Tokyo Verdy sack manager Hiroshi Joofuku after winless start to J1 season
In short
Tokyo Verdy announced on Oct 5 that it has terminated the contract of manager Hiroshi Joofuku. The J1 club is 19th this season with four draws and four losses and no win in eight league matches. Head coach Hitoshi Morishita will lead the team in the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match, and the club said the coaching setup for the rest of the season will be announced once decided.
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Tokyo Verdy announced on Oct 5 that it has terminated the contract of manager Hiroshi Joofuku, 65. The J1 club is 19th this season with four draws and four losses and no win in eight league matches. The club said head coach Hitoshi Morishita will lead the team in the Emperor's Cup match on Oct 7. Yahoo! News Japan described the move as a “shock sacking”, while Mynavi News, Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Nikkei and NHK reported it as a club announcement and cited the winless start. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Club president Takaaki Nakamura said the club decided to terminate the contract as of Oct 5, that it took seriously its position of 19th at the end of the eighth round, and that the decision was a comprehensive judgment looking at the club's future. He said the coaching setup for the rest of the season would be announced as soon as it is decided. Eiji Ejiri, the club's head of football operations, said the decision was made with the team's aim of continuing to compete in J1 and aiming higher in mind, and that the department would work for a recovery. [ 1 ]
Joofuku was appointed in June 2022, when the club was in J2, according to Mynavi News, Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei, and led it to promotion to J1 in 2023, ending a 16-year absence. Sankei and Nikkei reported that the club finished 6th in 2024 and 17th in 2025 under him. Mynavi News said he had previously managed FC Tokyo, Ventforet Kofu and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and that the club also lost to Sagan Tosu in the Levain Cup on Sept 29. NHK said he had managed FC Tokyo and Sanfrecce Hiroshima and took over in 2022 when the club was in J2. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
In a comment published on the club's website, Joofuku said the team was unable to accumulate points as it had hoped at the start of the season and that it was a painful start in which he could not meet expectations. He said leaving the team at this timing was regrettable and that he was filled with a sense of apology, that the 2023 promotion was something nothing could replace, and thanked the players, staff, supporters, partners and everyone connected to the club. He said he would never forget the line dance he performed with supporters. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Coverage of the dismissal was brief. Tokyo Shimbun carried only a headline saying Tokyo V had dismissed Joofuku with the club winless in J1 this season and 19th. Yahoo! News Japan framed it as a “shock sacking”, while the other outlets cited the same results and Joofuku's record with the club. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
Tokyo Verdy sits 19th in J1 with no win in eight matches, so the dismissal changes who leads the club's remaining effort to climb the table this season. The club has not named a permanent successor, and Morishita takes charge for the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match. The documents give no basis for significance beyond Japanese league football.
Key facts
- Tokyo Verdy announced on Oct 5 that it has terminated the contract of manager Hiroshi Joofuku, 65. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The club is 19th in J1 this season with four draws and four losses and no win in eight league matches. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Head coach Hitoshi Morishita will lead the team in the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Joofuku took charge in mid-2022, when the club was in J2, and led it to promotion to J1 in 2023 after a 16-year absence. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The club finished 6th in 2024 and 17th in 2025 under Joofuku, according to Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei. [ 3 , 5 ]
- Joofuku said in a club statement that leaving the team at this timing was regrettable and that he was filled with a sense of apology. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Mynavi News reported that the club had also lost to Sagan Tosu in the Levain Cup on Sept 29. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Tokyo Verdy announced on Oct 5 that it terminated the contract of manager Hiroshi Joofuku. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The club has four draws and four losses and is 19th in J1 this season, with no win since the start of the season. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Head coach Hitoshi Morishita will lead the team in the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Joofuku was appointed in mid-2022, when the club was in J2, and led the club to promotion to J1 in 2023 after a 16-year absence. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Joofuku said leaving the team at this timing was regrettable and that he was filled with a sense of apology. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Who will take over as manager permanently. Club president Takaaki Nakamura said the coaching setup would be announced once decided, and the other documents name only Hitoshi Morishita as the coach for the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match; no permanent successor is named.
- Whether the dismissal was expected by the club or its supporters. Yahoo! News Japan described it as a “shock sacking”, while the other outlets report it as a club announcement without saying whether it was anticipated; the documents give no reaction from players or supporters.
- When the club reached the decision to dismiss Joofuku. The documents state only that the club announced the termination on Oct 5 and cite the league position after eight rounds; no date for the decision itself is given.
- Club president Takaaki Nakamura said the coaching setup for the rest of the season would be announced as soon as it is decided. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Mynavi News and Yahoo! News Japan publish reports that Tokyo Verdy has terminated manager Hiroshi Joofuku's contract, with Morishita to lead the Oct 7 Emperor's Cup match. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the dismissal, citing the winless run and 19th place and Joofuku's record with the club. [ 3 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun publishes a headline reporting that Tokyo V has dismissed Joofuku with the club winless in J1 this season and 19th. [ 4 ]
- Nikkei reports the dismissal with the same details on results and Joofuku's tenure. [ 5 ]
- NHK reports the dismissal of Joofuku, whose club has no wins since the start of the season. [ 6 ]
- Tokyo Verdy lost to Sagan Tosu in the Levain Cup on Sept 29, before the dismissal. [ 1 ]
- Head coach Hitoshi Morishita is to lead the team in the Emperor's Cup match on Oct 7. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]