Sato viewed as Valencia’s key to reconnect with Japan | OneFootball

Ryunosuke Sato’s arrival has stirred excitement among Valencia’s Japanese fanbase. It could help the club reconnect with a market it once gripped two decades ago under Rafa Benítez.

AS reports that Taka Okuyama, president of the Peña Valencianista de Japón, belongs to that golden generation. He recalls Benítez’s double and says Valencia were then the third most followed Spanish team in Japan.

The picture now is very different, with reduced competitiveness, no European football and the departure of leading players. Real Madrid and Barcelona kept global pull while others tapped Japan through local signings, so Valencia slipped from view.

Hope now gathers around Sato, with Takefusa Kubo’s impact at Real Sociedad the clearest template. His rise has even reshaped how LaLiga is consumed in Japan.

Ichiro Ozawa of U-NEXT, a LaLiga and Premier League rightsholder, says Japanese broadcasters largely prioritise Real Madrid, Barcelona and Real Sociedad because Kubo’s matches can draw up to twice the audiences of the giants.

That interest has spilled into travel, with more Japanese fans visiting San Sebastián to see Kubo, sometimes ahead of trips to Madrid or Barcelona due to lower costs and proximity.

Many in Japan feel something similar could happen for Valencia if Sato earns a first-team place. Mestalla’s pull, the Mediterranean city and a new Japanese star could prove a potent mix.

Caution remains. Sato is 19, living abroad for the first time, and Valencia’s intensity can be exacting, with Ozawa warning that handling Mestalla’s pressure will be vital.

Source: AS