Japan’s J-League is in the midst of an uproar over advance warnings of police surveillance to prevent hooliganism.
In an official announcement on the 12th, FC Tokyo said, “During the J-League Round 8 match against Tokyo Verdi at Ajinomoto Stadium on the 13th, in cooperation with the competent police departments, cameras will be set up in and around the stadium to prevent illegal behavior.
The match between FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdi is known as the “Tokyo Derby” in the J-League and will be held at the home of Tokyo Verdi. The club’s request for police assistance stems from an unsavory incident that occurred in the third round of the Emperor Cup (JFA All Japan Soccer Championship) last year.
On July 12 last year, second-tier Tokyo Verdi played FC Tokyo to a 1-1 draw before losing on penalties. It had been 12 years since the two teams from the same Tokyo neighborhood had met in an official competition. After the game, the FC Tokyo supporters’ section was lit up with fireworks, smoke bombs, and other firearms, and advertising signs around the stadium were vandalized with eggs. At the time, police were investigating the vandalism.
The Tokyo Verdi club, after their billboards were vandalized by fanatical fans, 스포츠토토 cleaned them up and launched a campaign called “We love GREEN. What else?” to raise awareness.
Tokyo Verdi won promotion to the top division for the first time in 16 years in the 2023 season, which led to the ‘Tokyo Derby’ this season. After losing the Emperor’s Cup, Tokyo Verdi has been venomous, saying, “If we are promoted to the first division, we will definitely humiliate them.”
As the actual ‘Tokyo Derby’ approached, the club became concerned about the events of last year’s Emperor Cup. FC Tokyo explained that the club will not use the acquired camera images for any purpose other than reasonable security measures and will pay attention to personal information management.