"The Worst Japanese Player I Know": Amano, Once Targeted by Hong Myung-bo, Shines After Returning to Japan and Becomes Team Captain

*This content was translated by AI.

Jun Amano (35, Yokohama F. Marinos), who played for Ulsan HD (then Ulsan Hyundai) in the K League 1 before moving to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and received harsh criticism from then-Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo, calling him "the worst Japanese player I know," has been appointed as the new season's team captain (vice-captain). After leaving Korea and returning to Japan, Amano showed a clear upward trajectory and has now even taken on the role of team captain.

Yokohama F. Marinos recently announced via its official club channels that Takuya Kita (32) will serve as the club captain for the 2026-2027 season, while Amano will be appointed as the team captain. The club captain is responsible for unifying the entire club and embodying its values, while the team captain leads the squad on the field in a vice-captain capacity.

After playing for Yokohama and recording 9 goals and 1 assist (12 goals and 2 assists total) in the K League 1 with Ulsan, Amano struggled following his move to Jeonbuk, managing only 1 goal and 3 assists in the K League 1. However, after returning to Yokohama, he delivered a standout performance in the 2024 season with 5 goals and 5 assists (10 goals and 6 assists total), and recorded another 5 goals and 2 assists the following year. In the first half of this season, before the J League switched to a split-season format, Amano accumulated over 10 attacking points with 6 goals and 4 assists in 19 matches during the Centennial Plan League. Thanks to these performances, he has now been entrusted with the role of vice-captain for the new season.

Through the club, Amano stated, "I feel a great sense of responsibility and strong motivation to serve as team captain at this club. I will give everything both on and off the field to help Yokohama win the championship again."

Amano is a Japanese midfielder who was loaned to Ulsan in the 2022 season and to Jeonbuk in the 2023 season, both for one-year loans from his parent club, Yokohama F. Marinos. However, controversy arose over Amano's decision not to extend his loan with Ulsan and instead move to Jeonbuk. At the time, manager Hong Myung-bo sharply criticized him, saying, "Amano broke his verbal promise to stay and went to Jeonbuk," adding, "He is the worst Japanese player I know" and "Even our Japanese coach (Seigo Ikeda) must be ashamed."

In response, Amano countered, "I regret that manager Hong made such comments (criticism) through the media. He called me a 'liar' and claimed I chose to move for money, but none of that is true. We had light discussions about my contract starting last summer, but even after the season ended and I returned to Japan, Ulsan never extended an official offer. Contact came only in mid-November, by which time my heart had already turned toward Jeonbuk."

Additionally, Ulsan's club released media briefing materials related to Amano's transfer to refute the claims. The club stated that on November 3, they sent a proposal after reaching mutual agreement on salary and terms; on October 31, they submitted a loan extension proposal to Yokohama F. Marinos; and on November 4, they delivered a personal contract to the player, providing specific dates in their timeline. Despite this fierce back-and-forth, Amano moved to Jeonbuk but could not replicate his Ulsan-level performance due to frequent injuries. After completing one season together, he returned to his parent club, Yokohama F. Marinos, ending his ties with the K League.

Coincidentally, manager Hong Myung-bo found himself at the center of controversy when he unexpectedly left Ulsan midway through the following season after Amano's move to Jeonbuk and took charge of the South Korean national team. Whenever Hong's name was mentioned as a candidate for the next national team head coach position, he had previously hinted at staying with Ulsan, but then suddenly declared, "I abandoned myself. I cannot ignore the difficulties facing Korean football; I am making this final service." He then moved to Do Jung (CEO)team. In response to what fans perceived as betrayal, Ulsan supporters harshly criticized Hong Myung-bo through banners reading "The Worst Manager We've Ever Seen" and nicknames like "Amano Hong." The anger Hong expressed when Amano left the club ultimately turned back onto him.

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*This content was translated by AI.