Bundesliga confirmed as Europe’s home of Asian talent

The Bundesliga.

Recently released information from the Bundesliga confirms that Germany has served as the home for the best Asian talent to excel in Europe.

Based from Opta Sports data, it shows that since July 1998, the Bundesliga has welcomed 64 Asian players, accumulating 3,926 matches and scoring 427 goals. With such a total, the German top-flight outperforms their counterparts in England, Italy, Spain, and France combined.

And it is not limited to just Japan and Korea Republic, as the players come from places like Tajikistan, Iran, Lebanon, China, Cambodia, and the DPR Korea. It even includes the Philippines.

Some of the biggest stars in Asian football have served as vital cogs for German sides, including Makoto Hasebe, Ja-Cheol Koo, and Shao Jiayi. Hasebe and Koo continue to figure in key roles for Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg, respectively. The two, alongside Persian football icons Mehdi Mahdavikia and Vahid Hashemian, combine for almost a thousand appearances for their respective German sides.

Bundesliga International CEO Robert Klein shares, "The Bundesliga has earned a reputation of being a truly global league, but we’re particularly proud of our strong Asian connections. We look forward to welcoming many more Asian stars over the coming years as we continue to build on our strong relationship with Asian football and its fans." He adds, "Many Asian players come to Germany attracted by the league’s pure, authentic football – football as It’s meant to be. They’ve played an important part in our league’s success, both on the field and by engaging with millions of fans across the continent."

For fans in the Philippines, Fox Sports Asia has all the information one needs to know about the Bundesliga, which is winding down its season with a couple of match weeks remaining in its calendar.