SOCCER/ Former Japan captain Hasebe to retire at end of season

REUTERS

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Eintracht Frankfurt's Kevin Trapp and Makoto Hasebe celebrate after a match at Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany. (REUTERS)

Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe will retire at the end of the season, the Eintracht Frankfurt defender said.

Hasebe made 114 appearances for Japan, playing in three World Cups and guiding them to the Asian Cup title in 2011. He announced his retirement from international football in 2018 after Japan reached the last 16 of the World Cup in Russia.

The 40-year-old has been at Frankfurt for 10 seasons and made over 300 appearances for the German side, winning the Europa League title in 2022 and the German Cup in 2018.

He also won the Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg in 2009.

“I will retire from football at the end of this season. I’m announcing that today because I want to concentrate on the run-in with the team,” Hasebe told reporters on Wednesday.

“We really want to secure sixth place and I’m looking forward to watching Eintracht in European action from the couch next season or travelling with the great fans and watching the games from the stands.”

Hasebe added that he will be joining Frankfurt’s academy as a coach after his retirement.