We would like to inform you that today (June 3), the club submitted a letter of protest to the JFA (Japan Football Association) Referee Committee.
The letter of protest concerns comments made by the JFA Referee Committee in a referee briefing held on Friday, June 2, which specifically identified a player belonging to our club. The comments from the committee referred to the player's actions in the 2023 Meiji Yasuda J1 League Matchday 13 against Nagoya Grampus on Sunday, May 14. These comments have been widely disseminated through various media outlets, leading to criticism of the player on websites and social media.
Regarding the player's actions, the club issued a strict warning to the player himself after the match. However, from the day of the match until today, the club and the player have not received any warnings or cautions from the committee. Despite this, the club views it as problematic that comments were issued at a referee briefing just before an official match, and that while expressions and statements identifying referees were avoided in various comments during the briefing, the player's name was specifically identified regarding their actions. Therefore, in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring, we have officially protested.
The club will continue to uphold the spirit of fair play and strive to contribute to the development of Japanese football while building a better relationship with the refereeing team.