Italian racism discourages Japanese, says Nakamura

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2008

ROME (AFP) — Japan star Shunsuke Nakamura has blasted Italian football for its racism in an interview published on the official UEFA website.

Nakamura played for Reggina for three seasons before joining Celtic in 2005, where he has established himself as one of the stars of the team.

But in his UEFA interview, Nakamura talks about the difficulties of adapting to the move from east to west.

"It's very difficult for a Japanese player coming to Europe," said Nakamura. "There are so many factors in different countries, ranging from the style of play to the obvious cultural differences.

"Sometimes you get racism as well, not in Scotland, but in Italy, which is not nice, and that probably explains why so few Japanese players have made it here."

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