Málaga CF was present in Japan this week on an international trip that served to learn about the working methods of several sports organisations in the Asian country, as well as to visit ‘Málaga Osaka’, a club affiliated with the Club.
The Blue and White delegation in the Land of the Rising Sun was composed of Kike Pérez, Málaga CF’s general manager, and Sergio Valencia, the Club’s international officer, who spent three intensive days visiting two cities on Japan’s Honshu Island: Osaka and Kyoto.
The visit began on Monday at the Osaka Federation, where a meeting was held with technical directors Akihiro Nishimura and Koji Takahashi, who showed the Málaga representatives their facilities and explained how they carry out their player selection process.
On Tuesday, the delegation visited ‘Málaga Osaka’, a club affiliated with Málaga CF. At the club’s headquarters, the Málaga delegation spent time with all the teams and players. The highlight of the visit was a talk by Kike Pérez to the players and their families, in which he expressed Málaga CF’s desire to strengthen this relationship and plan future visits with coaches from the MCF Academy.
The second day of the itinerary concluded with a meeting with Hiroshima Morishima, former player of the Japanese national team and current president of Cerezo Osaka.
On Wednesday, Málaga CF’s general manager, together with the Club’s international officer, visited the Kyoto Sanga training centre, the current leader of the Japan League. The purpose was to hold a meeting with their general manager, Kiyoshi Okuma, with the aim of reaching an agreement for their U-18 team to hold their preseason in Málaga. In addition, discussions were held with the company Loooper regarding potential sponsorship and the possibility of incorporating a player into Málaga CF C.
A historic visit to Japan in which the Martiricos-based Club has established fruitful relationships with clubs and organisations in the Land of the Rising Sun, and has seen its ‘Málaga Osaka’ firsthand.