25 Dec 2006(Mon)

December 23, 2006: These are exciting times for the Japanese duo Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Alessandro Dos Santos.

Both players have been linked to moves overseas for several seasons now, and they will finally get their wish when they team up at Salzburg in the Austrian first division.

Salzburg the club is now run by the energy drink giant Red Bull, and Salzburg the team by Giovanni Trapattoni and Lothar Matthaus. This means the club is awash with money, and why they will be able to pay the considerable salaries of Tsune and Alex.

For both players it is a wonderful opportunity to change their environment, play their football in a beautiful country and, as Philippe Troussier would say, to grow as human beings with this experience outside Japan.

It makes complete sense for Miyamoto, who has lost his place in the national team to Tulio and who has absolutely nothing to lose by leaving Gamba. He has deserved this break in his career and I am sure he will continue to be a fine ambassador for Japanese football.

With his business and economics studies behind him, his experience as a player, his language skills, I could imagine Miyamoto one day heading the multi-million dollar industry known as the Japan Football Association. Chief Executive, perhaps? National coach? The world is his oyster.

There was nothing left for him to achieve at Gamba, having won the league championship in 2005 and coming close this time. His move to Austria, therefore, is perfect timing.

As for Alex, his departure should serve as an incentive to all left-sided players in Japan.

National coach Ivica Osim has adopted a policy of using J.League players for matches so far, rather than disrupting the lifestyle and body clocks of the players in Europe. This policy may change in 2007, of course, as Osim builds towards the Asian Cup in July, and he may bring some players back and integrate them into the new-look team.

I doubt if Alex will be one of them, though, as Osim knows everything there is to know about him. It also makes sense to leave Alex in Austria for the next few months, let him settle, and try and find a new left-sided player for the national team.

Komano is already there, but Osim may take a longer look at Honda from Grampus, Ienaga from Gamba, or even Soma from Reds. Soma is the readymade replacement for Alex at Urawa, but he needs games to rediscover the form that caught the eye at Verdy two or three years ago.

For Japanese looking for a new travel destination, Salzburg will be well worth the trip in 2007.

ends.