Former J. League legends Zico and Guido Buchwald both urged young Japanese players to avoid making sudden leaps to big European clubs, suggesting that smaller moves could be better for their long-term development.
The two discussed the state of Japanese soccer on Thursday at a Tokyo news conference announcing their appointments as the league's new global ambassadors, along with former Brazil head coach Dunga and former South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo.
"I'm a bit worried about (the recent trend of young Japanese players joining big European clubs)," said Buchwald, who played for Urawa Reds from 1994-97. "They need to play in games and get experience. Sometimes it's better to start at a smaller club and move on to a big club. They need to think about whether the club will help them grow."