VfL Bochum is pushing ahead with its internationalization. Now there is a new cooperation that also includes a potential player and employee exchange.

This weekend, the Bundesliga is at a standstill due to the international break. VfL Bochum’s Japanese player Takuma Asano is among those on the move.

Japan is the clear leader in the World Cup qualifying table. The match against North Korea, originally postponed to Tuesday, was finally canceled by FIFA due to the lack of an alternative venue and a lack of dates. North Korea had previously asked for the match to be played at a neutral venue. The match will probably be scored 3:0 for Japan at the green table.

Bochum will probably be particularly pleased to see the Japanese win, as they are planning to expand their internationalization.

For example in Japan: in November 2023, a delegation from VfL Bochum travelled to Japan for the first time to visit new and existing partner companies and conclude business cooperation agreements as part of its internationalization strategy.

In a next step, the Blue & Whites have now agreed a cooperation with the Japanese J1 League club Júbilo Iwata. The signing ceremony took place in Iwata on Saturday, and the contract will initially run for one year.

“We are very pleased about the partnership and look forward to the exchanges with Júbilo Iwata – on a sporting, business and cultural level,” said Tim Jost, Director of Marketing and Sales and Member of the Executive Board at VfL Bochum. The cooperation includes a potential exchange of players and employees as well as knowledge transfer at various levels.

Yukimitsu Hamaura, President and CEO of Júbilo Iwata, adds: “VfL is a truly traditional club. With this partnership, we want to help both clubs grow through the exchanges.”

The new cooperation partner also appreciates VfL’s great past with Japanese players such as Takashi Inui and Shinji Ono, not least Takuma Asano, a current Japan international, who wears the blue and white jersey. “We hope to learn from the club’s history,” says Toshiba Fujita, Sports Director of Júbilo Iwata. “As a European club, VfL is on a higher level. We want to approach this on a holistic level through this partnership.”

Fortunately, all VfL needs now is an extension to Asano’s contract, which expires in the summer of 2024…