Lotte's Syunsuke Kosaka President announced on the 5th that he had given a New Year's address to employees.

▼New Year's greeting from Syunsuke Kosaka President

"Happy New Year to everyone associated with Chiba Lotte Marines. I sincerely hope that 2026 will be a wonderful year for you and your families. Last year was an extremely disappointing season, finishing last in the league despite setting our mid- to long-term goals as a team and franchise. With the encouragement and support of our many fans and sponsors, we nearly doubled our team budget compared to around 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this result was very different from the disappointment we felt when we finished last in the league. We must face this result head-on and use this experience to build on our past failures. The team is now working hard to make up for our shortcomings. We will work together as a team to win the league championship and to lift Manager Saburo up in celebration at Zozo Marine Stadium, so we would appreciate your support.

Additionally, on the business side, we are extremely grateful to have seen a significant increase in the number of people visiting Zozo Marine Stadium and the number of fans supporting Chiba Lotte Marines in recent years. This increase is incomparable to the pre-COVID-19 situation, and even though we finished last last year, we had a truly large number of people come and support us. However, we must also accept the fact that there are times when we have not fully adapted to this increase and change. This year, we will take on various challenges to ensure that even more people than ever before can attend and support us, and we will also work quickly to improve our operational capabilities.

Furthermore, last year we made two major decisions and declarations of intent. One was the decision to relocate our farm facilities to Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture in 2030. The other was the declaration of intent to consider building an indoor facility for the new Marine Stadium, scheduled to open around 2034. These two decisions will have a major impact on the future of Chiba Lotte Marines and the region. We will work closely with Kimitsu City, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, as well as various companies, financial institutions, and organizations to create a better future. Finally, I would like to once again express my gratitude to all the fans and sponsors surrounding Chiba Lotte Marines. First of all, in order to win the league championship, let's work hard in our respective positions to resolve the issues before us and prepare for the future. Thank you for your continued support this year.