Azul Claro Numazu

Azul Claro Numazu (アスルクラロ沼津, Asuru Kuraro Numazu) is a Japanese professional football team based in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. They currently play in J3 League, the Japanese third tier of professional football.

Azul Claro Numazu
アスルクラロ沼津
Full nameFootball Club Azul Claro Numazu
Short nameAZN
Founded1990 (1990) as Numazu Arsenal SC
GroundShizuoka Ashitaka Athletic Stadium
Numazu, Shizuoka
Capacity10,000
Managing
Organisation		Azul Claro Suruga Corporation (NPO)
ChairmanTakehiro Takashima
ManagerMasashi Nakayama
LeagueJ3 League
2023J3 League, 13th of 20
WebsiteClub website

History

Azul Claro Numazu was established in 1977 as Numazu Arsenal and slowly progressed through the tiers of Shizuoka prefectural leagues. In 2006 the club began the process of transformation into a professional organisation with the ultimate goal of joining the J.League. The same year the club adopted its current name, Azul Claro (Meaning "light blue" in Portuguese and Spanish).

In 2012 Azul Claro won promotion to Tōkai Adult Soccer League and quickly progressed through its ranks, spending only a season in each of its divisions. Though they have finished only fourth in 2013 Tōkai League, they were considered as serious contenders for admission to the newly created J3 League. On September 17, 2013, the club has been granted the J. League Associate Membership and passed all stages of licensing and inspection by the league. However, they were only the 3rd choice club for the only Regional League spot in J3 so eventually, they had to give way to Grulla Morioka. The club has won the promotion anyway though—they were selected by the Japan Football League board as one of the teams to play in the 2014 season.

After a 3rd-place finish in the 2016 season, they've been welcomed to play professional football from 2017 and onward, as they'll be the 14th original club in the J3 League.[1]

On 24 October 2023, Azul Claro Numazu announcement officially granted J2 License after approval decision of Club Licensing Board.[2]

League & cup record
Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
LeagueJ. League
Cup		Emperor's
Cup
SeasonDivisionTierPos.PWLDFAGDPtsAttendance/G
Numazu Arsenal
2004 Shizuoka Prefectural
League (Div. 2)		84th116053324918-Not eligibleDid not qualify
2005 1st1192054262829-
Azul Claro Numazu
2006 Shizuoka Prefectural
League (Div. 1)		79th113261425-1111-Not eligibleDid not qualify
2007 11th113171127-1610-
2008[3] 8th112452027-710-
2009[4] 2nd116233230220-
2010[5] 3rd116322718921-
2011[6] 2nd1190250232727-
2012 Tokai Football
League (Div. 2)		62nd148242215726-
2013 Tokai Football
League (Div. 1)		54th148152021–125-
2014 JFL48th2688102635–9321,777
2015 5th30166836288542,198
2016 3rd301857472423592,332
2017 J333rd3216115602733593,0293rd round
2018 4th3214108402911522,857Did not qualify
2019 12th34116173543–8392,470
2020 † 12th34125173640–441925
2021 † 14th2876153244–12271,482
2022 15th3487192746-19311,684
2023 13th381561748480511,9611st round
2024 TBA382nd round1st round
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
  • Attendance/G = Average home league attendance
  • † 2020 & 2021 seasons attendances reduced by COVID-19 worldwide pandemic
  • Source: J.League Data Site

Honours
Azul Claro Numazu Honours
Honour No. Years
Shizuoka Prefectural League (Div. 2) 1 2005

Players

Current squad
As of 5 April 2024.[7][8]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF  JPN Tatsuya Anzai
7 MF  JPN Kyota Mochii
8 MF  JPN Kenshiro Suzuki
10 MF  JPN Naoki Sato
11 MF  JPN Kazuki Someya
13 DF  JPN Yuya Tsukegi
14 MF  JPN Kotaro Tokunaga
18 MF  JPN Takuya Sugai
19 MF  JPN Manabu Saito
20 FW  JPN Kengo Kawamata
21 MF  JPN Yuma Mori
22 DF  JPN Terukazu Shinozaki
23 FW  JPN Takumi Tsukui
25 MF  JPN Teruyoshi Ito
26 DF  JPN Shigeo Miyawaki
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 FW  JPN Hagumi Wada
28 DF  JPN Koki Inoue
31 GK  JPN Ryusuke Otomo
33 MF  JPN Mikhael Akatsuka
34 DF  BRA Gustavo Rissi
35 MF  JPN Hinata Mukai
36 DF  JPN Yuta Nakamura
40 MF  JPN Kosei Numata
41 MF  JPN Haruki Toyama
44 MF  JPN Kaiyo Yanagimachi
50 GK  JPN Kenta Watanabe
55 GK  JPN Hiromu Musha
77 GK  JPN Park Seung-ri
88 DF  JPN Takumi Hama

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
29 FW  JPN Taiga Sugimoto (at Blancdieu Hirosaki)
46 MF  JPN Keigo Iwasaki (at Gakunan F. Mosuperio)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  JPN Shunkun Tani (at Vikings)

Club officials
PositionName
Manager Masashi Nakayama
Assistant manager Hideto Suzuki
First-team coach Daiki Tajiri
Transition coach Keita Goto
Coach and interpreter Landow Takai
Goalkeeper coach Yukio Takeda
Physical coach Yoshiki Hirano
Doctor Shunsuke Mukoyama
Trainer Takuya Kawasaki
Kentaro Taki
Takashi Tanaka
Manager Daiki Ito

Managerial history
ManagerNationalityTenure
StartFinish
Kazuhito Mochizuki Japan1 February 201431 January 2015
Ken Yoshida Japan1 February 201531 January 2020
Masataka Imai Japan1 February 202023 August 2022
Kazuhito Mochizuki Japan24 August 202231 January 2023
Masashi Nakayama Japan1 February 2023current

Kit evolution
Home kit - 1st
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 -
Away kit - 2nd
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 -
Other kit - 3rd
2021
30th Anniversary
Memorial
2022
Love Live!
Sunshine!!
edition
2023
Love Live!
Sunshine!!
edition

Colour, sponsors and manufacturers
Season(s)Main Shirt SponsorCollarbone SponsorAdditional Sponsor(s)Kit Manufacturer
2013SURUGA bank––––NNH– Puma
2014USUiMEIDEN雄大
2015USUiSURUGA Bank–MEIDEN
2016MEIDEN–
2017
2018Kawata Construction (Left)Kawata Construction (Right)
2019
2020MEIDEN (Left)MEIDEN (Right)Kawata Construction

References
  1. "Azul Claro Numazu join J3：en". J. LEAGUE.JP JAPAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  2. "２０２４シーズン・Ｊ２クラブライセンス取得のお知らせ". azul-claro.jp. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  3. "2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  4. "2009". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  5. "2010 data source". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  6. "2011 data source". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  7. "２０２４シーズン新体制発表". www.azulclaro.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. "Players". www.azulclaro.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 April 2022.
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