Shonan Bellmare , who won the J2 in 2017 and was promoted to J1, won the long-awaited first victory in the Levan Cup in 2018...
Since 2000, when the main sponsor withdrew, it was difficult to finance, and it was said that the strengthening cost was the second lowest in J1. Therefore, the outflow of trained young players and excellent main players is unavoidable, and the results are sluggish. They have been forced into a difficult battle. In 2018, the turning point, RIZAP entered the sponsorship. In addition to financial support, RIZAP trainers are individually dispatched to support the training of athletes. Shonan Bellmare was once again in a turbulence in 2019, when the practice environment was better than ever and the results finally improved. It was a turbulent one with frequent troubles such as misunderstanding of the obvious goal, leaving from the discovery of the power harassment problem of Cao Kijeu who has been leading the top team for 8 years, flood damage due to typhoon in the practice field etc.
However, even in the midst of the confusion, the players struggled and the remaining J1 was confirmed. From the 2020 season, they renewed their uniforms and swear that they will re-launch with a design full of originality in the image of “concentration of passion”. In January, the Mairi ground in Hiratsuka City, which was damaged by the flood, was restored for the first time in about two and a half months, raising the feelings of the athletes who got off the pitch.
In 2020, Kazuaki Mawatari, Kazuki Oiwa, Yuto Iwasaki, Naoki Ishihara, and Tarik from AIK Solna (Sweden) have joined the team, who have solid capabilities. In late January, they will leave for a two-week intensive training camp in Spain, and plan to strengthen their training centered on practical training toward the start of the season. They will compete in the year 2020 with Director Satoshi Ukishima, who has continued to cast due to the achievement of J1 remaining last season.