JEF United Chiba

JEF United Chiba, full name JEF United Ichihara Chiba and also known as JEF Chiba, is a Japanese professional football club based in Chiba, capital of Chiba Prefecture. They set to play in J1 League from 2026–27, Japanese top tier of professional football after promotion from J2 League in 2025.

History

Furukawa Electric SC (1946–1991)

The club began as the company team, Furukawa Electric Soccer Club in 1946. As the company team, it won the Japan Soccer League twice, the Emperor's Cup four times and the JSL League Cup three times. Furukawa also won the 1986–87 Asian Club Championship, the top club honour in Asia; they were the first Japanese club to do so.
The club was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League in 1965. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in the top flight in Japan and was the only Japanese club to never be relegated from the JSL Division 1, a record they kept into the J1 years. They did finish the 1978 season in a relegation position but stayed up after beating Honda FC 1–0 on aggregate in a two-legged playoff. The last place was not automatically relegated until the 1980 season.

JEF United Ichihara (1992–2004)

In 1991, it merged with the JR East's company team to become East Japan JR Furukawa Football Club and rebranded itself as JEF United Ichihara upon the J.League's founding in 1993. JEF United Ichihara was an original member of the J.League in 1993. The club initially built itself around the former Germany national team player Pierre Littbarski.
From 1998 to 2000, the club struggled to stay in the J.League and it began a series of efforts to be a competitive team. Since the hiring of Ivica Osim in 2003, JEF United has contended for the league title each year despite limited resources and struggling attendance.

JEF United Chiba (2005–''present'')

On 1 February 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. Of its club name, JEF is taken from the JR East and Furukawa Electric companies and United is meant to represent the unity of the club and its home city. Also, JEF United is the only team in J.League which corporate name survived the transition from the JSL in 1992, as J.League mandated that "corporate teams are not allowed in the J.League", and that any corporate teams need to adapt a hometown and name themselves after it, rather than their owner companies.
On 16 July 2006, Osim left the club to take over the coach of the Japan national team and was succeeded by Bosnian manager Amar Osim, his son and assistant coach.
On December 5, 2007, it was announced that Amar Osim had been sacked after the club's lowly 13th-place finish in the 2007 season.
After 13 games in the 2008 season Josip Kuže was sacked as team manager. On 8 May 2008, the club then announced Scottish Alex Miller as the club new manager. The Furukawa Electric is no longer the main sponsor of the club, a job these days taken over by Fuji Electric.

Downfall of the club

On 8 November 2009, JEF United Chiba was relegated to J2 after 44 seasons in Japan’s top division, and from 2010 to 2025, they competed in the J.League Division 2.
JEF United Chiba was close to being promoted to J.League Division 1 during the 2012 season. The club was considered one of the favourites to be automatically promoted to J1. However, after defeats to clubs considered lesser than them such as FC Gifu and Machida Zelvia, JEF played the playoffs, making their road to the final. They defeated Yokohama FC by 4–0, but lost the final match to Oita Trinita by 1–0, at Tokyo National Stadium.

Near miss promotion

In the 2013 season, JEF United Chiba played in the promotion to J1 playoffs. They lost the semi-final match to Tokushima Vortis by 1–1
In the 2014 season, JEF United Chiba played in the promotion playoffs to J1 again. The club did not have to play in the semi-final. In the final against Montedio Yamagata, they lost by 0–1, at Ajinomoto Stadium.

Back to the top flight

JEF United Chiba finished the 2025 J2 League season in third place putting them in the promotion play-offs. In the semi-finals, the club then faced off against RB Omiya Ardija, as the clock was in the 80th minute of the match with JEF United Chiba being 3–2 down, Makoto Himeno then equalised the game in the 83th minute where 4 minutes later, Takashi Kawano scored the winner to secured a 4–3 win putting the club in the final. JEF United Chiba then won the promotion play-offs against Tokushima Vortis 1–0, returning to the J1 League after 17 years of absence from the top flight division.

Symbols

Stadiums

It had played its home matches at Ichihara Seaside Stadium, but has since moved to the larger, football-specific and more conveniently located Fukuda Denshi Arena, which opened in Chiba during the 2005 season. The club had initially practiced at Urayasu, Chiba planning to base itself in Narashino, Chiba before opposition by those living around Akitsu Stadium forced it to be based in Ichihara. Since 2000, training has been held at Footpark Anesaki in Ichihara in normally.
Since 1 October 2009, they made new practice place UNITED PARK near the Fukuda Denshi Arena.

Mascot

JEF United Ichihara's mascot characters are Akita Inu brothers named Jeffy and Unity. The squad number of Jeffy is 2 and that of Unity is 9. They are also joined by a third mascot named Mina, or Mina-chan. Her backstory was that she one day came to Soga Station and offered to work alongside Jeffy and Unity. Her squad number is 12.

Slogan

JEF United considers its philosophy to be encapsulated in its tagline "Win By All" since 2001.

Affiliated clubs

Furukawa Electric Chiba

This was JEF's reserve team 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 and in 2011 they adopted the name Vonds Ichihara. Now separate from Furukawa Electric control, they aim to form its power base in Ichihara as JEF is now based in Chiba city.

JEF Reserves

played until 2011 in the Japan Football League, the third tier of Japanese football. But in 2011, the club announced the end of the B team because of financial problems.

JEF United Chiba Ladies

Rivalries

Marunouchi Gosanke

Historically, JEF United's fiercest rivals have been Kashiwa Reysol and Urawa Reds, both close neighbors. The three were co-founders of the Japan Soccer League in 1965, and spent most seasons in the top tier through the JSL era. Because of their former parent companies' headquarters being all based in Marunouchi, Tokyo, the three clubs were known as the Marunouchi Gosanke and fixtures among them were known as the Marunouchi derbies.

Chiba derby

JEF United and Reysol first met in 1941 in ancient Kanto regional football league. The two clubs both now based in Chiba Prefecture, and their rivalry is known as the Chiba derby. They annually contest a pre-season friendly match well known as the Chibagin Cup since 1995.

Record as J.League member

;Key

Honours

As Furukawa Electric SC, JEF United Ichihara, and JEF United Chiba

Honour	No.	Years
JSL Division 1	2	1976, 1985
All Japan Works Football Championship	3	1959, 1961, 1962
All Japan Inter-City Football Championship	4	1959, 1960, 1961, 1964
Emperor's Cup	4	1960, 1961, 1964, 1976
JSL Cup / J.League Cup	5	1977, 1982, 1986, 2005, 2006
Japanese Super Cup	1	1977
Asian Club Championship	1	1986

League history

Division 1 : 1965–1992
Division 1 : 1993–2009
Division 2 : 2010–2025
Division 1 : 2026–Present
Players

Current squad

''As of 22 August 2025.''

Out on loan

International capped players

Coaching staff

Club officials for 2025.

Position

Name

Manager

Managerial history

Kit and colours

The club colours of JEF United Chiba are yellow, green and red.