Japanese media including Soccer Digest reported on Sunday that ito Junya (Stad de l’Essue) was accused of sexual crimes. After an A-match with Peru in June last year, he allegedly made two women in their 20s drink alcohol at a restaurant near Osaka, and sexually assaulted them without the consent of the other party. Ito is a married man who has been married for three years.
Despite the controversy, Ito was included in the match list against Bahrain on the 31st and the round of 16 teams at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. He did not play in the end. Japan beat Bahrain 3-1 and made it to the quarterfinals.
At a press conference after the match, Japanese coach Moriyasu Moriyasu Hajime (56) couldn’t help but smile. According to the Soccer Digest, a reporter asked, “Is Ito still in the Japanese national team?” To this question, Moriyasu briefly replied, “I have seen media reports. The Japanese national team will take action after investigating the content.”
Public opinion is already raging in Japan. His eyes on Ito, who is accused of sexual assault, are not good enough. Comments from Japan’s “Yahu Japan” mainly criticized Ito. A Japanese soccer fan commented, “It’s regrettable. Wouldn’t smoke come out because of the fire? I wonder if he was aware of it as a member of the national team. I ask for an explanation as soon as possible.”
The fan who introduced himself as a fan of Ito said, “It’s shocking. Some people may still support it, but in reality, it is a difficult atmosphere. Ito seems that he admits to the act itself. He even has a wife. He acted like that right after the game, which is a big blow to his image.”
There were also a number of heated responses. “We need to exclude Ito from the national team for now. Regardless of soccer, Japan should focus on the Asian Cup. The national team is also aiming to win the title after a long hiatus. Players at the Qatar Asian Cup will also want to focus on the match.”메이저놀이터
Some fans guessed Ito’s innocence. A netizen said, “Ito was on the bench at the time of the match against Bahrain. The reason he can be so confident is because he is innocent.”
For now, Japan will face Iran in a quarterfinal match on March 3. When the team advances to the semifinals, it will meet the winners of Qatar and Uzbekistan. According to the regulations of the tournament, Korea can play against Japan in the final.