Kagawa's Japan call-up irritates Dortmund's Klopp

Yeah, real waste of time calling up Kagawa wasn't it...

Champions at Asian Cup where they beat an unorganized Korea with average age of 22 after they went through a proper draw whereas Japan breezed through minnows. Korea and Japan are on par but if you follow the game Korea has winning edge in these matches.

Both Korean and Japanese coaches being selfish. They want to chalk up a win to ensure safety of their own jobs rather than use logic and field domestic players. Korea has Japan's number in these games anyways. LEt's just hope there are no injuries for both teams.

Funny that, because I could have sworn that Japan are Asian champions, having dispatched Korea along the way.

I agree with Rockbuster. It's ridiculous complaining about this when they knew full well it would happen. Compaining about it now makes it look as though they have been wronged somehow and deserve sympathy when that's not the case at all.

Both Korean and Japanese coaches being selfish. They want to chalk up a win to ensure safety of their own jobs rather than use logic and field domestic players. Korea has Japan's number in these games anyways. LEt's just hope there are no injuries for both teams.

Sorry, but Dortmund knew when they signed him that he would be likely to be facing these kind of journeys. This is a FIFA sanctioned international date, so if anyone is to blame, then FIFA and UEFA would be the ones to go after in this instance.

The JFA and players are blameless in this situation. It is FIFA who should have to explain the ridiculous timing of this friendly date.

Yeah, but he has to come back to help his country save face, which is more important than anything else. He was probably told that if he doesn't come back he would not be able to play in real games in the future!

This match is just a 'friendly' match, so it is hardly worth the risk. Kagawa should just soay no this time and sit it out, he does owe Dortmund a lot for missing so much of last season.

"Kagawa missed the first half of the year after breaking a bone in his foot during January’s Asian Cup and has worked his way back to full fitness for the German champions ahead of the new season."

I have to agree with Dortmund on this -- the guy was paid a lot of money to play for the German team and then missed half the season after playing for Japan in the Asian cup, which of course has nothing to do with the game in Europe. If he's injured again they're out all that money. More and more Japanese players are being accepted into European teams, which is awesome, but Japan always demanding they get called up for other tournaments and games, while understandable, could lead to problems with recruiting in the future -- or maybe stricter contracts.