A young Japanese couple with a special bond to Villarreal CF enjoy the victory over Alavés at La Cerámica
Naoki Kanehara and Anri Kanehara have pledged their eternal love. The young Japanese couple, who recently celebrated their wedding, are now enjoying their honeymoon in Europe, a hugely popular destination among Japanese travellers keen to explore and discover its many charms.
Anri had always dreamed of visiting Paris, a city many consider the most beautiful in the world and certainly one of the most visited. Naoki, for his part, wanted to make his wife happy while also fulfilling a long held personal dream: returning to Spain, where he had played in a football tournament 13 years earlier.
Anri was delighted by the idea of travelling to Spain. At first, she imagined major cities such as Madrid or Barcelona. Instead, their destination turned out to be Vila-real, a small town in the Region of Valencia. It was there that Naoki had competed with his Nagoya High School teammates in the Yellow Cup Easter in 2013. During that tournament, they faced Villarreal CF, and from that moment on, he fell in love with the club’s style of play, colours and fans.
After getting married, Naoki finally had the chance to return to Europe and did not want to miss the opportunity to revisit Vila-real. So, after Paris, the Japanese couple flew to Spain to watch the Yellow Submarine take on Deportivo Alavés. They landed in Valencia, stayed at the Hotel Palace in Vila-real, and experienced a full matchday at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Their visit included lunch at El Ceramista restaurant, a special presentation of commemorative Yellow Cup Easter shirts from the club, and time in the Fan Zone alongside the groguet supporters. All of this came before witnessing an exciting 3-1 victory over the Babazorros. A match that will remain forever etched in their memories, with Moleiro’s stunning goal, Mikautadze’s quality, and the joy of seeing a goal in person from the club’s top scorer and, for many, the greatest player in Villarreal CF’s history, Gerard Moreno.
It was a unique experience that Naoki will proudly share with friends, colleagues and European football fans upon his return to Japan. A story made even more special by choosing Vila-real and returning to a place where he once felt truly happy, instead of visiting world famous cities such as Rome, London or Madrid.
