1. FC Köln has been active on the Japanese market for more than five years, and now another important milestone will follow this week. From 5th to 11th April 2024, a five-member delegation led by FC Managing Director, Markus Rejek and Head of the Youth Development, Lukas Berg will travel to Japan to pursue the internationalisation strategy of the club and the Bundesliga.
The trip will focus on strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new links within the country. For this purpose, FC is organising a watch party with Japanese fans for FC game against VfL Bochum on Saturday. The delegation will also attend Sanfrecce Hiroshima's home match against Shonan Bellmare on Sunday to support the partner club in the newly built Edion Peace Wing Stadium. A trip to Kyoto is also planned. In Cologne's twin city, there will be a meeting with Mayor Koji Matsui and other partners to intensify existing relations.
Long-standing connection with Japan
As the first Japanese player in the Bundesliga, Yasuhiko Okudera was part of FC's most successful era. During his time at FC from 1977 to 1980, he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal Double in 1978. To this day, Okudera is an FC fan favourite and symbolizes the beginning of the long and traditional connection with Japan.
The club is constantly working to intensify this relationship: the collaboration with Sanfrecce Hiroshima began in 2021 and this was followed by a collaboration with the Kyoto Football Association with the aim of passing on Bundesliga expertise to Japanese players and coaches. Another important milestone on this long journey is the FC Football School soccer camps, which were held in Japan for the first time in August 2023.