Article first published: May 13, 2022
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Former Japan national team DF Atsuto Uchida reported on his reunion with his “alliance” on DAZN’s program “Atsuto Uchida’s FOOTBALL TIME”.
In the latest episode, Mr. Uchida flew to England for the program’s first overseas coverage and watched the match between Liverpool, where Takumi Minamino belongs, and Tottenham. Jürgen Klopp’s pre-match press conference and post-match interviews in the mixed zone were introduced.
After the match once morest Tottenham, which ended 1-1, he came all the way to the coverage area, saying, “Taki (Minamino) told me that Uchida was there, so I left the food and rushed to see him.” Liverpool’s former Cameroon defender Jewel Matip. It is said that he and Uchida fought together during the Schalke era and often shared the same room during training camps and expeditions.
After meeting once more for the first time in a while and hugging, Mr. Uchida was asked, “Do you remember German?” When asked, “Are you no longer playing soccer?” he replied, “No.” And when Matip said, “I’m already old,” he responded lightly, saying, “That’s not true. Jewel isn’t old. She’s always young.”