Relegated Nagoya Grampus released nine players, including long-serving No. 10 Yoshizumi Ogawa and Michihiro Yasuda, on Thursday, while tentatively appointing vice chairman Shinichi Sasaki as the new president.
Nagoya, which a week ago dropped to the second tier for the first time on goal difference, also announced the resignation of president Kazumasa Kume and senior managing director Hisao Nakabayashi.
Grampus, which was one of the three teams that had never been relegated since the J. League's launch in 1993, named their former player Takafumi Ogura ahead of the season as both the manager and general manager. But they went on a 17-game winless run before management finally named Bosko Djurovski as manager in August.
Along with Ogawa, 32, and Yasuda, 28, former Japan international Tomokazu Myojin, 38, and regular defender Akira Takeuchi, 33, were also released.