Sanfrecce Hiroshima represents Hiroshima on a distinctive purple stage, combining a long civic sporting tradition with the atmosphere of a modern downtown football venue. The club’s identity is anchored in collective strength, regional belonging and a clear visual language that links its name, crest and colours. Its profile brings together industrial heritage, professional ambition and community presence, offering a concise portrait of one of Japan’s most recognisable football institutions.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Upcoming matches by league
J1 League
-
- Regular Season - 8
Avispa Fukuoka
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Best Denki Stadium -
- Regular Season - 9
Tokyo VerdyNo H2HSanfrecce Hiroshima
-
- Regular Season - 10
Sanfrecce HiroshimaNo H2HKyoto Sanga
Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima -
- Regular Season - 11
V-varen NagasakiNo H2HSanfrecce Hiroshima
Emperor Cup
-
- Round of 32
Sanfrecce HiroshimaNo H2HIwaki
Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima
J-League Cup
-
- Round of 64
Tochigi CityNo H2HSanfrecce Hiroshima
City Football Station
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Last matches by league
J1 League
Emperor Cup
J-League Cup
Friendlies Clubs
AFC Champions League
AFC Cup
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Team Roster
Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s recorded squad contains 24 players: six attackers, seven defenders, three goalkeepers and eight midfielders. The attacking group includes A. Suzuki, M. Kato, N. Maeda, S. Ayukawa, S. Haller and T. Asano, while H. Araki, Kim Ju-Sung and T. Shiotani add experience in defence. K. Osako, Y. Tanaka and I. Ouchi cover goalkeeping duties. In midfield, H. Kawabe, S. Higashi, T. Kawamura and T. Matsumoto are among the named options. Shirt numbers range from 1 to 99, with two players listed at number 11.
position Goalkeeper
position Defender
Taichi Yamasaki
Hayato Araki
Shuto Nakano
Takaaki Shichi
Sho Sasaki
Tsukasa Shiotani
Ju-Sung Kim
position Midfielder
Naoto Arai
Hayao Kawabe
Shunki Higashi
Takumu Kawamura
Akito Suzuki
Mutsuki Kato
Taishi Matsumoto
Daiki Suga
Sota Koshimichi
Yotaro Nakajima
Shimon Kobayashi
R. Noguchi
Minato Hara
H. Ota
position Attacker
Takuma Asano
Sébastien Romain Teddy Haller
Shun Ayukawa
Naoki Maeda
Last Sanfrecce Hiroshima Coachs
Michael Skibbe is the latest recorded appointment, beginning his Sanfrecce Hiroshima tenure on 1 January 2022, and he is the club’s current coach. The German coach is the longest-serving recent figure in the club’s coaching timeline. Kentaro Sawada held the role from October to December 2021, following Hiroshi Jofuku’s period from January 2018 to October 2021. Jan Anders Jönsson and Akinobu Yokouchi are also listed in the earlier 2017 coaching chronology at the club.
Michael Heinz Skibbe
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Heinz Skibbe | Germany | 1 January 2022 | |
| Kentaro Sawada | Japan | 1 October 2021 | 1 December 2021 |
| Hiroshi Jofuku | Japan | 1 January 2018 | 1 October 2021 |
| Jan Anders Jönsson | Sweden | 1 July 2017 | 1 December 2017 |
| Akinobu Yokouchi | Japan | 1 July 2017 | 1 July 2017 |
| Hajime Moriyasu | Japan | 1 January 2012 | 1 July 2017 |
| Akinobu Yokouchi | Japan | 1 July 2011 | 1 July 2011 |
| Michael Petrović | Serbia | 1 July 2006 | 1 December 2011 |
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Transfers
The recorded arrivals show a varied recruitment and reintegration pattern. T. Kawamura joined from Red Bull Salzburg in a transfer dated 24 July, while S. Haller arrived from Utrecht as a free agent on 5 July and T. Asano joined from Mallorca also as a free agent on 30 June. Several entries are returns from loan, including O. Iyoha from Omiya Ardija, T. Semba from Mito Hollyhock, S. Kofie from Iwaki and A. Inoue from Matsumoto Yamaga. Earlier recorded additions include Kim Ju-Sung from FC Seoul and N. Maeda from Urawa.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Kawamura |
Red Bull Salzburg
|
Transfer | 24 July 2026 |
| S. Haller |
Utrecht
|
Free agent | 5 July 2026 |
| T. Semba |
Mito Hollyhock
|
Return from loan | 30 June 2026 |
| O. Iyoha |
Omiya Ardija
|
Return from loan | 30 June 2026 |
| T. Asano |
Mallorca
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| A. Inoue |
Matsumoto Yamaga
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| S. Kofie |
Iwaki
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| O. Iyoha |
Omiya Ardija
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| M. Mitsuta |
Gamba Osaka
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| T. Shichi |
Avispa Fukuoka
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| M. Ohara |
Albirex Niigata
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| R. Tanada |
Gainare Tottori
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| S. Ayukawa |
Oita Trinita
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| S. Inoue |
Jubilo Iwata
|
Return from loan | 30 January 2026 |
| A. Suzuki |
Shonan Bellmare
|
- | 11 January 2026 |
The recorded departures include both transfers and temporary loans. S. Nakamura has entries for a transfer to Le Havre on 15 July and a loan there on 16 July, while M. Ohara moved to Jubilo Iwata on loan and T. Semba transferred to Mito Hollyhock on 30 June. C. Hill joined Blaublitz Akita on loan, and R. Germain and K. Kinoshita transferred to Shimizu S-pulse that day. Other entries include Marcos Júnior becoming a free agent, M. Mitsuta moving to Gamba Osaka and O. Iyoha leaving on loan for Omiya Ardija.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Nakamura |
Le Havre
|
Loan | 16 July 2026 |
| S. Nakamura |
Le Havre
|
Transfer | 15 July 2026 |
| K. Kinoshita |
Shimizu S-pulse
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| R. Germain |
Shimizu S-pulse
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| C. Hill |
Blaublitz Akita
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| T. Semba |
Mito Hollyhock
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| M. Ohara |
Jubilo Iwata
|
