Vissel Kobe

Football club infobox
clubname = Vissel Kobe
ヴィッセル神戸


fullname = Vissel Kobe
nickname = -
founded = 1966
ground = Kobe Wing Stadium,
Hyōgo-ku, Kobe &
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium
capacity = 34,000 [ [http://www.vissel-kobe.co.jp/stadium_w/index.html www.vissel-kobe.co.jp] ] (Kobe Wing Stadium)
45,000 (Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium)
chairman = flagicon|Japan Hiroshi Mikitani
manager = flagicon|Japan Hiroshi Matsuda (Dec. 2006-)
league = J. League Div.1
season = 2007
position = 10th Place
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=9D0020|body1=9D0020|rightarm1=9D0020|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=000000|socks2=FFFFFF

nihongo|Vissel Kobe|ヴィッセル神戸|Visseru Kōbe is a Japanese professional football (soccer) club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team is located in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The home stadium is Kobe Wing Stadium, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku.

History

The club was founded in 1966 as the semi-professional "Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club" in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. In 1994, the city of Kobe reached an agreement with Kawasaki Steel, the parent company, to move the club to Kobe and compete for a spot in the professional J. League as "Vissel Kobe". "Vissel" is a combination of the words "victory" and "vessel", a nod to Kobe's history as a port city.

Football kit box
align = left
pattern_la = _black_stripes
pattern_b = _stripesonblack2
pattern_ra = _black_stripes
leftarm = FFFFFF
body = FFFFFF | rightarm = FFFFFF
shorts = 000000
socks = FFFFFF
title = first home colours, used from 1995-2004

Vissel Kobe began play in 1995 in the Japan Football League, a league below J.League and the supermarket chain Daiei was slated to the club's primary investor. However, the economic downturn following Great Hanshin earthquake forced Daiei to pull out and the city of Kobe would be responsible for operating the club.

After finishing 2nd in JFL in 1996, Vissel was promoted to the J. League and began play in the top division of soccer in 1997. However, due to mismanagement, including the inability to secure investors and sponsors, Vissel has never been a contender for the league title. In December, 2003, mounting financial losses forced the club to file for bankruptcy protection.

In January, 2004, Vissel was sold to Crimson Group, parent company of online merchant Rakuten, whose president is Kobe native Hiroshi Mikitani. So far, Mikitani's attempts to strengthen the team have met little success. Vissel's first signing under the Mikitani regime, İlhan Mansız, who was acquired partly to capitalize on his popularity during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, was a massive failure - the Turkish forward played just three matches before leaving the team because of a knee injury. Mikitani also alienated supporters by changing the team uniform colors from black and white stripes to crimson, after his Crimson Group and the color of his alma mater, Harvard Business School.

Vissel finished 13th in the league in 2004, the same position as the previous year, and finished 18th and last place, resulting in automatic relegation from J. League Division 1, or J1, to J2. During the two-year span, Vissel has had five different head coaches. 2006 will be Vissel's first season in J2 after nine years in the top division of soccer in Japan. They finished 3rd in the 2006 season and are promoted to J1 after beating Avispa Fukuoka in the promotion/relegation play-offs.

Team Record

J.League

Other domestic competitions

Players

Current squad

"As of July 6, 2008"

Notable players

* Bismarck
* Leandro Love
* Santos
* Roger
* Emerson Thome
* Lee Baxter
* Michael Laudrup
* Jan Jönsson
* Thomas Bickel
* Pavel Horváth
* Ivo Ulich
* İlhan Mansız
* Matthew Bingley
* Budimir Vujačić
* Choi Sung-Yong
* Ha Seok-Ju
* Takuya Jinno
* Kazuyoshi Miura
* Masauki Okano
* Shoji Jo
* Keiji Aimoto
* Ryuji Michiki
* Shigeyosi Mochizuki
* Ryuji Bando
* Akihiro Endo
* Takashi Hirano

World Cup players

"'World Cup 1998
*flagicon|South Korea Kim Do-Hoon

Managers

Trivia

*A fictional character named Kazuki Sorimachi in the popular Captain Tsubasa manga, becomes a professional soccer player and joins Vissel Kobe.

References

External links

*ja icon [http://www.vissel-kobe.co.jp/ Vissel Kobe Official Web Site]

J. League