Full name | JEF United Ichihara Chiba |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | JEF, Inu (The Dogs) |
Founded | 1946 | (Furukawa Electric SC)
Ground |
Fukuda Denshi Arena Chiba, Chiba |
Capacity | 19,781 |
Owner |
East Japan Railway Company(50%) Furukawa Electric(50%) |
Chairman | Hideyuki Maeda |
Manager | Juan Esnáider |
League | J2 League |
2016 | 11th |
Website | Club home page |
JEF United Ichihara Chiba, also known by JEF United Chiba (ジェフユナイテッド千葉 Jefu Yunaiteddo Chiba?), and also as JEF Chiba (ジェフ千葉 Jefu Chiba?), is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 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. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric- and United, represents the unity of the team and its home town.
The team began as the company team, Furukawa Electric Soccer Club (古河電気工業サッカー部?) 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 honor in Asia; they were the first Japanese club to do so.