Amidst the excitement of last year's soccer World Cup, Kengo Nakamura, a former member of the Japanese national team, exchanged opinions with students at his alma mater to find ways to keep many people interested in soccer.
Mr. Nakamura, a former member of the Japan national team, is working for the Japan Football Association as a leader of a project to get more people interested in football. I have had many discussions with my students.
On the night of the 16th, a student proposed to increase the number of users of the smartphone app developed by the Football Association. Among them, the group of third-year students proposed to set up a point function that can be used at convenience stores, etc., so that they can be exchanged for match tickets. was proposed.
In addition, the second-year group actively posted videos of players and rules on YouTube, and explained that if they included advertisements for the app, it would be widely known by young people.
According to the Football Association, the fan base, which was estimated at 37 million at the time of the World Cup in Russia, has decreased by 8 million in the five months after the tournament. It is a challenge to keep people interested in football.
Mr. Nakamura said, ``If you mix all of your suggestions, you can make something really good. I want to think about which ideas to use.''
Ryunosuke Nakamura, a third-year student, said, "I would appreciate it if even one idea would be adopted in order to increase the momentum for the next World Cup."