Football Season Guide

Renofa enjoyed mid-table comfort for the entire last year. Mixing 15 wins with 15 defeats in the 38 rounds meant that the 11th place in the final standings was somewhat expected. Had problems on the road but enough wins were secured at home and this brought a calm campaign. The main reason for the calm year last term was the solid defending. Renofa had the eighth best record in J2, only 44 goals conceded in 38 games. However, during the off-season the back line was gutted. Main goalkeeper Seki retired, while 3 of the regulars in defence are no longer in the squad. Coach Esnaider was busy looking for replacements. Experienced Dutch goalie Nick Marsman was signed to likely become a starter eventually. Also, 7 new defenders joined the team and at least 3 of them should be regulars. Captain Kensuke Sato also retired at the end of 2024. He spent most of last season injured though so the midfield line got used to playing without him. Also, the arrivals of Naoto Misawa and Hikaru Naruoka in midfield provide fresh options exactly for Sato’s role. Striker Wakatsuki was ineffective last season, only 6 goals in 34 appearances, so letting him go shouldn’t be a major problem up front. If anything the attack looks stronger after adding Takumi Miyayoshi and 4 other strikers to the squad this winter. Despite the many changes in the winter Renofa look well prepared for their 10th consecutive J2 campaign. If anything the depth in attack and defence is even better now compared to last season.