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The story
Ryunosuke Sato, who moved from FC Tokyo to Valencia this summer, was left out of the squad entirely for the La Liga Matchday 12 clash with Real Madrid on the 7th. After being a key part of the side in his first five official matches — including four starts — he has gone six straight games without playing, and remained out of the squad even after the coaching change from Carlos Corberán to Javier Aguirre. On 5ch, opinions were split between those who chalk up his lack of playing time to a simple lack of ability, those who suspect a poor fit between Aguirre and Japanese players, and those who point to La Liga’s foreign-player quota as the real culprit. Many also argued he should seek a fresh start in another league, such as Belgium.
Valencia host Real Madrid at the Mestalla on the 7th for La Liga Matchday 12. Japan international midfielder Ryunosuke Sato has been left out of the squad for the match entirely.
Sato joined Valencia from FC Tokyo in this summer’s transfer window and featured in each of his first five official matches — four starts and one substitute appearance, essentially a regular. Since then, though, he hasn’t played a single minute across six matches. Even after former coach Carlos Corberán was replaced by current coach Javier Aguirre, he spent four straight games on the bench.
And now, for the marquee clash with Real Madrid, Aguirre has gone a step further and dropped Sato from the squad altogether.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
New hyped prospects keep popping up for the Japan national team one after another.
If he stalls here, he'll be forgotten in no time.
At his age, it really comes down to what happens from here.
There's still time to turn it around.
Jumping straight into Spanish football isn't easy.
Not 'still' — his ability's already been written off, meaning there won't be another chance.
Apparently there's talk of a loan to Belgium or Germany.
To Sint-Truiden.
This guy's definitely got a grudge against Japanese football.
Not much has changed. He says he doesn't like the quality of his training,
and has zero intention of putting him in a match.
Even if he moves to another club, he won't get on the pitch unless he becomes a player who can actually battle for the ball.
Why would he even sign with a club like that.
I think Aguirre came in afterward.
Aguirre showed up after the fact, ya know.
The manager changed.
That's just a nasty thing to do.
Well, good luck to him I guess.
broke out in Austria and Denmark, after all.
Actually,
he was finished the moment he picked Valencia,
so he should just get out in the winter window and escape while he still can.
Sato's whole strength is having technique AND being able to defend aggressively.
He's got the technique and the aggressive edge, but at the end of the day there's heavy anti-Asian bias in that league.
Players keep having their growth stunted there.
Going through Belgium or the Netherlands first is definitely the better route.
Even before you get to discrimination, the foreign-player quota alone means there's just no room for him in La Liga.
I'm just saying, rack up some results in the J.League first before you go.
Going overseas itself is fine.
He clearly just picked the wrong destination.
Buried by Aguirre.
This kind of thing happens all the time.
Kamada went through the exact same thing at Frankfurt — completely frozen out by coach Kovac and shipped off to Sint-Truiden.
Just like Sato, he'd looked good in preseason and gotten a bit of playing time at the start of the season.
If the talent's real, he'll claw his way back up.
And Sato's currently even below that level, so…
Sato's peak might still be ahead of him, though.
At 20, Kubo was already thriving at clubs like Mallorca, while Kamada at the same age was frozen out at Frankfurt.
But compare them at 25: Kubo's now frozen out at Real Sociedad, while Kamada just won the Europa League.
Keito Nakamura under coach Maes at Sint-Truiden.
Yuito Suzuki under coach Antonetti at Strasbourg.
All of these guys got frozen out before clawing their way back up.
He's only 19 — plenty of time to turn it around.
Apparently he turned 20 last month, so… does that disqualify him?
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
Ryunosuke Sato is a 19-year-old (turned 20 last month) midfielder who joined Valencia from FC Tokyo this summer. He was used as a key player in his first five official matches, but has since suffered a sharp fall, going six straight games without being named to the squad. The situation hasn’t changed even after the coaching switch from Corberán to Aguirre, and this time he couldn’t even make the bench. Many posters in the thread pointed to Aguirre’s past history of not using Takefusa Kubo and suspected a poor personal fit, while others noted that La Liga’s foreign-player quota is limiting his chances, splitting opinion between a lack of ability and unfavorable circumstances. Several commenters cited Japanese players such as Daichi Kamada, Keito Nakamura, and Yuito Suzuki, who were frozen out after moving to Europe before reviving their careers at other clubs — a reminder that losing playing time at a young age doesn’t necessarily mean a career is over.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geisupo Sokuhou+) thread “[Soccer] Ryunosuke Sato, winless in 6 games at Valencia, finally left out of the squad for the Real Madrid match… Aguirre demands he become a ‘man who can fight’”.
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