Erick Japa has not yet debuted with Municipalbut he is already clear about what one of his biggest challenges will be: convincing one of the most demanding hobbies of Guatemalan soccer.
The 27-year-old Dominican forward was presented as new scarlet reinforcement for the 2026-2027 season and, in his first statements, he admitted that wearing the red shirt means responding to a fan accustomed to fighting for titles and demanding results.
“I know they are demanding, that are difficult to convince, But I believe that with work and with a lot of sacrifice, humility, I believe that things can be moved forward,” he stated.
The phrase reflects the scenario you will find in Clover. Municipal reaches Apertura 2026 as champion of the National League and with fans that expect each addition to have an immediate impact within the team.
A challenge that he took on from day one
Japa explained that he did not hesitate when he received the opportunity to join the red team.
“When they called me from Municipal, I once wanted to come because It is a historic club, a very big club from here, from Guatemala and from Central America. I didn’t think much about it, I simply spoke to my representative to get in touch with the people at Municipal and I was able to come here, thank God,” he commented.
The attacker also highlighted the references he received before finalizing his arrival.
“Full stadium, how serious the club is… I had a lot of good recommendations from here and all the comments they told me about Municipal were positive: that it is a good club, that it has its stadium, very good people, the players are very friendly. “I didn’t think much about coming, to be honest,” he said.
Confident in responding on the field
The forward assured that he hopes adapt quickly to the team and demonstrate their qualities on the field of play.
“My characteristics are power, physical power, speed and doing things well, the truth is, and well, goals obviously too,” he expressed.
Japa also sent a message to the Scarlet fans. “I tell the fans that the players have received me well, “That this can be my safe place here and that if I gain confidence and things go well, I think I can bring a lot of joy to the fans,” he indicated.
The footballer is already working under Mario Acevedo and hopes to become one of the important pieces of the national champion. However, he himself recognizes that the real test will begin when he takes the field and must meet expectations of a fan accustomed to demanding the maximum from its players.