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Albirex Niigata takes its name from the Italian words "Albi" (white) + "Reo" (king). The name is supposed to refer to The Swan - specifically, the constellation Cygnus, which has historical significance in this part of Japan's Northern Coast. The Cygnus motif also appears on the team's badge. However, "The White Kings" is also an appropriate name for a team from one of the snowiest parts of Japan.
If you are thinking … "Albireo? I thought it was Albirex?" ... well, Albireo is the name that the team chose when it went originally switched to a professional club structure -- Albireo Niigata Football Club. Albireo also continues to be the name of the white snow goose that serves as the team mascot. However, when the team was officially selected as one of the founding members of the J2 in 1998, it changed its name to "Albirex Niigata", which rolls off the tongue a bit more easily than "Albireo". Rex also means "king" (albeit in Latin not modern Italian).
Niigata is located on the Japan Sea coast, and is the largest city in the rather isolated Hokuriku region. This has been an advantage to Albirex Niigata in some ways, since it does not have any local baseball franchise or other sports teams to compete for fan support. As a result, Albirex has one of the most faithful fan bases in the league. They have bounced between J1 and J2 for most of their history, but their attendances are among the highest in whichever division they inhabit. The team benefits by the fact that they play home games in the 42,000-seat "Big Swan" Stadium -- one of the stadiums used to host the 2002 World Cup.
As already noted, the team mascot is a white Snow Goose. Albirex has an entire family of mascots. Albireo has a wife named "Swan-chan" and three cygnets, Ah, Roo and Bee.
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