The Jubilo Iwata Chronicle
Squad21 Feb 2028
Masahiro Sugata breaks a bone — 46 days out
Brutal, unambiguous and, for all the horror of the moment, usually less career-shaped than the ligament everybody fears more. 46 days, a clean timeline, and a return date somebody can actually plan around.
Squad21 Feb 2028
Tempers go at Jubilo Iwata
Kenta Nemoto was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Boardroom21 Feb 2028
5 academy graduates step up at Jubilo Iwata
Senior shirt numbers handed to boys the coaches have known since they were twelve. Most will not make it and all of them have already done the hard part.
Squad21 Feb 2028
A row about effort at Jubilo Iwata
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Takuma Ominami was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Market21 Feb 2028
Junya Maeda steps up from the Jubilo Iwata academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Junya Maeda has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market21 Feb 2028
One of our own: Hotaru Tomiyasu joins the Jubilo Iwata first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Hotaru Tomiyasu is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
Market21 Feb 2028
Kaoru Kamada steps up from the Jubilo Iwata academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Kaoru Kamada has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market21 Feb 2028
Gaku Osako steps up from the Jubilo Iwata academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Gaku Osako has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Boardroom21 Feb 2028
A promise the Jubilo Iwata board did not keep
There was a commitment, there was a date, and the date went past. Trust at a football club takes years to build and one afternoon to spend.
In brief
- Looking ahead A reunion for Kosuke Yamazaki
- The dugout When it matters, Takuro Ezaki plays
- The dugout Kengo Nagai asks for a word with the manager