J League second-division club Ventforet Kofu have lived the Asian dream since lifting the Emperor's Cup (Japan's FA Cup) in 2022. Nobody gave them much chance when that win qualified them for the 2023-24 Asian Champions League, but they have since defied the odds by winning their group and becoming the first-ever J2 club to advance to the knockout stage. In the last 16, they were drawn against South Korean champions Ulsan HD.
Ventforet's dream commenced with a spectacular Emperor's Cup run in 2022 under former manager Tatsuma Yoshida. They wound up 18th in the second division that season but claimed five consecutive top-flight scalps on the way to winning their first major trophy, including Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the final. Ventforet also put up a strong showing in the 2023 season opener at the National Stadium, a 2-1 Super Cup defeat to the 2022 J. League champions Yohokama F. Marinos, but that should have been the end of the fairy tale.
It was not. Instead, 2023 was a season of great highs and lows for Ventforet. In the league, they challenged strongly for promotion, only to face final-day heartbreak when two late goals by Montedio Yamagata denied them a place in the play-offs. But in the Asian Champions League, it was a very different story.
Kofu is a provincial city located in a mountain basin north of Mount Fuji, about 90 minutes by express train from Tokyo. The club has no big corporate sponsor but is financed jointly by a large number of small local companies. Though based in Kofu, it regards the whole of Yamanashi Prefecture as its home.
The Kofu Basin - ferociously hot in summer and icy in winter - has long been known for its wine rather than its football. Until the Emperor's Cup success, Kofu's biggest claim to football greatness was as the birthplace of Hidetoshi Nakata, the first Asian player to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Going for Gold in Paris- There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer
There are plenty of candidates vying for the Olympic gold medal in the women's football tournament this summer
Face to face - Tom Sainfiet- The final goal is to reach the World Cup and write history - The Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer
The well-travelled Belgian coach speaks to World Soccer after taking charge of the Philippines-his 11th international coaching role
Inter cruise to title number 20
Simone Inzaghi's Internazionale shrug off all challengers before sealing the Serie A title in style against their biggest rivals
HAT-TRICK HERO
Ademola Lookman wrote his name into European football's history books with a hat-trick in the Europa League final
GOING UP
The story of Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres' career has been one of upward trajectory - and there's plenty more to come from the Sporting superstar
Palau soldier on alone
The isolated Pacific nation faces a long and lonely battle to improve football on the island
Brazilian clubs eye Copa number six
As the Copa Libertadores group stage concludes, a sixth consecutive Brazilian winner is looking likely
AI Hilal sweep to another Saudi crown
The first edition of the Saudi Pro League's glamorous new era ends with a familiar title winner
Disasters brewing
There is still a long way to go in World Cup qualifying, but dysfunction reigns at Cameroon, Congo and Nigeria after four matchdays in the group stage
Second round of World Cup qualifying underway
Favourites perform largely as expected, yet Cayman Islands dominate the headlines
