Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s Premier League promotion with Coventry shows the value of the Belgian Pro League | OneFootball

Midway through the 2021/2022 season, Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto left the J League to join KV Oostende in the Belgian Pro League. Sakamoto was following in a long line of players who had swapped Japan for Belgium, and like many that had come before him, he would prove that the Belgian Pro League is a fantastic stepping stone for players to experience European football.

Sakamoto only spent a year and a half with Oostende, who suffered relegation during his second season. The diminutive winger certainly looked to be talented, with eight assists in 44 games during his time on the Belgian coast. However, he failed to score, and it was certainly interesting when Coventry decided to sign him in the summer of 2023.

Three years later, and the decision Coventry made has certainly paid off, while Sakaomoto’s choice to leave Japan for Belgium has also proven to be incredibly fruitful. Sakaomoto scored seven goals in his first season with the Sky Blues, a great return and one that he has since built on.

Under Frank Lampard, Sakamoto has contributed seven goals and three assists in 37 games as Coventry earned themselves a return to the Premier League. The contrast between Coventry and Oostende is stark, but their stories could have been very similar. Oostende, following the departure of Sakomoto, have ceased to exist. Financially mismanaged for many  years, they are now rebuilding in the lower reaches of Belgian football. Coventry fans know the pain of having poor owners, having had to play away from their home for so long and falling down the English football pyramid.

Sakomoto is now a long way away from the lower reaches of English or Belgian football. With just one year left on his contract at Coventry, the 29-year-old will get to spend that season in the Premier League.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson