When Robert Roelofsen and RFYC’s Zehal Shibu and Vanlalthazuala Fanai signed professional contracts with Tokyo 23 FC, it did not register as a headline-grabbing transfer in global football terms.
A Japanese sixth-tier club rarely commands attention outside its domestic ecosystem. But to view this move purely through the lens of league hierarchy is to misunderstand its significance. For Indian football, this was not just a transfer. It was a marker of structural progress a moment that revealed how youth development in the country is slowly aligning itself with global football realities rather than domestic limitations.
At the centre of this transition is Robert Roelofsen, Head of Youth at Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC), whose work over the past few years has quietly helped Indian players cross barriers that once seemed insurmountable.
Why Japan Matters More Than the Tier Suggests
Japanese football’s league pyramid is often misunderstood abroad. While the J-League’s top three divisions are fully professional, the levels below particularly the Japan Football League and the regional leagues are among the most competitive semi-professional ecosystems in Asia.
Tokyo 23 FC competes in the Kanto Soccer League, which serves the Tokyo metropolitan area. It is one of the most demanding regional leagues in the country, populated by university graduates, late bloomers from elite college programs, and players released from professional academies who still operate at a high technical level.
For Indian players, this environment represents a steep but valuable jump. The tempo, positional discipline, and physical demands regularly exceed those found in Indian domestic youth competitions. As Roelofsen explains, this is precisely why Japan is viewed as a “development destination” rather than a comfort zone.
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“The Japanese system doesn’t give you time,” he says. “You either adapt quickly or you fall behind. That’s what makes it such a powerful learning environment.”
Contracts, Compliance and the Reality of Moving Abroad
Shibu and Fanai have signed contracts until December 31, 2026, with performance-based renewal options. But the footballing challenge is only one part of the journey. Navigating Japanese immigration law is equally critical.
Rather than entering on entertainer visas, which are often difficult to secure at the regional-league level, both players have taken the student visa pathway. This requires structured enrollment in Japanese language courses while continuing their football careers.
Language training is not a formality. It is central to survival. By March 2027, both players are expected to complete intensive Japanese language education, enabling them to understand tactical instructions, training nuances, and everyday communication within the club environment. For midfielders in particular, language proficiency becomes a competitive tool.
“If you don’t understand the details, you lose half a second,” Roelofsen explains. “In Japan, half a second is everything.”
Robert Roelofsen: Experience That Travels
Roelofsen’s credibility lies in experience rather than theory. Over a coaching career spanning more than three decades, he has worked across Germany, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, operating in environments that demand adaptability as much as tactical knowledge.
His time in Germany included roles at VfL Wolfsburg alongside Klaus Augenthaler, as well as youth and reserve team responsibilities at Hansa Rostock. These experiences shaped his understanding of structured player transitions how youth football must mirror senior demands long before players reach the first team.
His later stints in Indonesia, Libya, and Qatar exposed him to football cultures rich in passion but often lacking systemic clarity. Those lessons have directly informed his work in India.
“You can’t copy Europe blindly,” Roelofsen says. “You have to understand where the player is coming from culturally, mentally, technically.”
RFYC’s Shift from Talent to System
Under Roelofsen’s stewardship, RFYC has moved decisively away from talent identification alone and towards building a complete ecosystem. The academy is now India’s one of the only two AIFF five-star residential academy and holds a two-star AFC Elite Youth Scheme rating, the highest continental recognition ever awarded to an Indian academy.
Technology has become central to this shift. Virtual reality-based cognitive training helps players improve scanning and decision-making speed, while AI-driven scouting platforms widen the recruitment net beyond traditional geographies. But Roelofsen insists the real change is philosophical.
“We don’t just ask if a player is good enough,” he says. “We ask if he can survive somewhere else.”
International exposure at RFYC is not treated as a reward for success but as a necessary stage of development. The academy’s scholars have competed against Premier League youth teams in England, participated in the Premier League Next Gen Cup, and explored collegiate pathways in the United States. Asia, however, remains the most realistic bridge.
Japan, South Korea, and the UAE offer competitive football cultures with structured leagues, strong coaching education, and professional discipline without the immediate physical and cultural shock of Europe.
“The Japanese model forces Indian players to think faster,” Roelofsen explains. “That’s the biggest gap we’re trying to close.”
The Players: Why Shibu and Fanai Fit
Zehal Shibu’s game is built on technical control and tempo management. At RFYC, he often made his impact as a substitute, entering matches with clarity and composure. Japan will test whether that influence can extend across full matches under sustained pressure. Vanlalthazuala Fanai, meanwhile, is viewed internally as a modern midfield prospect who is dynamic, spatially aware, and tactically receptive.
His performances in the Reliance Foundation Development League positioned him as one of the most exciting prospects of his age group. Neither player is being sold a shortcut.
“This is not a finishing school,” Roelofsen says. “This is a proving ground.”
In 2025, RFYC launched its “Beyond the Pitch” aftercare programme, recognising the volatility of professional football careers. Players receive education in financial literacy, vocational planning, and mental health support, particularly important for those moving abroad at a young age.
For Shibu and Fanai, this safety net allows focus without fear. “Football careers can change quickly,” Roelofsen says. “Our responsibility doesn’t end when a contract is signed.”
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The success of this Indo-Japanese pathway will not be judged by headlines but by continuity contract renewals, language proficiency, and sustained performance over multiple seasons. If Shibu and Fanai establish themselves beyond 2026, it will validate a new model for Indian football: one rooted in patience, preparation, and strategic placement rather than rushed elevation.
“This isn’t about two players,” Roelofsen says. “It’s about showing what’s possible when development is done properly.”
For Indian football, that possibility is beginning to look tangible.