Loan | 30 June 2026 |
| Marcos Júnior |
Cuiaba
|
Free agent | 21 May 2026 |
| A. Inoue |
Matsumoto Yamaga
|
Loan | 31 January 2026 |
| M. Mitsuta |
Gamba Osaka
|
Transfer | 31 January 2026 |
| S. Inoue |
Jubilo Iwata
|
- | 31 January 2026 |
| S. Tanaka |
Fortuna Düsseldorf
|
Transfer | 31 December 2025 |
| Marcos Júnior |
Cuiaba
|
Free agent | 30 December 2025 |
| Jeong Min-Ki |
Suwon City FC
|
Return from loan | 30 December 2025 |
| T. Semba |
Mito Hollyhock
|
Loan | 1 August 2025 |
Transfers Synthesis
Taken together, the recorded movement around Sanfrecce Hiroshima shows a mix of squad changes, loan administration and player turnover, without establishing a complete transfer balance. Arrivals include a direct transfer from Red Bull Salzburg, free-agent additions from Utrecht and Mallorca, and multiple returns from temporary spells elsewhere. The departure side combines loans, transfers, a return from loan and a free-agent exit, with several movements involving Japanese clubs and a smaller number linking the team to European, Brazilian and Korean football. Several players feature in both arrival and departure activity, reflecting loan returns followed by onward movement or separate recorded statuses. Overall, the activity describes different forms of roster movement and their timing rather than a definitive net total or a complete season-wide account.
Leagues Sanfrecce Hiroshima has participated in
The competition record places Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J1 League from 2012 through 2025, with recent participation recorded in the top Japanese division. Domestic cup entries cover the Emperor Cup and J-League Cup across the same 2012-2025 span, while the Super Cup is recorded for 2025. Continental participation includes the AFC Champions League from 2016 through 2025 and the AFC Cup in 2024. Friendlies Clubs appear from 2023 to 2025. The FIFA Club World Cup entry is historical, limited to 2015 exact year participation.
More about Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima is a professional football club from Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, founded in 1938. Its institutional lineage begins with Toyo Kogyo SC, the corporate team associated with Mazda, and runs through the Toyo Kogyo and Mazda eras of the old Japan Soccer League before the club entered the professional J.League period. This history gives Sanfrecce a rare continuity between industrial roots, regional identity and modern professional football.
The name combines san, the Japanese word for three, with frecce, Italian for arrows. It refers to the story of Mōri Motonari, whose lesson about three united arrows became a symbol of strength through collective purpose. Three arrows also shape the club crest, while purple and white form the core visual identity. The team is commonly associated with the nickname Sanfre and the Viola colour tradition, making purple a strong marker of home support and club culture.
Sanfrecce plays home matches at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, a football-specific city-centre stadium opened in 2024. The venue replaced Hiroshima Big Arch as the club’s long-term home and gives matchdays a more concentrated urban setting. The club’s community profile is also reflected in its mascots, Sancce and Frecce, Asiatic black bears connected with the Chugoku mountain region.
The organisation operates through a civic and corporate network around Sanfrecce Hiroshima Corporation, with regional public bodies and major stakeholders including Hiroshima Prefecture, Hiroshima City, Mazda Motor Corporation and Edion. On the pitch, the club’s established identity is associated with tactical discipline, structural continuity, academy development and a blend of locally developed Japanese players with selected international recruits. Its recorded competition history places it in Japan’s leading domestic and cup structures, with repeated appearances in Asian club football. Together, heritage, symbolism, venue and regional backing define Sanfrecce Hiroshima as one of Hiroshima’s enduring football institutions.
Last matches statistics for Sanfrecce Hiroshima
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NK Slaven Belupo
1 - 3
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
4 - 0
Verspah Oita
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
3 - 0
JEF United Chiba
|
8 / 23 |
|
85 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
|
Urawa
1 - 4
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
|
9 / 26 |
|
74 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
1 - 1
Kawasaki Frontale
|
7 / 15 |
|
88 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
4 - 1
Okinawa SV
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Gamba Osaka
0 - 0
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
|
4 / 17 |
|
84 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
3 - 0
Nagoya Grampus
|
7 / 16 |
|
84 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
|
Fagiano Okayama
3 - 2
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
|
7 / 21 |
|
0% | 8 | - | 2 |
|
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
6 - 1
Cerezo Osaka
|
11 / 20 |
|
0% | 8 | - | 2 |
Detailed statistics Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Warnings Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Passes Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Goalkeeper saves Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Latest start lineups Sanfrecce Hiroshima (XI)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Cerezo Osaka
J1 League 2027 - 1556065
Fagiano Okayama vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima
J1 League 2027 - 1556058
Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Nagoya Grampus
J1 League 2027 - 1556046
Gamba Osaka vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima
J1 League 2027 - 1556031
Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Kawasaki Frontale
J1 League 2027 - 1556029
Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs JEF United Chiba
J1 League 2027 - 1554006
2021
1st shirt
2021
2nd shirt
2020
Home shirt