Isn't it unique to see a Brazilian playing for Japan?

Question

You must have noticed Alessandro Santos, a Brazilian who became a citizen of Japan before playing for Japan national team

Answer 1

Santos had been living Japan for long yeas and he speaks Japanese fluently. Not only Santos you should also recall that the head coach of Japan National Team at 2006 FIFA World Cup was Zico, he wasn't the citizen of Japan but he was Brazilian as well.

Answer 2

Actually... no.

Brazil and Japan go back quite a long way. in the 19th and early 20th centuries a large number of Japanese emigrated to South America, including Brazil. So there are a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation Japanese in Brazil, and in Japan there is a large community of Japanese-Brazilians who have come to Japan to live. So the cultural tie is already there. The most famous example of South Americans of Japanese descent (though he is Peruvian not Brazilian) is Alberto Fujimori, former president/dictator of Peru.

You should also consider that a Brazilian soccer player in Japan stands out much more than he would in the US or Italy. He is more recognizable and that, in turn, leads to a lot of money from endorsements and advertisements. So there is a powerful incentive for him to become a Japanese citizen and play on the Japanese team besides simply being on a national team...

Answer 3

The U.S. national team has done the same thing more than the Japan national team has. Majority of the members of the U.S. team at the last World Cup was foreign-born. It happens quite a bit in soccer.

Answer 4

Alessandro dos Santos aka Alex, he moved there at 16 and he just fell in love with the Japanese culture,that's all. Great player.

Answer 5

Nobody complained when Deco turned out for Portugal.

Nobody complained about Miroslave Klose and Lukas Podolski playing for Germany.

Nobody complained about Mauro Camoranesi appearing for Italy.

Nobody complained about the France ranks filled up by 2nd generation immigrants. (Except French right wing idealists)

Alessandro Santos grew up there and plays for a local team, so what's so strange about him playing for his adopted country?


*GucciEnvy, Make that two Nigerians, one English and one Chinese.
Minus the previous one Brazillian and one Croatian. But our football still suck.

Answer 6

it is kinda intersting..........players like him should be given the chance coz he came to japan to study when he was 14, it can be regarded as his country, but what Qatar is doing , not just in football but in all the sports they participate in, is shameful. They buy and sell the athletes loyalty. And that's disguisting and should be banned

Answer 7

Its normal actually... We have a nigerian playing for the singapore soccer team

Answer 8

Why is that any different than spanish playing for america or whatever other combo you can think of doing.

Answer 9

I guess he was bought and paid for with a lot of Yen, so why not?
Other than the fact that its cheap for them to do

Answer 10

I agree. Very unique!