Despite Past ‘Unofficial Bans’. New JSA Chairman Tsuneyasu Miyamoto’s Realistic Appointment of Hidetoshi Nakata, Known for Enjoying Sake

Japan’s U23 national soccer team has qualified for its eighth consecutive Olympics. Japan’s second-place finish in Group B of the qualifying round, after losing to South Korea, meant that even one loss before the semifinals of the tournament would cut the team’s participation in the games short. He did not go to the final on April 3 (April 4 in Japan).

Miyamoto’s administration started in April. There are high expectations for “Tsune-sama’s skill,” who participated in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups as the captain of Japan’s national team. However, it has been pointed out that there is no “chief strategist” to support the new Miyamoto administration, and Hidetoshi Nakata, a “war buddy” of Miyamoto, has emerged as a strong candidate for the post.

At the end of April, Chairman Miyamoto updated his official Instagram page to show what appeared to be after dinner with Nakata, former Japan national team player Naohiro Ishikawa, singer-songwriter Naoto Intirami, and others.

Nakata is regarded as one of the most influential figures in Japanese soccer, but in fact he has been effectively “banned” from the JFA for a long time. However, with the arrival of Miyamoto as president, Nakata’s friend and comrade-in-arms, the winds may be blowing in the right direction, and he may have the opportunity to lift his de facto “ban. A veteran soccer writer revealed the following.

A veteran soccer writer revealed, “It is not a fantasy, but a realistic possibility that Nakata will take up some kind of position in the JFA. Of course, it is unlikely that he would take the position he currently holds, but his predecessor, former president Kozo Tajima, set a precedent. Mr. Miyamoto had just been dismissed as manager of Gamba Osaka in 2009, and Chairman Tajima had long thought that Miyamoto was the man he wanted to take over the JFA in the future. Therefore, when he brought him into the JFA in 2010, he created a new post, “assistant to the chairman,” which had never existed before. The president has the authority to do so.

The JFA currently has more than 270 employees, and in FY2011, President Miyamoto assumed the top position of Japan’s largest sports association, with annual revenues of nearly 30 billion yen. What does he want to do in the Japanese soccer world from now on, and how does he want to do it? The appointment of Miyamoto as head of Japan’s largest sports association with revenues of nearly 30 billion yen a year for the ’23 fiscal year attracted much attention. However, a reporter in charge of soccer revealed the following.

For starters, I was paying attention to what kind of board members Chairman Miyamoto would gather, but there was nothing fresh about them.

The second vice president, Takeshi Okada, owner of J3 Imabari, and Yoshikazu Nonomura, chairman of the J-League, will continue to serve as vice presidents. The number of board members has been halved from a maximum of 30 to 15, and former Nadeshiko Japan player Nahomi Kawasumi has been selected as a current women’s soccer player, but her ability is still completely unknown. Another veteran journalist revealed, “I have never met a JFA president who is younger than the rest of the board.

However, under the Miyamoto administration, there is no “right-hand man,” or so-called “chief strategist” in sight. Looking at the members of the Board of Directors, former President Tajima and Mr. Okada (Vice President Takeshi) will be in charge of checking the work of the new President Miyamoto. The new Miyamoto administration is effectively a government of the House by these two.

And then, Hide emerged as a person who “may be suitable for the role of chief strategist” for Chairman Miyamoto.

Both Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Nakata are 47 years old and met for the first time when they were in the third grade of junior high school. A symbolic moment of their bond occurred during Zico Japan’s participation in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when Nakata, who was a member of the Brazilian national team when he was active, said, “I played for the Brazilian national team when I was a golden boy.

Zico, who established a golden era with the Brazilian national team during his playing days, had a plan to make Nakata, who had played as a mainstay of the European clubs, the team’s captain. At the time, it was difficult for Nakata to participate in the full national team, so he confirmed his intention to President Miyamoto, who gave up the captaincy to Nakata. Zico also agreed to the creation of Miyamoto, saying, ‘If Mr. Nakata insists on it,'” said an old reporter in charge of the national team.

In 2006, Zico’s Japan team included midfielder Shinji Ono, midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, and Naoyasu Takahara, all unique players who were also active in overseas clubs, and was expected to be the strongest Japan team in history at the time. Hide, who had already become a recognized presence in Europe, struggled to communicate with the other players, partly because of the higher standards demanded of them. It was Tsune-sama who was following Hide behind his back.

However, Nakata was effectively banned from the JFA for a long time. This was due to a charity match held by “Take Action Foundation,” a general incorporated association established by Hide in 2008.

The JFA even went so far as to contact the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to request their support for this match that Hide (Nakata) had planned. However, it was later discovered that this was not a pure charity match. The JFA was furious that a portion of the profits had been made. Since that incident, Hide (Nakata) has never been able to step over the JFA’s threshold.

Six years later, at a friendly match against Argentina (1-0 on October 8, 2010), in which Italian coach Zaccheroni was selected to participate in the World Cup in Brazil in 2002, there was an interview with Zaccheroni by Mr. Nakata. The TV station that aired the match was the same as the one that broadcast the match.

The TV station that broadcast the match wanted to film the interview at the JFA House, but the JFA executives refused, saying that they would never allow Hide to be interviewed at the House.

The rift between the JFA and Mr. Nakata’s side was so deep that the JFA official who insisted on a de facto “ban” on Mr. Nakata has already retired. Furthermore, Kazuyuki Yukawa, who assumed the position of managing director under the new Miyamoto administration, is said to be a major factor in the situation.

Nakata retired from the JFA after the team’s disastrous 1-4 defeat to Brazil in the final match of the first round of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. After the game ended, Nakata was on the floor in tears, and his teammates were hardly there for him.

No one had heard that Hide (Nakata) was retiring, neither Zico nor any of the players,” said Nakata. So the atmosphere was, ‘Why is he lying down forever? ‘ (A reporter who covered the event on the spot).

At that time, Mr. Yukawa, the team manager at the time, was the only one who tapped Hide on the shoulder and held him in his arms.

Under the Miyamoto administration, Yukawa was promoted to the position of managing director, the third highest position in the JFA. Mr. Yukawa said, ‘In order to make a strong case to FIFA from now on, there should be a second career for players who have represented the national team, with more and more of them becoming executives of JFA. He has a good relationship with Hide (Nakata), so the environment is perfect for Hide (Nakata) to return to the field with the JFA if only Chairman Miyamoto makes a decision.

The new JFA president Miyamoto also continues to dine with Nakata. Although Miyamoto has made “strengthening the Japanese national team” a top priority in his inaugural manifesto, he also faces financial difficulties that necessitated the launch of a crowdfunding campaign, a lack of momentum even after qualifying for the Paris Olympics, the problem of restoring women’s soccer’s popularity, and numerous other issues. There are also a number of issues.

President Miyamoto declared, “There are some things I cannot do alone, so I would like to contribute to the development of soccer by involving many people. If one of them is Hidetoshi Nakata, everyone will be convinced, and this will lead to an increase in the approval rating of the new president Miyamoto.