The 2021 J.League Awards took place on Monday 6 December, where Mr. IIDA Jumpei and Mr. NISHIHASHI Isao were named Referee of the Year and Assistant Referee of the Year, respectively. Here we will share the comments of the two award winners.

Comments of the Award Winners

Mr. IIDA Jumpei, Class-1 Referee (Tokyo)
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the instructors and fellow referees who have guided me and helped me win this prestigious award. Thank you very much. I would also like to thank all those involved to carry out the matches despite the ongoing pandemic. I will not rest on my laurels and continue to give my best efforts to prepare for the next match, so that I can improve my performance on the pitch.

Mr. NISHIHASHI Isao, Class-1 Referee (Osaka)
I would like to accept this award with a sense of “gratitude” to my family for their understanding and support, my fellow referees who stand on the pitch with me, the instructors who have guided me, the Japan Football Association and the J.League, and all the people who have supported me over the years. Thank you once again. I will continue to do my best to fulfil my duty as an “assistant referee” and help raise the level of the J.League and the Japanese football community as a whole, so that we can create an environment where people involved in football can enjoy the game and live a fulfilling life through football. Thank you very much for giving me this honourable award.