Yukinari Sugawara speaks on Japanese Bundesliga footballing idols and ‘new best friend’ Mio Backhaus | OneFootball

New Werder Bremen signing Yukinari Sugawara is already acclimating well to life in the Bundesliga. This is in large part due to the fact that the Japanese international already has a new friend in the form of new Bremen keeper Mio Backhaus. Sugawara revealed that the 21-year-old Backhaus – who has a Japanese mother – was quick to welcome him to his new home as soon as his signing was confirmed.

Backhaus and Sugawara played against one another in Holland not too long ago. Backhaus (on loan at FC Volendam) stood in goal during both of Volendam’s Eredivisie matches against Sugawara’s AZ Alkmaar during the 2023/24 season. The second encounter remains one Backhaus will want to forget. Sugawara scored a brace against Backhaus in AZ’s 4-0 victory.

Sugarawa was already participating in Werder’s Monday training session before his signing was confirmed. Even though Backhaus technically had the day off, the German youth international travelled to the grounds at the Osterdeich anyway. Sugawara revealed at his official club presentation on Wednesday that he had invited Bremen’s new surprise No. 1 to turn up.

Backhaus definitely needs all the support he can get. While there was never any question that Bremen wished for Backhaus to serve as their “keeper of the future”, it served as a most unexpected development when Michael Zetterer’s surprise departure forced the youngster to become Werder’s “keeper of the present”.

Backhaus was thrust into his first ever Bundesliga deployment against Zetterer’s new club Frankfurt on Saturday, and ended up conceding four goals. Bremen head coach Horst Steffen has backed Backhaus to remain in net for the time being despite the fact that the Hanseaten have secured the services of a qualified back-up meant to push the rookie.

“I think he is already an important figure for me,” Sugawara noted at his introduction. “Both as a teammate and a friend. Perhaps we’ll create some wonderful memories here together. Perhaps I can advise him [about returning to the Japanese national team] and get him there someday. I’ll work on that.“

Sugawara declared himself very exited to be joining the Bundesliga and declared himself “ready to play” on Saturday against Bayer Leverkusen. Sugawara was also asked about his personal Bundesliga role models from his native country. German football having emerged as a great attractor for Japanese footballing talent over the past two decades plus obviously meant that Sugawara had a lot of players to choose from.

The 25-year-old went with two. Naturally, “Bundesliga Legend” Makoto Hasebe had to be referenced. The former Eintracht Frankfurt. VfL Wolfsburg, and 1. FC Nürnberg professional only recently retired after 17 years spent plying his trade in the Bundesrepublik. Hasebe racked up 380 German top flight appearances during a career that spanned into his 40s. Robert Lewandowski is the only other non-German player with more Bundesliga appearances than Hasebe.

Sugawara’s second choice was former Schalke pro Maya Yoshida, who represented Schalke during a brief stopover in Germany during the Gelsenkirchen club’s ill-fated 2022/23 Bundesliga season. Yoshida – who often captained the Königsblauen also worked at Sugawara’s current parent club Southampton and began his career at Sugawara’s Nagoya Grampus academy in Japan.

GGFN | Peter Weis