“I thought it best not to call him right now.
» Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has decided to deprive himself of the selection of one of his stars Junya Ito, accused of sexual assault in his country.
The Stade de Reims striker had hastily left the Asian Cup in Qatar after the announcement by the Japanese police on February 1 of the opening of an investigation into this matter.
The facts with which the footballer is accused took place in a hotel in Osaka (western Japan) in June 2023 after a match between Japan and Peru, according to the Japanese press.
The 31-year-old winger, who arrived in Reims in 2022 and is an indisputable starter in Ligue 1, filed a complaint against the two women who accused him, demanding 200 million yen (1.2 million euros) in damages.
“Not able to work in peace”
Even if Ito was supported by his club and regained his starting place with Stade de Reims, Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu did not choose him to face North Korea in Tokyo on March 21 then in Pyongyang five days later. late in qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Japan's squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against DPR Korea.
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— J. Football Now (@j_football_now) March 14, 2024
His coach said he wanted to call him, but chose not to to “protect him.”
“I tried to imagine what the climate around him in Japan would have been like, and I think it would not have allowed him to live and play football in peace,” Moriyasu was quoted as saying by the Japanese press.
“I think the whole team would not have been able to work in peace.”