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Old friends, new talent – full throttle in Tokyo
- Story by
- Old friends, new talent – full throttle in Tokyo
Old friends, new talent – full throttle in Tokyo
The sixth day in Japan, the second in Tokyo. BVB coach Niko Kovac used the press conference on the day before the friendly match to express his gratitude for the warm welcome in Asia: "We're in a truly wonderful country with wonderful people. Although we're here for sports, we keep having the opportunity to get to know the culture, the people, and the country. It's fun. Japan is worth every trip."
Inside the National Stadium, which seats 68,000 spectators, he also focuses on the sporting aspect of the trip to Japan: "We're here as players and want to win games. Above all, we want to put in strong performances. We can see how strong the Japanese league is and how many top-tier players compete there. We'll take the game seriously." Rikizo Matsuhashi, coach of FC Tokyo, adds: "We're really looking forward to tomorrow's game. This is an opponent you don't get to face very often – a very formidable opponent."
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National Team Players to See Action
Kovac has already announced that the five World Cup participants who haven't yet played in any friendly matches will be back in the squad. He's promising 45 minutes of playing time – and perhaps even more – for Felix Nmecha, Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Beier, Daniel Svensson, and Carney Chukwuemeka. In the absence of Julian Ryerson, who is still on vacation, Beier will play as the right wingback.
Reunion with a Former Teammate
For Maxi Beier, the press conference marked a special reunion: He played alongside Tokyo's captain, Sei Muroya, at Hannover 96 from 2021 to 2023. "We got along really well back then. He's a very good right back who can be quite aggressive. I'll try to put a little pressure on him and make life as difficult as possible for him," Beier announced with a smile. Muroya recalls: "Maxi was still a teenager, but you could already tell he had a lot of talent. It's no surprise that he's come this far. But I'll try to make sure he doesn't get past me tomorrow. I know from my time in Germany what kind of club Dortmund is, and I don't want to lose." Christina Reinke
