 |
| AFP Yonhap News |
|
 |
| AFP Yonhap News |
|
The Japanese national team midfielder, who was arrested for sexual crimes, has returned to the national team. Coach Hajime Moriyasu defended him.
Japan's Higashi Spo Web reported on the 23rd (Korea time) 'Moriyasu explained Sano Kaishu's return to the national team'
Higashi SpoWeb said 'Sano will return to the national team after last year's Asian Cup. After his arrest on charges of sex crimes, he was not indicted and was recently excluded from the national team's call-up despite his performance in his team,' he said.
On the 23rd, the Japan Football Association announced 27 players who will participate in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, which will be held in June, on its official website. Since Moriyasu confirmed his participation in the World Cup in March, he could not often be seen in the national team or actively selected a new young blood in this June A match.
 |
| AFP Yonhap News |
|
Among them, the player who drew attention is Sano. Sano, who played an active role in the Bundesliga this season as a member of Germany's Mainz, will join the Japanese national team for the first time in a year and three months since March 2024. Considering the performance, it is a resource that will be selected sufficiently. Sano, who played as a key player this season for Mainz, was recognized for his competitiveness in the Bundesliga and contributed significantly to Mainz's advance to the European competition.
The problem is his private life. Sano became the subject of controversy in Japan in July last year when he was arrested on charges of sex crimes after moving to Mainz. Afterwards, he was not indicted, and the crisis was over, but Moriyasu did not recruit him for more than a year. After that, when Sano performed very well in the Bundesliga, Sano was called back to the national team.
 |
| AFP Yonhap News |
|
When asked about the reason for his selection along with the controversy over Sano at a press conference to announce the national team's roster, Moriyasu said, "Firstly, I confirmed that I apologized to my opponent, and secondly, the player is deeply reflecting on it. The third was that he was not prosecuted, and he was selected because it was concluded without being charged in a criminal case."
He added, `As a leader, I decided that it would be better to give a player another chance than to bury him because of the mistake he made as a person.'
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
