Japanese defender leaves Marseille after five seasons stint.
Japanese defender Hiroki Sakai has on Monday announced his departure from Ligue 1 side Marseille.
Alphas Arap Lagat 
The 31 year old Japanese national leaves the club after a spell of five seasons with them where he made 184 appearances and managed to score two goals.
“With 184 games played, I have always given everything of myself for this beautiful shirt,” said Sakai.
He joined Marseille in the year 2016 from Hannover which participates in 2. Bundesliga of Germany. His contract which he signed on 29th September 2017 would have expired in 2022.
The defender who has featured in Japan National team 64 times, revealed his move from French club through an Instagram post and said that the 2020/21 season was the last season in European football but never disclosed his future plans.
“At the end of this season, I have decided to leave Europe and put an end to my Marseille dream. Indeed, when I arrived in Marseille, I had decided that OM would be in my last European club and I have not changed my mind,” he posted on Instagram.
His outstanding performance in the 2018/19 season made him to be voted by fans as the best Player of the Season.
Sakai began his senior football career in the year 2009 when he joined Kashiwa Reysol where he played 51 times after spending three seasons scoring only two goals.
Due to his recurring back injury, he was forced to watch his team play the last game of the 2020/21 season on Sunday against Metz which ended in a 1-1 draw.
