No Overage Players in Japan’s Olympic Squad! Technical Director: Clubs Refused to Release Players Amid Transfer Saga

On July 3rd, the Japan Football Association announced the Japanese Olympic team roster for the Paris Olympics, consisting of 18 main players and 4 reserves. Unlike other competing teams, Japan’s Olympic squad did not include any overage players. Notable senior national team members like Genki Haraguchi, who had expressed interest in participating, were not selected.

Addressing this, Japan U-23 head coach Ohashi Katsuhiko explained at a press conference, “As everyone knows, despite various limitations, we have chosen the best 18 players and 4 reserves that we could summon to form the Japanese U-23 team for the Paris Olympics. As we’ve mentioned in every press conference, since the beginning of our team-building process, we believe this is the strongest squad we could assemble.”

Japan’s National Team Technical Director Masanobu Sanbo also commented on the issue of not being able to call up overage players: “We certainly had a desire to summon overage players and spent more than a year adjusting the senior national team’s lineup. However, we must seek the players’ consent and approval from their clubs, especially when transfers are involved. We need the consent of both the transfer destination and the current club. The European transfer market is evolving rapidly, and if we don’t know where the players will be, we can’t even negotiate with them.”

“Not just with overage players, but even young national team regulars like Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki, and Ayana Sugimoto didn’t receive clearance to participate in the Olympics. I’ve been in constant communication with the clubs daily, right up until yesterday. I think these players faced significant challenges because they hold crucial roles in their clubs. In the future, we need to focus on communicating with clubs worldwide, not just for the Olympics but also for U-20 international competitions. I believe this shows a bright future for Japanese football, as a new era has arrived.”