VfB’s Japanese heroes

Every VfB fan will remember Wataru Endo’s stoppage-time winner against 1. FC Köln on the final day of the 2021/22 season, which saved the club from relegation to the second tier. Endo will go down as a VfB legend, having made more appearances for the side (133) than any other Japanese player. Affectionately known as ‘Legendo’, the midfielder scored 12 goals across all competitions during a four-year stint in Stuttgart.

Shinji Okazaki also stole the hearts of VfB supporters during his time at the club. The Takarazuka native registered 13 goals in 85 outings during a two-year spell between 2011 and 2013. The frontman was joined shortly afterwards by Gotoku Sakai, a defender with German roots who racked up 106 appearances between 2012 and 2015, recording 11 assists and two goals.

Takuma Asano and Hajime Hosogai spent the majority of the 2016/17 campaign together at VfB. Maebashi-born Hosogai left the club in March that year after making ten appearances, while Arsenal loanee Asano scored five league goals – four in Bundesliga 2 and one in the Bundesliga – during his two-year spell. He returned to London after making 45 competitive appearances for the club.

Genki Haraguchi and Hiroki Ito both left VfB earlier this summer. Ito made 97 competitive outings, recording five assists and two goals, before signing for Bayern Munich last month. Haraguchi, meanwhile, signed for VfB from Union Berlin at the end of the 2022/23 season. He departed at the end of last term after registering two assists in 16 appearances.

In Anrie Chase, Rinto Hanashiro and Yuka Hirano, VfB currently have three Japanese players in their ranks. Chase and Hanashiro both helped the second team win the Regionalliga Southwest title last season, while VfB Stuttgart Women’s recent acquisition of midfielder Hirano is regarded as a major coup for the club.