッドFC
Full nameFukui United Football Club
Founded11 January 2019; 5 years ago (11 January 2019)
StadiumTechnoport Fukui Stadium
Fukui, Fukui
Capacity21,053
ChairmanJunichi Hattori
ManagerShinji Fujiyoshi
LeagueHokushinetsu Football League
20231st of 8
Websitehttp://www.fukuiunited.co.jp/

History

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Saurcos Fukui (2006–2018)

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The club was born on September 28, 2006, from the merger of FC Kanazu (from Kanazu, now part of Awara) and Maruoka Phoenix (from Maruoka, now part of Fukui city).[1] The name Saurcos comes from the combination of two English words: saur from "dinosaur" and cos from "corps", referring to army corps. It was chosen between three possible choices after a poll between fans, linking also with their mascot, the Fukuiraptor, a dinosaur lived in Japan during the Cretaceous.[2] The logo also presents the Narcissus, a plant typical of this region. The near city of Awara hosts the club's training sessions.[3]

After an immediate promotion from 2nd division of Hokushinetsu Football League, Saurcos Fukui has been in first tier for a decade, waiting for a chance to snatch a spot in Japan Football League. They have participated eight times in the Emperor's Cup, going as far as the second round on four occasions.

Fukui United FC (2019–)

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After the 2018 season, Saurcos Fukui has been dissolved taken by successor of Fukui United FC was founded in 2019 by volunteers from Fukui Prefecture, led by the Fukui Prefectural Football Association, as a company that will take over the Saurcos Fukui management corporation " NPO Fukui J League Team Creation Association " that was disbanded in 2018 due to financial difficulties. Co., Ltd. was established on January 11, 2019, at a press conference on January 26, 2019, the new team's name was Fukui United Football Club, and it was announced that it would start in earnest from February 1. It was announced that Kazuo Yoshimura will be appointed as the president of Fukui United Co., Ltd., which will be the operating company, and Junichi Hattori, who was the GM of FC Gifu and V-Varen Nagasaki, will be appointed as the general manager (GM).[4][5] The club will play their sixth consecutive season at the Hokushi'netsu Football League on 2024.

League record

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Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League Emperor's
Cup
Season League Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts
Saurcos Fukui
2007 Hokushin'etsu Football
League (Div. 2)
2nd 14 9 1 4 28 13 15 28 Did not qualify
2008 Hokushin'etsu Football
League (Div. 1)
7th 14 2 3 9 18 41 -23 9 2nd round
2009 5th 14 3 1 10 15 41 -26 10 1st round
2010 5th 14 5 1 8 18 43 -25 16 1st round
2011 4th 14 5 5 4 22 18 4 20 Did not qualify
2012 1st 14 12 1 1 56 7 49 37 2nd round
2013 1st 14 12 2 0 43 7 36 38 2nd round
2014 1st 14 13 0 1 48 5 43 39 2nd round
2015 1st 14 12 0 2 48 5 43 36 1st round
2016 2nd 14 11 2 1 45 4 41 35 1st round
2017 1st 14 11 2 1 55 5 50 35 1st round
2018 1st 14 12 2 0 61 8 53 38 1st round
Fukui United
2019 Hokushin'etsu Football
League (Div. 1)
1st 14 13 1 0 74 7 67 40 1st round
2020 1st 7 7 0 0 18 4 14 21 5th round
2021 1st 16 13 1 2 48 15 33 40 3rd round
2022 3rd 14 9 1 4 38 16 22 28 1st round
2023 1st 14 10 3 1 34 9 25 33 1st round
2024 1st 14 14 0 0 64 7 57 42 1st round
2025 TBA 14 TBA
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
  • Number of games played reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic

Honours

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Championship winners
Honour No. Years
Hokushinetsu Division 1 11 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024

Current squad

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As of 23 August 2023.[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   JPN Takuya Sugimoto
2 DF   JPN Takumi Onda
3 DF   JPN Kazuki Nakayama
4 DF   JPN Yuan Shimazu
5 DF   JPN Goru Shima
6 MF   JPN Mutsuki Hirooka
7 FW   JPN Hideki Morinaga
8 MF   JPN Tatsuya Wada
9 FW   JPN Hiyu Kazawa
10 MF   JPN Kohei Kitagawa
11 FW   JPN Kenji Kitawaki
13 FW   JPN Yuga Fukumoto
14 MF   JPN Shohei Okuno
15 FW   JPN Kaoru Nonaka
16 DF   JPN Ryota Ikeniwa
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF   JPN Seiji Tarutani
18 DF   JPN Eiichiro Ozaki
19 MF   JPN Mahiro Ano (on loan from Tokyo Verdy)
20 MF   JPN Ibuki Nakajima
21 GK   JPN Shoa Onishi
22 DF   JPN Hibiki Enomoto
23 DF   JPN Ryosei Ito
24 MF   JPN Masato Yasukawa
26 DF   JPN Hiroto Yagi (on loan from Fukushima United)
27 FW   JPN Yuki Oshitani
28 DF   JPN Hayate Matsumoto
29 FW   JPN Tsugutoshi Oishi
31 GK   JPN Shun Anzai (on loan from Fukushima United)
33 MF   JPN Yuta Takahashi
39 FW   JPN Kenshiro Kanemura

References

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  1. ^ "サウルコス福井、母体はFC金津 サウルコス福井 福井のニュース |福井新聞ONLINE:福井県の総合ニュースサイト". 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  2. ^ "クラブ概要 - サウルコス福井". www.saurcos-fukui.jp.
  3. ^ "サウルコスの手作りグラウンド完成 地域が協力、他球技場の芝を再利用 - スポーツ - 福井のニュース - 福井新聞ONLINE". Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  4. ^ "福井ユナイテッドが設立会見 サッカーで県民に幸せを". 中日新聞. 2019-01-26. Archived from the original on 2019-01-27. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  5. ^ "「福井ユナイテッド」でJへ再出発 サウルコス後継会社が設立会見". 福井新聞. 2019-01-27. Archived from the original on 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
  6. ^ "選手・スタッフ - 福井ユナイテッド". fukuiunited.co.jp.
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