MADRID, 1 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Japanese Football Association (JFA) renewed this Thursday the collaboration agreement signed in 2020 and hours before their respective teams are measured with their future in the World Cup in Qatar at stake.
According to the RFEF in a press release, Luis Rubiales and Kohzo Tashima, presidents of the RFEF and the JFA, were in charge, after a “very friendly” meeting, of signing this new agreement that further strengthens the ties between both entities. and that has led, among other things, to the friendlies this past November at La Cartuja in Seville between its women’s soccer and futsal teams, and its Under-21 teams.
In addition, there have been numerous meetings to exchange knowledge in different fields such as women’s football, development of competitions, national teams, coaches or the professionalization of refereeing.
“For this new cycle, the intention of Spain and Japan is to continue along the same lines and even intensify this close collaboration on all the aforementioned issues, in addition to developing strategic planning, with special emphasis on the training of coaches and referees and on perfect digitization”, remarked the RFEF.
“In the middle of the pandemic we signed this agreement and we are very happy. My friend Kohzo showed me his admiration for Spanish football, but it is mutual because we also admire Japanese football. What football means there is crazy and we can learn a lot “, stressed Luis Rubiales, who plans to tour Asian countries to talk about the 2030 candidacy that Spain leads together with Portugal and Ukraine and that was also discussed with Tashima.
The Japanese leader, for his part, acknowledged that “Spain is always at the top in the men’s categories, as well as being world champion, and in the women’s categories they are also very strong.” “But also their referees and coaches, so we have a lot to learn from the RFEF,” he confessed.