Source: REUTERS/KIM SOO-HYEON
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the “overseas players” effect has become the main feature of this year’s summer commercial tournaments in Japan and South Korea. The presence of numerous overseas players has led teams to participate in commercial matches in Japan and South Korea, resulting in positive effects on the local football market. Brighton, a small English Premier League club with Kaoru Mitoma, attracted over 25,000 spectators in two matches in Tokyo. Ligue 1 club Stade de Reims, with Keito Nakamura and Junya Ito, organized four commercial matches in Japan, quickly selling out the 2,000 jerseys brought by the club. Tottenham Hotspur, with Son Heung-Min, had a successful summer in Japan and South Korea. The match against Vissel Kobe on July 27 attracted 54,000 spectators, and the match against the K-League All-Star team in Seoul on July 31 reached a crowd of 63,000. The commercial match between Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul on August 3 is also expected to draw a large crowd. European teams participating in commercial matches in Japan and South Korea this summer generally have Japanese and Korean players as “ambassadors” to attract commercial interest. The focus on commercial matches featuring overseas players returning to their home countries has gradually become the main theme of the summer commercial tournament market in Japan and South Korea.