Japan FA chief warns players against boycott

Japan’s football chief Tuesday warned players not to carry out their threat to boycott international matches if their demand for more pay was not met.

“If they boycott matches we can still go ahead with players who like to play,” Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji Ogura told reporters. “Those players who vow to boycott unless they get paid can do what they like.”

He was speaking after the JFA and the Japan Pro-Footballers Association (JPFA) met for the first time to discuss the players’ demands.

The JPFA, representing some 950 J-League players as well as foreign-based players, is demanding an increase in bonuses for winning matches as well as a slice of the revenue from the players’ image rights.

Japan players receive anywhere from 100,000 yen to 200,000 yen (1,190 dollars to 2,380 dollars) for every victory, but said they will ask for a minimum of one million yen (11,900 dollars), Kyodo news agency said.

JPFA executive officer Tetsuro Kiyooka said the meeting was “positive,” according to Kyodo. “They were willing to hear us out. We hope their reply to us will include details.”

Ogura said: “The important thing is to communicate, to talk through our differences so we can avoid or clear any misunderstandings between us.”

JPFA lawyer Taisuke Matsumoto told the Nikkan Sports daily earlier that the players cannot walk out on World Cup qualifiers and other official tournaments.