Idman.biz
"Sint-Truiden", unexpectedly rising to the top of the Belgian Pro League, is considered one of the main surprises of the season.
Idman.Biz reports that the team, which finished last season in 14th place, is now only four points behind the leader "Union" and is considered a real contender for the championship for the first time in its history. However, according to the total value of the squad, the club is only 12th in the league - 32.7 million euros (65 million AZN).
The most interesting thing that distinguishes "Sint-Truiden" is that it is called the "Japanese" team of Europe. The team has eight legionnaires from this country, which is a record indicator in the leading leagues. The reason for this is clear: since 2017, the club has been owned by the Japanese e-commerce company DMM. The goal was to create a cultural bridge between Belgium and Japan, and this strategy was built through transfer policy. Over the past nine years, a total of 29 Japanese football players have worn the yellow-blue uniform.
Most importantly, the project yields results both in sports and culturally. Currently, the team's best goalscorers in the championship are also Japanese: Keisuke Goto with nine, Ryotaro Ito with six, and Rihito Yamamoto with four goals. At the same time, the number of tourists coming to the city from the land of the rising sun has increased many times in recent years.
