Kaishu Sano on His Determined Restart and Moving Forward from His Soccer Career

Contributed to a comeback victory in his debut match

This summer, midfielder Kaishu Sano (23), who transferred from Kashima Antlers to Mainz in the German Bundesliga, made his official debut on August 16 in the first round of the DFB Cup against SV Wehen Wiesbaden.

Starting as a defensive midfielder, he played the full 120 minutes without being substituted, even though the match went into extra time with a 1-1 score. He contributed to the 3-1 comeback victory.

Although he initially appeared a bit tense, as the match progressed, Kaishu Sano demonstrated his strengths with ball recovery in midfield and making runs into the attack. After the game, Coach Bo Henriksen praised his performance, saying, “It was a very good performance. I am satisfied.” Sano celebrated with his teammates and danced with joy after the match.

Hailing from Okayama Prefecture, Sano graduated from Yonago Kita High School, spent four seasons with Machida Zelvia, and played for Kashima Antlers starting last season. Known for his high work rate and aggressive play in both defense and attack, he gained recognition as a dynamic midfielder. He made his debut for the Japan national team last autumn and participated in the Asian Cup as a member of the national team in January this year.

And from July, he was supposed to challenge himself with a further step up at Mainz in the German Bundesliga. However, there was a twist. Dominique Zeiss, a reporter for the German daily Allgemeine Zeitung, revealed:

“On July 14, right after the transfer was confirmed, we received news that he had been ‘arrested,’ and later learned it was for ‘suspicion of non-consensual intercourse with a woman.’ That was all the information we had at the time. Shortly afterward, news emerged that he had been ‘released.’ For those of us in Germany, there was very little information available. Sano joined the team on August 1, but only issued a statement through his agency and has not spoken publicly about the situation.”

The same situation applies to Japanese fans. After the match, we waited for Sano in the press area. When I said, “Good job,” Sano appeared slightly surprised but turned to face me.

 

 

To make a fresh start

— It must have been a tough month. With the case not being prosecuted, have you been able to find some closure?

“I can’t say anything about the incident. I’m focusing on what I can do for the team from here. I hope to move forward little by little.”

 

— You’ll show it through your play.

“I think that’s the best way. I also believe I need to show it not just through my play, but in other aspects as well.”

— What kind of performance would you like to show in the Bundesliga, which starts on August 23?

“I believe my strengths are in ball recovery, picking up second balls, and driving forward. I hope to demonstrate these strengths and contribute to goals as much as possible.”

Sano answered carefully, choosing his words. After being prompted by the photographer, he finally managed a smile (as seen in the photo above). On this day, there were several moments when the crowd applauded his diligent efforts to win the ball. As he said, the only way to make a fresh start is to demonstrate it through actions both on and off the pitch.

From FRIDAY, September 6-13, 2024 issue.