Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (サンフレッチェ広島) is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiroshima. The club competes in the J1 League, top flight of the Japanese football league system. Sanfrecce is one of the most successful clubs in Japan. The club is the joint fourth in most J1 League titles with three, the joint first in most top-flight titles (which includes the defunct Japan Soccer League), with eight, and the club with the most participations in Emperor's Cup finals, with 15.

Sanfrecce have won 3 J1 League title, 3 Emperor's Cup, 1 J.League Cup and 4 Japanese Super Cup. Internationally, the club has made two appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup with their most recent appearance being in the 2015 edition.

As Mazda team
The club was a former company team of Toyo Kogyo Soccer Club (東洋工業サッカー部) in 1938 and played in the semi-professional Japan Soccer League.

The club was an original founder ("Original Eight") of the now-disbanded Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965. They dominated the JSL's early years, winning the title 4 times in a row – a feat that was later equaled by Yomiuri SC/Verdy Kawasaki. The name change was made at Mazda SC (マツダSC) in 1981. When JSL disbanded and became the J.League in 1992, it dropped the company name and became "Sanfrecce Hiroshima". Alongside JEF United Ichihara Chiba and Urawa Red Diamonds they co-founded both leagues ("Original Ten").

During the 1969 season they participated in the Asian Club Cup, forerunner to today's AFC Champions League; at the time, the tournament was done in a single locale (in that year it was Bangkok, Thailand), and they ended up in third place, the first participation of a Japanese club in the continental tournament. This also cost them the league title to Mitsubishi/Urawa, and although they won another title in 1970, since then the club has been out of the running for the title, with exceptional seasons such as 1994 when they won runner-up.

1960s
The Toyo Industries that became the first JSL champions also completed the first double by taking the Emperor's Cup. They were also the first of three "Invincibles", undefeated champion clubs in Japan (the others were Mitsubishi in 1969 and Yamaha in 1987–88), although only Toyo completed a double.

Matsumoto, Ogi, and Yasuyuki Kuwahara went on to win the 1968 Olympic bronze medal for the national team.

2000s
In 2002, Sanfrecce became the first former stage winner (first stage, 1994) to be relegated to the lower division, J2. But it only spent a year there, finishing second the very next season to regain promotion back to J1. The club finished 16th in the 2007 season and were relegated to J.League Division 2 after they were beaten by Kyoto Sanga in the promotion/relegation play-off. In 2008 they nevertheless won the J2 title at the first attempt, having 84 points (a difference of 25 points with the runner-up clubs) with six matches left.

By virtue of earning fourth place in the 2009 season and Gamba Osaka retaining the Emperor's Cup, Sanfrecce qualified for the Asian Champions League, where they were knocked out in the group phase.

On 24 November 2012, Sanfrecce defeated Cerezo Osaka 4–1 to seal their first ever J.League Division 1 title.

On 7 December 2013, Sanfrecce defeated Kashima Antlers 2–0, securing their second J.League Division 1 title following a thrilling finish to the season which saw first-place Yokohama F. Marinos losing their final league game, handing Sanfrecce the title. With their second consecutive title win, Sanfrecce became the second club to successfully defend their crown since Kashima Antlers in 2009.

2015 proved to be a great year for Sanfrecce, finishing 1st in the 2nd half of the season, then finishing 1st overall, just 2 points above Urawa Red Diamonds, to qualify and represent Japan in that year's FIFA Club World Cup. They would finish 3rd, after winning, 2–1, against Chinese side Guanzhou Evergrande in the 3rd place match.

In 2018, after Sanfrecce progressively trailing towards a J1 title, as it led the standings after Round 5, the club fell down to 2nd-place at the end of the season. The club saw Kawasaki Frontale win the league as Sanfrecce lost four of their last five league matches.

In 2022, the club was relieved to experience another good season, under the management of newly appointed German coach Michael Skibbe. Underrated by many because of the previous season, the club fought for the title at every competition it played until the very end. The Violas finished 3rd place at the J1 League, as runners-up to J2 club Ventforet Kofu in the Emperor's Cup final, and as J.League Cup champions. The J.League Cup was won in dramatic fashion against Cerezo Osaka, as the club managed to comeback from a 1–0 loss with two goals scored by mid-season Cypriot signing Pieros Sotiriou. Both goals came very late in the match, being scored at the 96th and 101st minute of the match, during the added time of the second half. For his efforts to make the team competitive at every competition Sanfrecce partook in, Skibbe won J.League Manager of the Year, the club's 4th 'Manager of the Year' award.

On 20 June 2024, AFC confirmed Sanfrecce will participate in the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two group stage, marking their first appearance in a second-tier continental competition.

