Monaca, Malaga, Istanbul
All these names are currently buzzing through the air and are associated with a very special player. There is talk about an upcoming change, which seemed to be already home and dry, but then all of a sudden failed.
One of the most famous Japanese football players in the German Bundesliga is Shinji Kagawa, who arrived in Germany in 2010. Already in his first season he was able to convince at his new club and became German champion with Borussia Dortmund in his first year. The following season Dortmund successfully defended the German championship with Kagawa and even managed to win the DFB Cup. With his many goals, Kagawa contributed a lot to the success of his team.
Although Dortmund offered him a new contract and would have liked to keep him, Kagawa went on and signed with the English team Manchester United.
But on the island Kagawa didn't find what he was looking for and during his time with Manchester he only played a few games and was visibly dissatisfied with himself and his coach.
It was obvious that after only 2 years Kagawa wanted to change teams again and Borussia Dortmund took this chance immediately and offered him a new contract. On his comeback in the Bundesliga, Kagawa scored right away against SC Freiburg and it was clear to everyone in Dortmund that this exceptional Japanese player could only be happy with the Borussia.
The lost son was welcomed with open arms and Shinji, as even the German fans call him, was finally back home.
Good years in Dortmund followed, during which Kagawa blossomed back to his former strength and could show that he hasn't forgotten how to score goals yet. And the Dortmund fans loved and cheered him for it.
Under his current coach Lucien Favre, Shinji has had a hard stand in recent times and is now no longer able to play for Dortmund as often as he would like to. For quite some time now, Kagawa is said to have been intending to change clubs and has been in negotiations with several teams.
At first there was talk that the Spanish club Malaga CF was interested in Kagawa, then suddenly the word came out that Kagawa was about to sign a contract with AS Monaco. And now as the next team Besiktas Istanbul is suddenly in discussion as well. New are out that Kagawa will be loaned out until the end of the season and that both teams have already agreed on the transfer fee.
Nothing is forever, and so is football. Players come and go, just like the coaches.
Wherever Shinji Kagawa goes, I can only thank him from the bottom of my heart for the great moments he brought to the fans in the Bundesliga. And for the future I want to wish him every success and above all lots of fun. At the age of 30 Shinji Kagawa is still in his prime, and as long as he enjoys playing football I hope to see him on the football fields of the world.
Arigato and Ganbatte Kudasai
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