New Japan Football Association vice president Takeshi Okada fired a warning shot on Friday, urging the Japanese soccer community to have the courage to change if it wants to retain its current status in the world game.
Japan's two-time World Cup coach spoke for the first time as the JFA's No. 2 man after being wooed by new president Kozo Tashima. Okada's condition for taking the job was that he did not have to forfeit his duties as owner of FC Imabari in the Shikoku Soccer League, to which the JFA agreed.
Okada will only have to show up at JFA House twice a month for the executive committee and board of directors meetings.