Fukui United FC (福井ユナイテッドFC, Fukui Yunaiteddo Efu Sī) is a football (soccer) club based in Fukui, the capital city of Fukui Prefecture in Japan. They play in the Hokushinetsu Football League, which is part of Japanese Regional Leagues. They were founded in 2019 to take the place of their dissolved predecessor, Saurcos Fukui (サウルコス福井, Saurukosu Fukui).
The club was born on September 28, 2006, from the merger of FC Kanazu (from Kanazu, now part of Awara) and Maruoka Phoenix (from Maruoka, now part of Fukui city).[1] The name Saurcos comes from the combination of two English words: saur from "dinosaur" and cos from "corps", referring to army corps. It was chosen between three possible choices after a poll between fans, linking also with their mascot, the Fukuiraptor, a dinosaur lived in Japan during the Cretaceous.[2] The logo also presents the Narcissus, a plant typical of this region. The near city of Awara hosts the club's training sessions.[3]
After an immediate promotion from 2nd division of Hokushinetsu Football League, Saurcos Fukui has been in first tier for a decade, waiting for a chance to snatch a spot in Japan Football League. They have participated eight times in the Emperor's Cup, going as far as the second round on four occasions.
After the 2018 season, Saurcos Fukui has been dissolved taken by successor of Fukui United FC was founded in 2019 by volunteers from Fukui Prefecture, led by the Fukui Prefectural Football Association, as a company that will take over the Saurcos Fukui management corporation " NPO Fukui J League Team Creation Association " that was disbanded in 2018 due to financial difficulties. Co., Ltd. was established on January 11, 2019, at a press conference on January 26, 2019, the new team's name was Fukui United Football Club, and it was announced that it would start in earnest from February 1. It was announced that Kazuo Yoshimura will be appointed as the president of Fukui United Co., Ltd., which will be the operating company, and Junichi Hattori, who was the GM of FC Gifu and V-Varen Nagasaki, will be appointed as the general manager (GM).[4][5] The club will play their sixth consecutive season at the Hokushi'netsu Football League on 2024.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.