Japanese international Takumi Minamino has completed his move to Liverpool for a reported fee of £7.25 million ($9.5 million). He joins the Champions League holders from Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg. The 24-year-old forward is believed to have signed a four-and-a-half-year contract. “Liverpool Football Club can confirm an agreement has been reached with Red Bull
J-League title hopefuls Yokohama F Marinos need to “just keep playing” their football, manager Ange Postecoglou said Saturday after his side moved to the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Matsumoto Yamaga. Teruhito Nakagawa struck the winner barely a minute into the clash at Sunpro Alwin stadium, running unchecked from the right
Real Madrid had signed another young Japanese sensation, Takefusa Kubo, who has been dubbed the Japanese Lionel Messi and actually played at Barcelona’s La Masia academy before returning to Japan. Barcelona also have their own Japanese import in the form of Hiroki Abe. Abe will play for Barcelona’s B team in the third tier at first but will be closely monitored by the first team
Is it a rising trend? Is this Japanese city now a final destination for Barcelona players? Belgian international defender Thomas Vermaelen has become the latest high profile player to move to Vissel Kobe. The 33-year-old, whose contract with Barcelona has now expired, will team up with David Villa, Sergi Samper and his former Barca captain
Supreme playmaker Andres Iniesta has admitted it will be strange to take on Barcelona when his Vissel Kobe side play his former team in a pre-season friendly on 27 July, Saturday. The Spanish champions are in Japan for the first time since 2015. Iniesta left the Camp Nou for the J-League last summer but is
In an incredible stroke of luck, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia were drawn alongside UAE in Group G of the qualifying zone for the 2022 World Cup. Vietnam are the reigning AFF Suzuki Cup champions. Meanwhile, Singapore will have Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Palestine and Yemen for company in Group D. The two Koreas will also
Japanese attacking midfielder Hiroki Abe is headed to Barcelona, becoming the second Japanese player in a month to join one of La Liga’s big two clubs. J-League outfit Kashima Antlers, where 20-year-old Abe was spending his third season as a professional, confirmed the move. Abe is expected to start his footballing education in Spain by
Akira Nishino, who led Japan to the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup, has been appointed head coach of Thailand’s national and under-23 teams. “Akira Nishino has agreed to be the head coach for Thailand’s national team and under-23 team to compete in several significant tournaments,” said a Football Association of Thailand statement released
David Villa and Andres Iniesta scored a brace each as struggling J-League side Vissel Kobe beat Nagoya Grampus 5-3 on Sunday. Villa opened the scoring with his eighth goal of the season in the 27th minute and Iniesta made it 2-1 in the second half after Ryuji Izumi equalized for the visitors. Do check out
The United States will be looking to defend the crown they won in Canada four years ago – but it looks like a bumpy road ahead. A cluster of five, six contenders are also gunning for glory in France – and they boast stars who can make a difference. Here’s some of them. Sam Kerr