2012 J League Transfer and Rumor thread

Felt like the other one was getting full

I'll start

Sponichi is reporting Ricardo Lobo will move from Tochigi to Kashiwa

Article here http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2011/11/19/kiji/K20111119002060190.html (In Japanese)

Meh, last year I would have clapped, this season he hasn't been very sharp and it's a bad news as he will probably alter the development of Tanaka, Kudo or Hayashi ... Not that Hayashi has a great upside, he'll fit better in a bottom J1 club or a good J2 team.

Who remembers Roger, the striker they brought mi-season last year ? He wasn't really useful ... But the team was already winning without him so he didn't get a lot of chances.

After getting Jorge Wagner last season I would feel quite underwhelmed by that news if I was a Kashiwa fan.

He had a good first season, with a knack of being in the right place at the right time, but he never seemed to really have much that could hurt an opposition team.

Different position, but I'd put him in a similar bracket to Genki Nagasato who scored a bunch of goals for us but didn't translate as well to J1.

For me more influential person for Tochigi this season was another Brazilian - Paulinho. Lobo had a nice string of games when he couldn't score (10+ if I remember that well) at the worst time for Tochigi when they started to lose the pace and lost all hopes for promotion. Who knows what Nelsinho thinks. Maybe just like the title of his book - everything for victory? Maybe with better players on the pitch he'll also step up.

Cerezo pursuing Kempes from America MG
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20111120-OHT1T00005.htm
Sports Hochi (Japanese)

A defenders galore at FC Tokyo, they've signed Yuichi Maruyama from Meiji University, an interesting prospect as he can operate in the center and on the side of the defense. He has decent size too (1m83).
But they're also planning to sign Korea's U20 captain Chang-hyun. He's a big guy too (1m87). Still I don't see the point in piling up players in what is their best area, defense. Maybe they're expecting Morishige to be wild again when he comes back in J1. Maybe they plan to put Konno back in the midfield. I don't know.

Sponichi mentions Ranko Popovic as a possible Okuma replacement at FC Tokyo
http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2011/11/20/kiji/K20111120002068960.html

FICCADENTI?!
Why the hell is he requested in Japan?

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20111120-OHT1T00010.htm

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20111118-OHT1T00323.htm

Cerezo also planning to signing a Korea U-22 CB, but he will probably go on loan to a J2 club like Kim Bo-Kyung did.

Presumably they figure he doesn't have far to commute from Machida

Okada or Nishino for Urawa ? Also heard about Chamulsca or Jorginho, the former MVP of the leaguz.

FC Tokyo interested in Yokohama's Watanabe Kazuma:

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20111120-OHT1T00010.htm

Nikkan Sports is saying Petrovic from Sanfrecce is going to be the new FC Tokyo manager

http://www.nikkansports.com/soccer/news/p-sc-tp1-20111120-866015.html

Apparently Ranko Popovic will be the next FC Tokyo coach.
http://www.dotup.org/uploda/www.dotup.org2295963.jpg

This guy must be thankful to have been Petrovic's assistant at Sanfrecce everyday because he was a complete nobody (and is still one).

The Popovic rumour is much more credible since he is probably going to guide Machida Zelvia to J2, and already lives in the Tokyo area as I said. The Petrovic rumour is a piss-take and makes Sanfrecce seem like just some down-country farm club for the big city teams. Maybe I'm taking too much offense? Or maybe the Nikkan writer's heart was broken by a girl from Hiroshima one time and still harbours a grudge, who knows?

Meh, Hiroshima basically let Petrovic go so I don't get why you would be furious. Everything has to come to an end one day, hopefully a new coach will allow the team to move on.

Oh I see, I was under the impression that Petrovic and Hiroshima were still negociating. I guess I should wait to see how it all plays out

And it looks like Okada will be the next Urawa manager :
http://imepic.jp/20111123/163400

What's in that scan? Only readable header? Any word that he was listed up as a candidate?

Asano isn't going to have his contract renewed at Avispa next year. Don't know why really, the team have been much better under him and it was always unlikely he'd be able to avoid relegation. Getting us off the bottom was achievement enough.

Not sure what it means will happen next, but think it makes Nakamachi leaving more likely.

Heard Ramazotti would like to stay, but is waiting for a proposal from the board.

Would be a shame if it came to be.