Fan of the Day: 'A shakeable belief in Japan'

By Andres Burgo Jun 29, 2006, 17:42 GMT

Dejected supporters from Japan after the group F match of 2006 FIFA World Cup between Japan and Brazil in Dortmund on Thursday, 22 June, 2006. Brazil won by 4-1. EPA/ROLF VENNENBERND

Wuerzburg - 'We were disastrous,' says Junichi, who flashes a pained smile. 'We are a laughing stock. I don't think it makes much sense participating at the World Cup if we end up playing like this.

'In a way it would be better if we could become a strong enough side to compete to win a finals, rather than merely make up the numbers and humiliate ourselves,' he adds desperately of Japan's short-lived adventure at Germany 2006.

Yet after singing the praises of his favourite club Gamba Osaka, the current Japanese champions, Junichi admits some hope.

Didn't professional football arrive only recently to Japan?

'Yes, that's true,' he responds, calming down. 'Before then it was all amateur, footballers lived off their day job. Most of them were factory workers.'

And didn't Japan only recently debut at a World Cup?

'That's true as well,' he concedes. 'Since 1998 we've always made it to the finals. In 2002 we co-hosted the tournament and for Germany we qualified easily.'

So why so much expectation for the national team? Why in just 10 years should you be able to compete with the likes of Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina or England?

'Japanese have been conquered by football in a very short time,' he bursts forth, smiling now. 'We are very demanding, sometimes unreasonably so. One day we want to be world champions. Don't laugh! One day it will happen.'