Kaishu Sano was arrested. © APA/afp / STR

Mainz new signing arrested

Kaishu Sano is a rising star at FSV Mainz 05 and only joined the club at the beginning of the month. Now he is making headlines off the pitch: According to media reports, the 23-year-old Japanese was arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of sexual assault.

July 18, 2024

From: sn

According to the Japanese broadcaster NHK and other media, Sano and two of his friends are accused of sexually harassing a woman in a hotel in Tokyo. The incident is said to have occurred on Sunday. The woman alerted the police immediately after the incident, who arrested Sano and his companions near the hotel. The Japanese police have not yet officially commented on the reports.

FSV Mainz 05 was surprised by the news from Japan. On the X platform (formerly Twitter), the club stated: "We were surprised by the reports from Japanese media about new signing Kaishu Sano, according to which he had been imprisoned in his home country. We are not yet able to evaluate or comment on these reports due to a lack of information."

Sanon's previous club, Kashima Antlers, also expressed concern, saying they were closely monitoring the situation but could not confirm any further details.

Further accusations against a Japanese man

Earlier this year, Junya Ito, another Japanese footballer, was forced to leave the Asian Cup tournament after being accused of sexually harassing two women. Ito, who plays for French club Stade Reims, denies the allegations and has taken legal action against the accusations.

For FSV Mainz 05 and its fans, it remains to be seen how the situation surrounding Kaishu Sano develops. The club emphasizes that further steps can only be taken once more information is available.