Hiroki Sakai

Hiroki Sakai
	Sakai at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Hiroki Sakai
Date of birth	April 12, 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Nagano, Japan
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Club information
Current team	Olympique Marseille
Youth career
2006–2008	Kashiwa Reysol
Senior career*
Years	Team
2009–2012	Kashiwa Reysol
2012–2016	Hannover
2016-2021	Olympique Marseille
2021-	Urawa Red Diamonds
National team‡
2012	Japan U-23
2012–	Japan
Honours
Kashiwa Reysol
Representing Japan
AFC Asian Cup
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 December 2022; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of December 31, 2020

Hiroki Sakai (酒井宏樹, Sakai Hiroki, born April 12, 1990) is a Japanese football player. He plays for the Japan national team.

Biography

Sakai was born in Nagano Prefecture on April 12, 1990.^[1] He joined J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol from their youth team in 2009. He did not play in the match and Kashiwa was relegated to J2 League end of the 2009 season. He debuted in 2010 and Kashiwa won the champions in 2010 J2 League. In 2011, he became a regular player as right side back and won the champions in J1 League. In July 2012, he moved to German Bundesliga club Hannover. He played 92 matches for the club in 4 seasons. However Hannover was relegated to 2. Bundesliga end of the 2015/16 season. In 2016, he moved to French Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille.

On May 23, 2012, Sakai debuted for the Japan national team against Azerbaijan. He battles with Atsuto Uchida for right side back. In July 2012, he was selected the Japan U-23 national team for 2012 Summer Olympics. He played 4 matches and Japan won the 4th place. In 2014, he also participated 2014 World Cup, but he did not play in the match. From 2016, he played many matches instead Uchida who injured. In 2018, Sakai participated 2018 World Cup. He played all 4 matches and Japan qualified to the knockout stage. In 2019, he also played at 2019 Asian Cup and Japan won the 2nd place.

Statistics

^[1]^[2]

Club statistics			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Japan			League		Emperor's Cup		J.League Cup		Asia		Total
2009	Kashiwa Reysol	J1 League	0	0	0	0	0	0	-		0	0
2010		J2 League	9	1	3	0	-		-		12	1
2011		J1 League	27	0	2	0	2	0	-		31	0
2012		J1 League	15	1	0	0	0	0	7	2	22	3
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Premiere Ligapokal		Europe		Total
2012/13	Hannover	Bundesliga	13	0	1	0	-		3	0	17	0
2013/14			26	1	2	0	-		-		28	1
2014/15			27	0	2	0	-		-		29	0
2015/16			26	1	2	0	-		-		28	1
France			League		Coupe de France		Coupe de la Ligue		Europe		Total
2016/17	Olympique Marseille	Ligue 1	35	0	3	0	2	0	-		40	0
2017/18			33	1	2	0	1	0	14	1	50	2
2018/19			27	0	0	0	1	0	4	0	32	0
2019/20			21	0	3	0	1	0	-		25	0
2020/21
Country	Japan		51	2	5	0	2	0	7	2	65	4
	Germany		92	2	7	0	-		3	0	102	2
	France		116	1	8	0	5	0	18	1	147	2
Total			259	5	20	0	7	0	28	3	314	8