Tokyo FC to hold public farewell for Ryunosuke Sato before Valencia move | OneFootball

Tokyo FC will stage a public farewell for Ryunosuke Sato at Ajinomoto Stadium on Thursday two July, as he prepares to join Valencia, pending an official announcement.

According to Superdeporte, the Japanese player will meet fans for two hours, signing autographs and posing for photos. The club has also said he will skip pre-season because of transfer procedures.

He is awaiting his visa to travel and begin his Valencia CF adventure.

Sato would be the first Japanese footballer to play for Valencia's first team. Two compatriots, Hiroshi Ibusuki and Wadi Suzuki, featured in the academy but did not debut.

Valencia first visited Japan in 1979, led by Kempes and Arias. Aimar fronted a 2004 trip after the double.

The club opened an academy in Wakayama in 2010, and there is now another in Kanazawa. More than 100 players train there and occasionally visit Valencia.

Valencia also has the Penya VCF Nippon, founded in 2018 and now with 78 members. It remains active despite being more than 10,000 kilometres away, and president Taka Okkuyama visited Mestalla two seasons ago for the stadium centenary.

The operation for Ryunosuke Sato is expected to cost around four million euros. His potential and strategic value in Asia are already exciting supporters, who await official confirmation.

Source: Superdeporte