‘Couldn’t Confirm the Facts’: JFA Publishes Findings on Probe Into Alleged Sexual Bribery of 7 Referees

Written by

in

At its board meeting on August 20, the Japan Football Association (JFA) reported the results of an investigation by outside lawyers into allegations of “inappropriate sexual hospitality” toward referees who officiated international matches held in South Korea between March 2011 and March 2012. Based on interviews with six of the seven referees involved and a written response from the seventh, the JFA said it “could not confirm the facts.” On the forum, though, users pointed out that “can’t confirm” isn’t the same as “didn’t happen,” and many questioned the fact that South Korea’s own investigation had already been closed under the statute of limitations.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) held a board meeting in Tokyo on the 20th. JFA Managing Director Kazuyuki Yukawa reported the findings of an investigation into South Korean media reports alleging that the Korea Football Association had provided inappropriate sexual hospitality to foreign referees — including Japanese officials — who worked international matches held in South Korea between March 2011 and March 2012.

Managing Director Yukawa explained: “With the cooperation of lawyers from an outside law firm, we have carefully worked to verify the facts behind these media reports. Based on the reporting, the lawyers interviewed six of the seven referees named, and confirmed matters with the remaining one in writing. As a result, we were unable to confirm the allegations reported — including that the Korea Football Association pressured referees over match outcomes, or that any inappropriate hospitality took place.”

Of the seven referees involved, one declined to be interviewed directly but reportedly gave a written response clearly denying the media reports.

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

9Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:15:49.29ID:eQH7fqOr0
Don't people usually leave evidence behind in stuff like this?
12Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:16:05.40ID:tw+1xOmG0
What happens if the Korean side spills the beans?
There's gotta be evidence still lying around.
30Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:18:32.90
>>12
Apparently whenever there was a Korea national team match
they were wining and dining foreign referees non-stop
so many cases that even the Korean side reportedly lost count lol
53Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:22:57.22ID:uNUoim960
>>12
That's exactly why the Korean side shut the case down
which means the truth just ends up buried in the dark
> Korea Football Association sexual-hospitality allegations toward foreign referees: police say "statute of limitations has passed"
111Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:33:43.31ID:Iit++8le0
>>12
They'll probably just ignore it.
16Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:16:22.15ID:HBznoCGm0
So "I went to a brothel but didn't do anything" actually flies now?
Sounds like some Maebashi mayor's excuse (a nod to a Japanese politician mocked for a similar implausible alibi).
20Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:16:53.73ID:3IaPP36n0
"Could not confirm the facts"

I think this every single time —
not being able to say "we confirmed nothing happened"
leaves nothing but the impression of gray leaning toward black
26Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:17:46.00ID:uNUoim960
>>20
They can't confirm that either —
it's just an interview-based inquiry to begin with.
103Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:32:04.11ID:Z+PVAFrU0
>>20
That's what they call "proving a negative" (lit. "the devil's proof").
21Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:17:01.66ID:Jx7Kfw1X0
Feels like that Hiroshima ball club thing, doesn't it.
192Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:47:04.00ID:1KJaTei60
>>21
That's nothing alike lol
27Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:17:59.72ID:dtvveaaI0
Couldn't they just ask someone at the Korea Football Association?
36Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:20:07.68ID:uNUoim960
>>27
The thing is, they're the ones who shut it down
if Korea were actually investigating, this stuff would come out
49Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:22:26.90
>>27
The Korean side sealed it up, so no evidence is coming out now lol
50Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:22:39.25ID:R6d/h+vT0
Overseas reports say there are around 60 more referees involved


I'm honestly starting to hate how cover-up-prone soccer culture is
62Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:24:13.27ID:uNUoim960
>>50
Apparently this has been going on since the '80s,
so there's no way it stops at that number.
84Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:28:18.80ID:kZvtRxbW0
>>50
If this is for real, that's straight-up garbage.
57Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:23:20.98ID:eiau3DLu0
"Sexual hospitality" just means a brothel visit, right? That's legal.
69Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:25:24.64ID:uNUoim960
>>57
Even just treating someone to a meal breaks the rules
it's not about whether it's a brothel or not
117Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:34:08.75ID:wrPN5KMd0
>>69
It's not illegal.
128Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:37:03.77ID:uNUoim960
>>117
No, that's not okay
both cash and hospitality are against the rules
124Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:35:07.10ID:/XuwzpKh0
Won't evidence turn up later on this?
They should investigate properly instead of covering for anyone.
131Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:37:36.50
>>124
Honestly
from Japan's side there's no way to investigate unless Korea hands over evidence lol

They don't even have investigative authority in Korea
140Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:39:12.01ID:Iit++8le0
>>124
Having the people involved investigate themselves is pointless —
they just want to make it never happened.
148Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:40:37.32ID:IqP/HTGT0
>>124
What exactly do you want the association to do about something that happened in another country?
Even the police have no investigative authority abroad
tell me if there's actually a way.
132Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:37:39.03ID:Iit++8le0
Since this is about referees allegedly being bought off, this isn't something the JFA alone can settle — these were international matches after all.
Shouldn't the AFC or FIFA step in and investigate?
138Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:39:05.46ID:kZvtRxbW0
>>132
FIFA gets called dirtier than Olympic vested interests — no way you can trust them
given how many referees might be involved, I'd bet it's not just them but everyone around them who's rotten
147Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 19:40:29.42ID:uNUoim960
>>132
Even if they step in, if everyone just says "we didn't do it" that's the end of it — pointless
this case needs Korean public authorities to actually act

*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuhou+) thread “JFA Publishes Findings on Investigation Into “7 Referees Inappropriate Hospitality” Allegations: “Facts Could Not Be Confirmed,” Determined by Outside Lawyers’ Investigation“.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *