'Controversy over sexual entertainment for referees': Japan Football Association president speaks out, "Verifying facts at the association level"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (49), President of the Japan Football Association, stated regarding allegations that Japanese referees previously received sexual entertainment from the Korea Football Association: "The JFA is verifying the facts at the association level."

According to reports by Japanese media outlets including Tokyo Sports and Chunichi Sports on the 12th, President Miyamoto made these remarks after meeting with reporters following his attendance at an event held in Tokyo that day.

While no further details were provided beyond the statement that facts are being verified, it was confirmed once again through President Miyamoto that the JFA is indeed conducting an internal investigation.

Local media also reported that "the Japan Football Association plans to investigate the four Japanese referees involved in the allegations and then release the results."

Previously, a controversy erupted after it became known that the Korea Football Association had provided sexual entertainment to over 10 foreign referees who visited South Korea between March 2011 and March 2012 to officiate matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Brazil, the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, and friendly matches involving the A national team and Olympic representative team.

These facts were uncovered during a 2016 audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, four to five years after the sexual entertainment incidents occurred. However, the Ministry did not disclose the findings until recently, when they were revealed through media reports approximately ten years later.

In particular, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit identified that the Japanese match officials involved in the sexual entertainment cases consisted entirely of Japanese referees — including one head referee and two assistant referees — sparking controversy even within the Japanese football community.

For instance, on March 25, 2011, during the match against Honduras, referee Ryuji Sato served as the head referee, while Tomokazu Tajiri and Shin'ya Iribe acted as assistant referees. This officiating team also controlled the friendly match between South Korea and China for the Olympic representative teams two days later.

Coincidentally, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism audit results, the KFA provided sexual entertainment to three referees around the time of the Honduras and China matches. In both games, three of the four officials were Japanese referees, with the remaining one being a Korean referee.

Furthermore, during the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Kuwait the following year, Yuichi Nishimura served as the head referee, and there was an instance where all four officials — two assistant referees and the fourth official — were of Japanese nationality. At that time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that sexual entertainment from the KFA had been provided to two of these referees.

In Japan, there is a sense of shock not only over the past fact that the KFA provided sexual entertainment to referees but also over the reality that Japanese referees were among those who received such treatment.

Tokyo Sports reported: "In the matches under suspicion, South Korea achieved five wins and two draws without ever losing, yet it was pointed out that Japanese referees were involved." The outlet added: "As reports from media outlets around the world spread the impact, attention is focused on how far the truth behind this scandal that has shocked the football community will be uncovered."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original