Japan speaks frankly about information leaving AFC

(Dan Tri) - President of the Japan Football Association (JFA), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, has denied the possibility of the agency leaving the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Recently, media across Asia has been abuzz with news that the Japan Football Federation wants to leave the AFC to form its own federation, called the East Asian Confederation.

Japan denies leaving AFC (Photo: Getty).

According to some sources, the JFA is said to be dependent on funding from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Therefore, the Asian football governing body has made many unfair decisions, favoring representatives from West Asia.

Recently, the President of JFA, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, personally denied this information. Accordingly, Mr. Miyamoto affirmed that Japan has no intention of leaving AFC. He also completely denied the information that Japan will form a new federation or join another continental federation.

In an exclusive interview with German news agency DPA, Mr. Miyamoto emphasized: “The JFA has never discussed leaving the AFC, nor does it have any current or future direction related to that. Japan is an inseparable part of the Asian football family, and we always strive to contribute to the development of this sport throughout the region.”

Mr. Miyamoto said that in recent years, Asian football has made great strides thanks to strong investments from many countries in the field of professional training and infrastructure development. Thanks to that, the quality and competitiveness of teams in Asia have been increasingly improved.

Mr. Miyamoto is a former Japanese football player. He succeeded Kozo Tashima as President of the JFA from March 2024. In the past, Miyamoto had an illustrious career when he played for the Japanese national team 71 times and participated in two World Cups (2002, 2006) and the 2004 Asian Cup.

Japan will stay and build strong Asian football (Photo: Getty).

Looking to the future, Mr. Miyamoto believes that the development of Asian football will continue to grow. “I am absolutely convinced that with a long-term vision and systematic investment, Asian football teams will reach world- class level in the near future.”

Referring to the foundation of Japanese football's success, the head of the JFA emphasized: "Continuous investment in youth training has always been the key. We operate according to international standards and aim to compete fairly with the top football nations. That is the only way for Japan to maintain its position and continue to reap success."

Mr. Miyamoto also admitted that the level of football in Asia is becoming more and more even, making the tournaments more fierce than ever. However, he considered this as a motivation for Japan to continue to strive, with the immediate goal of conquering the Asian Cup championship, the title that the cherry blossom country team always craves.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nhat-ban-noi-thang-ve-thong-tin-roi-khoi-afc-20251103111024350.htm