Affiliated clubs

 * 🇩🇪 1.FC Köln

On 15 August 2021, Sanfrecce Hiroshima sign partnership with German Bundesliga side, 1.FC Köln where both club are building up their international relations and have entered a co-operation with J.League club Sanfrecce for the coming two-and-a-half years. The partnership will centre on Sport and Management. The co-operation sees the Germany side continue its internationalisation strategy, which is an important part of the Matchplan.

In the sporting sector, the co-operation includes coaching courses, training camp and intensive discussions surrounding the youth academy and scouting at both clubs have set themselves the goal that they should be amongst the best clubs in the league at academy level. As for the management side of the partnership, seminars are planned in Hiroshima and Köln, where those in charge of departments from both clubs will come together to work on a strategy going forward.

Club name
The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese word for three, San and the Italian word frecce, which means 'arrows'. This is based on the story of the feudal lord Mōri Motonari who told his three sons that while a single arrow might be easily snapped, three arrows held together would not be broken and urged them to work for the good of the clan and its retainers.

Former names

 * 1938–70: Toyo Kogyo Shukyu Club (東洋工業蹴球部)
 * 1943–46: Football was suspended during the period, due to the Pacific War.
 * 1971–80: Toyo Kogyo Soccer Club (東洋工業サッカー部)
 * 1981–83: Mazda Sports Club Toyo Kogyo Soccer Club (マツダスポーツクラブ東洋工業サッカー部)
 * 1984–85: Mazda Sports Club Soccer Club (マツダスポーツクラブサッカー部)
 * 1986–92: Mazda Soccer Club (マツダサッカークラブ)

Home stadium
The club's home town is Hiroshima and the side plays at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima. Previously, the side played at EDION Stadium Hiroshima and Hiroshima Prefectural Stadium. It holds training sessions at Yoshida Soccer Park in Akitakata, Hiroshima and Hiroshima 1st Ball Park until 2023. It has a capacity of 36,894.

Sanfrecce moved to a new stadium in 2024, which has been named Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima. Construction started in 2021 and opened in 2024. Sanfrecce's first competitive match at the new stadium was against Urawa Red Diamonds on 23 February 2024, which attracted an attendance of 27,545

Colours
The main colour of Sanfrecce Hiroshima is purple.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima U-18
The main U-18 team of Sanfrecce Hiroshima currently plays in the Prince Takamado U-18 Premier League, the top-flight league for U-18 clubs in the country. Only the registered players for the competition will be displayed.

Honours
As Toyo Kogyo SC and Mazda SC (amateur era) as well as Sanfrecce Hiroshima (professional era)

Personnel awards
Domestic
 * J.League Player of the Year
 * 🇯🇵 Hisato Satō (2012)
 * 🇯🇵 Toshihiro Aoyama (2015)
 * J.League Top Scorer
 * 🇯🇵 Hisato Satō (2012)
 * J.League Best Eleven
 * 🇯🇵 Takuya Takagi (1994)
 * 🇯🇵 Hisato Satō (2005, 2012)
 * 🇯🇵 Tomoaki Makino (2010)
 * 🇯🇵 Hiroki Mizumoto (2012)
 * 🇯🇵 Shusaku Nishikawa (2012, 2013)
 * 🇯🇵 Toshihiro Aoyama (2012, 2013, 2015)
 * 🇯🇵 Yojiro Takahagi (2012)
 * 🇯🇵 Tsukasa Shiotani (2014, 2015)
 * 🇧🇷 Douglas (2015)
 * J.League Rookie of the Year
 * 🇯🇵 Kazuyuki Morisaki (2000)
 * 🇯🇵 Takuma Asano (2015)
 * J.League Cup New Hero Award
 * 🇯🇵 Yojiro Takahagi (2010)
 * J.League Manager of the Year
 * 🇯🇵 Hajime Moriyasu (2012, 2013, 2015)
 * 🇩🇪 Michael Skibbe (2022)

International
 * FIFA Club World Cup Top Scorer
 * 🇯🇵 Hisato Satō (2012)
 * FIFA Puskás Award nominee
 * 🇯🇵 Hisato Satō (2014)

Record as J.League member

 * Key
 * Pos. = Position in league
 * Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
 * † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
 * Source: J.League Data Site

League history

 * Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1965–1983 (as Toyo 1965–1980, as Mazda 1981–)
 * Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1984–1985
 * Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1986/87–1987/88
 * Division 2 (Japan Soccer League Div. 2): 1988/89–1990/91
 * Division 1 (Japan Soccer League Div. 1): 1991/92
 * Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 1993–2002 (as Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
 * Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2003
 * Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2004–2007
 * Division 2 (J.League Div. 2): 2008
 * Division 1 (J.League Div. 1): 2009–present

Total (as of 2022): 51 seasons in the top tier and 7 seasons in the second tier.