GOTOKU SAKAI RENEWS CONTRACT AT HSV

Along with midfielder Lewis Holtby, captain Gotoku Sakai has decided to stay loyal to HSV as the club faces a fresh start in the second division. The Japan international signed a contract extension on the 30th June, lasting until 2020.

In the season just gone, Sakai led the team out as captain and set a good example week in week out, despite the tough situation the club found itself in. Particularly during the season run-in, Sakai acted as the manager’s voice on the pitch, leading the way with his calm and collected style of play. Immediately after the final day of the season, Sakai indicated that he wished to extend his contract with the Rothosen despite relegation to the Bundesliga 2. This show of loyalty from the 27-year-old proved once again his tremendous character and responsibility within the team. So the club and the player sat down together and agreed on the terms of a new contract: "We are pleased to have a leader like Gotoku in our ranks, someone who knows HSV very well and will take responsibility," commented HSV squad planner Johannes Spors on the captain’s contract extension.