It has been a while, Junpiter Futbol family.
Some of you may remember me from the columns I wrote for Junpiter Futbol over the years. This time, however, I am writing to you not as a columnist, but as the CEO of CORAZÓN, with some exciting news that means a great deal to me personally.
CORAZÓN has officially become the Official Apparel Partner of Singapore Premier League club FC Jurong, taking charge of the club’s jerseys and team apparel. It is a proud milestone for our company, and it is also our very first opportunity to work hand in hand with a professional football club in building something from the ground up.
Many people have asked me one question: Why FC Jurong?
The answer begins long before Singapore.
I have lived and breathed football for more than 40 years. I have travelled to over 100 countries, watched matches in stadiums across the world, founded Asia’s first ultras group in 1992, and spent more than three decades supporting Japan as the “12th player.” I have also attended ten consecutive FIFA World Cups since Italia ’90. Football has shaped my life, and it has taught me that the game is about much more than what happens during 90 minutes on the pitch.
Photos courtesy of Ueda Asahi
Over the past few years, one region has stood out to me more than any other: Southeast Asia.
I have written before about the incredible passion for football across the region. National teams are improving, domestic leagues are growing, and clubs are beginning to build identities rooted in their own communities. With the World Cup expanding, I genuinely believe Southeast Asia is getting closer than ever to producing its first World Cup nation.
I also believe Japan cannot keep growing if the rest of Asia stands still. Stronger rivals create stronger football, and raising the level of Southeast Asian football helps raise the level of Asian football as a whole. That is why I wanted to find a way to contribute with the experience football has given me over four decades.
Singapore felt like the perfect place to begin.
It is a country where different cultures, languages and religions live together, and that matches CORAZÓN’s philosophy of connecting people and cultures through football. I have seen football unite people all over the world, and I believe it can build a meaningful bridge between Japan and Singapore as well.
Then I met FC Jurong.
What impressed me most was not simply the ambition to win matches, but the desire to build a club with a genuine identity and culture that belongs to its community. Because FC Jurong is writing a new chapter, CORAZÓN has the chance to help shape that story from the very beginning.
We are not here to place our logo on a jersey and walk away. We want to become part of FC Jurong’s journey and help create a club that players, supporters and the community can truly be proud of.
For me, this partnership has never been just about making jerseys.
The players, coaches, staff, club officials and supporters all create the soul of a football club. Around the world, I have experienced the excitement of walking into a stadium, feeling the atmosphere in the streets before kick-off, and watching supporters become one with their team. That is football culture.
I want to bring those experiences to Singapore, but not by copying what exists elsewhere. Instead, I want to work together with Singaporeans to create something unique to this city and this club, and perhaps one day share that culture back with Japan.
Photo courtesy of Ueda Asahi
The timing became even more special with the arrival of Keisuke Honda at FC Jurong.
His decision to join the project brings incredible attention to the club and, hopefully, to Singapore football as a whole. But football is never about one superstar. The biggest stories are created when players, staff and supporters move forward together.
Singapore is only the beginning for CORAZÓN. We hope to work with clubs across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the rest of Southeast Asia in the future, but only with partners who share the same values of building football culture together, not simply wearing our brand.
Throughout my life, I have always believed supporters are the 12th player. Now, I want CORAZÓN to become the 13th player—supporting not only the players and coaches, but also the supporters who give a club its heartbeat.
Finally, to all Singapore football fans, let me say this.
Yes, I am now part of FC Jurong, but that does not mean I stop respecting every other Singapore Premier League club. I have followed Singapore football since the days when Fandi Ahmad was still playing for the national team, and my admiration for the local game began long before this partnership.
I will fight alongside FC Jurong, while continuing to support the growth of Singapore football as a whole. A stronger league creates stronger clubs, and stronger clubs create a stronger football nation.
This is only the beginning.
See you at the stadium.
