2022 Market Week – Leaps & Renegades

We’ve decided to look at profiles who might down or up the ladder of Japanese football: this is Part 1.

The Gifu-lácticos

With a huge Winter campaign on the transfer market, FC Gifu were expected to steamroll J3. It went sideways straight away.

When they dropped from J2 to the newborn J3 in 2014, Gainare Tottori seemed ready to bounce back. They didn’t.

First Kyoto, then Gifu, now Kumamoto: Takeshi Oki might not coach again in J1 in his career, but he’s developing the stars of tomorrow.

YSCC have always been there in the third division, but Akio Yoshida has become a symbol of their presence.

After a long chase, FC Iwaki have finally reached pro-football. And that’s just the beginning.

An unexpected promotion brought SC Sagamihara to J2. The successive relegation made them understand what was wrong.

Miyazaki’s blessed players, a nice return to Gifu, and the “Stalph-olution” in Nagano: these have been the Top 10 moves in J3 last Winter.

A promoted and strong pack, the surprise from the North and a winger turned into striker: these have been the awards for 2021 in the third division.

Brenner was a crucial piece to put the Grulla’s run to promotion together, but the Brazilian showed a submerse tendency in J3.