Kaishu Sano
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kaishu Sano | ||
| Date of birth | 30 December 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Tsuyama, Okayama, Japan | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mainz 05 | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2015 | FC Viparte | ||
| 2016–2018 | Yonago Kita High School | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2022 | Machida Zelvia | 116 | (8) |
| 2023–2024 | Kashima Antlers | 47 | (1) |
| 2024– | Mainz 05 | 34 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Japan | 6 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:28, 17 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:45, 10 June 2025 (UTC) | |||
Kaishu Sano (佐野 海舟, Sano Kaishū; born 30 December 2000) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 and the Japan national team.[1][2]
Career
After four seasons with J2 League club FC Machida Zelvia, in December 2022 it was announced that Sano would be joining J1 League club Kashima Antlers for the 2023 season.[3]
Sano appeared as starter at the beginning of the season, appearing in nine of their first ten games. In April, he picked up a knee injury which would leave him out of action for 4 weeks.[4]
Mainz 05
On 3 July 2024, Sano signed for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[5]
Personal life
Sano is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer Kodai Sano.[6]
Controversy
Sexual assault allegations
On 17 July 2024, following Sano's transfer to Mainz, it was reported that he was arrested along with two other co-suspects under suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman who had earlier dined with the three men after the woman's friend had left for home.[7][8]
On June 5, 2025, he was selected for the Japan national team for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, scheduled to be held on June 10, marking his return to the squad.[9] At a press conference, head coach Hajime Moriyasu stated, "I have been observing him all along, and after personally reaching out to him, I strongly felt that he is truly remorseful." He continued, "When we consider each team member as part of a family, I asked myself—as a coach facing an individual player—whether we should simply cast someone out of society or the football world for making a mistake. I decided it would be better, as a family, to give him a path to try again."[10] Sano also held a press conference on the 28th, where he offered a direct apology in his own words.[11]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Machida Zelvia | 2019 | J2 League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | |
| 2020 | J2 League | 41 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | J2 League | 34 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | 35 | 6 | ||
| 2022 | J2 League | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | ||
| Total | 116 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 7 | ||
| Kashima Antlers | 2023 | J1 League | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| 2024 | J1 League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 58 | 1 | ||
| Mainz 05 | 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 36 | 0 | |
| Career total | 197 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 213 | 8 | ||
- ^ Includes Emperor's Cup, DFB-Pokal
- ^ Includes J. League Cup
International
- As of match played 10 June 2025[14]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | |
References
- ^ "Kaishu Sano :: Kaishu Sano :: Machida Zelvia".
- ^ "佐野 海舟：ＦＣ町田ゼルビア：Ｊリーグ.jp". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "佐野 海舟選手 完全移籍加入のお知らせ | 鹿島アントラーズ オフィシャルサイト". 鹿島アントラーズ オフィシャルサイト | KASHIMA ANTLERS (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "MF佐野が全治4週間の負傷【鹿島】：Ｊリーグ.jp". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "KAISHU SANO WIRD MAINZER" [KAISHU SANO BECOMES MAINZ PLAYER]. www.mainz05.de (in German). 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "兄とJで戦う夢実現へ。米子北高MF佐野航大が岡山内定!". ゲキサカ (in Japanese). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "サッカー日本代表の佐野海舟容疑者を逮捕…３０代女性に３人で性的暴行の疑い". 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). 17 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ Afp, Jiji (17 July 2024). "Japan soccer player Sano arrested for alleged sexual assault". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "サッカー日本代表の最新メンバーが発表！ 佐野海舟や渡辺剛らが復帰！ 初招集は佐野航大ら7名に（フットボールチャンネル）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ Kei Totsuka (27 May 2025). "日本代表メンバーに異変「森保監督が"個人的な思い"を語った」佐野海舟の招集だけじゃない"論点"…「驚きの選出」18歳・佐藤龍之介とは何者か？". Number (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "【日本代表】佐野海舟が初の謝罪会見「賛否もちろん…行動で」昨夏逮捕、勾留期間中に引退も覚悟". 日刊スポーツ. 28 May 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Soccer D.B. : 2022 Kaishu Sano Result by Season". Soccer D.B. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "Kaishu Sano". Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Kaishū Sano (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
External links
- Kaishu Sano at Soccerway
- Kaishu Sano at J.League (archive) (in Japanese)