At 11:11 local time on January 11, Japan, JFL (Japan's fourth division league) team Suzuka FC officially announced that the 54-year-old Miura Chira joined the team on loan from Yokohama FC, and he will wear the No. 11 jersey in the new season.
Due to the fact that he has been wearing the No. 11 jersey, miura Chira will announce every time he renews his contract or has a new dynamic, it will be announced at 11:11 local time in Japan, and this time is no exception, Suzuka FC chose to officially announce this news at 11:11 local time on January 11.
Miura also wrote an affectionate farewell letter to Yokohama fans.
"I have been with Yokohama FC for 16 years since 2005, and I will take on a new challenge with countless memories and pride that I have accumulated so far, as well as a feeling of gratitude."
Kazuyoshi Miura (Born on February 26, 1967 in Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan), Miura Chira is arguably the most famous star in the history of Japanese football, and the 54-year-old has been a pioneer in Japanese and even Asian football. In the Japanese national team, he made his debut in 1990 and left a record of 55 goals in 89 games.
The former Japan international has played for Kawasaki Yomiuri, São Paulo, Palmelas, Genoa, Kobe Victory, Dinamo Zagreb, Yokohama FC, Suzuka FC and other clubs. In 1993, Miura was elected Asian Footballer of the Year. In his more than three decades of career, he is a living fossil of Japanese football.
In 2005, Miura transferred to Yokohama FC and has played for him ever since, during which time he has broken the oldest appearance and goal scoring records in the J-League and J2 Leagues several times.
According to the official statistics of Yokohama FC, Miura played a total of 326 J1 league games and scored 139 goals. He played 249 games in the J2 League and scored 24 goals. He made 52 appearances in the cup and scored 17 goals. However, he has barely been able to play this season, and Yokohama FC has also been relegated from the J-League.
In the 2021 season of the J1 League, Miura Chira's playing time is only 1 minute, and perhaps this is the reason that he moved the years of departure. At the end of the 2021 season, there are already nearly 10 teams hoping to bring in Miura Chira, not only because he brings his own traffic, but also because if the team can have Miura Chira, it means that it can have more sponsors.
Although there were also teams from the J2 League who threw olive branches to the "living fossil", it was Suzuka FC from Japan's fourth division that won in the end.
It is worth mentioning that the three leagues of J1, J2 and J3 belong to the Japanese professional league. The fourth-tier JFL is affiliated with the Japan Football Association, which has nothing to do with the professional leagues and can only be counted as a semi-professional team. However, JFL teams and the J3 League can be promoted and relegated, but need to participate in the Japan Football Association's centennial plan and meet the J League's access mechanism.
At the end of the 2021 season, Miura said:
"As long as there is a club willing to accept me, I will always stand on the pitch"
It is reported that the current general manager and head coach of Suzuka FC is Miura's brother Yasuhien Miura, which is probably an important reason for Miura Chiryo to join Suzuka FC.
"There is an old family, if there is a treasure", obviously, the old owner Yokohama FC does not want to let go of miura Chiryo's "cash cow" for the time being, this time joining Suzuka FC is only on loan, maybe next year we can see the figure of this living fossil again in the professional arena.