Latest news with #RyotaroTsunoda
Wales Online
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's Cardiff City news as Tsunoda issues statement after exit and rising star catches the eye again
Tonight's Cardiff City news as Tsunoda issues statement after exit and rising star catches the eye again The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium Ryotaro Tsunoda and Ronan Kpakio of Cardiff City (Image: Cardiff City TV) Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Tuesday, August 5. Tsunoda issues statement after exit Ryotaro Tsunoda has issued a statement to Yokohama F. Marinos fans after bringing an end to a frustrating 18-month spell at Cardiff City - during which he failed to make a single appearance for the first team. The 26-year-old defender joined the Bluebirds in early 2023, arriving with promise from Japan. However, he was never handed a competitive debut, failing to feature under Erol Bulut, Omer Riza, Aaron Ramsey or, ultimately, Brian Barry-Murphy. Tsunoda has now sealed a permanent move back to J1 League side Yokohama F. Marinos, the club where he previously impressed before his switch to the Welsh capital. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. The Yokohama side find themselves in the relegation zone upon his return and, in a heartfelt message to Marinos fans, Tsunoda admitted the return was not how he had envisioned his journey unfolding, but said he was determined to prove himself once again. 'Dear Marinos family, it's been a long time. I have recently decided to join the team on a permanent transfer,' he said. Article continues below 'This may not be the best timing or situation for either of us to meet again, so I can't proudly say, 'I'm back!' "I have thought a lot about the career I still want to pursue and about showing you all how I am making great strides overseas. However, given the current situation, I wanted to dedicate this moment to Yokohama F. Marinos, so I have returned with a strong resolve." The centre-back added: 'I will fight with all my heart so that F. Marinos can be F. Marinos, and so that they can be where they belong. I hope you will support me.' Tsunoda's departure means he leaves Cardiff without a single minute of senior football to his name, one of several overseas signings made during a turbulent recruitment period that failed to pay off. Cardiff have trimmed their squad considerably this summer following relegation to League One, with new head coach Barry-Murphy overseeing a rebuild ahead of the new season. Incomings are now expected to follow. Bluebirds hammer Wolves in friendly Cardiff's under-21s battered Premier League counterparts Wolves 5-0 in their final pre-season friendly. Darren Purse's side took on the Category One side in Leckwith as they gear up for the start of their Premier League Development 2 campaign - and ended in perfect fashion. Will Spiers, one of the rising stars who caught the eye of a number of fans for his impressive displays for Barry-Murphy's senior side in pre-season, scored twice from right-back. Captain Luke Pearce, another who is steadily scooting under the radar, also scored, while Jake Davies and Troy Perrett, who was reportedly subject of transfer interest from Aston Villa a few months back, were also on the scoresheet. Barry-Murphy will doubtless be keeping an eye on these performances, with the new head coach keen to give Cardiff's youth an opportunity, as evidenced by his youthful starting XI in the win over Peterborough United at the weekend. Cardiff's PDL2 campaign kicks off with a home tie against Sheffield United next Tuesday. Two Cardiff Vertu Trophy fixtures confirmed Cardiff City will kick off their 2025/26 EFL Trophy campaign with an away clash against Exeter City at St James Park on Tuesday, September 16. The Bluebirds have also announced their second group-stage fixture, which will see them host Newport County at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday, October 7. Details for the third and final group game, against Arsenal Under-21s, are yet to be confirmed and will be announced in the coming weeks. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages, which will remain regionalised until the quarter-final stage. Article continues below This season's EFL Trophy final is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
BBC News
05-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tsunoda leaves Cardiff after 18 months without playing
Ryotaro Tsunoda has left Cardiff City to join former club Yokohama F. Marinos back in his native Japan for an undisclosed fee, having never played for the Bluebirds in a competitive 26-year-old defender joined Cardiff in January 2024 but immediately joined Belgian side KV Kortrijk on loan for the remainder of the he suffered a serious hamstring injury the following April that required City owner Vincent Tan is also majority shareholder at the Pro-League side, who Tsunoda rejoined on loan in January 2025 for the remainder of last season while the Bluebirds unsuccessfully battled relegation to League One.
Wales Online
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Cardiff City player sold without playing a single minute in 18 months
Cardiff City player sold without playing a single minute in 18 months The Bluebirds have announced their 13 departure of the summer window Japanese defender Ryotaro Tsunoda while on loan at KV Kortrijk (Image: Getty Images) Cardiff City defender Ryotaro Tsunoda has been sold back to former club Yokohoma F. Marinos without registering a single minute of competitive action in a Bluebirds shirt. The Japanese centre-back was brought in during the January window in 2024 but was immediately sent out on loan to the Belgian top flight with KV Kortrijk. He impressed at Vincent Tan's other club, but suffered a horrendous hamstring injury which required surgery and four months of rehabilitation. It meant he started last season unfit and took until January this year to be match ready, when he was once again sent out on loan to Kortrijk. He was one of their standout players, however he could not stop the club succumbing to relegation. Returning to Cardiff this summer was meant to represent a clean slate for the 26-year-old, with a new head coach in the form of Brian Barry-Murphy now at the helm. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. Supporters thought Tsunoda, who has made a name for himself as a ball-playing, left-footed centre-half, might fit well in Barry-Murphy's system. Article continues below But injury struck again while on pre-season tour in Murcia, with the defender having to be brought off in the first half against Malaysian championship Johor Darul Ta'zim. It was ultimately the last time he donned a Bluebirds shirt. "Ryotaro Tsunoda has completed a permanent transfer to Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance," the club wrote in a statement. "The defender joined the Bluebirds in January 2024 and experienced two loan spells in Belgium with K.V. Kortrijk. "We'd like to wish Tsuno the very best of luck for the future." Tsunoda becomes the 13th player to leave the club this summer, with nine players' contracts not renewed, Callum O'Dowda having been sold and Roko Simic and Michael Reindorf sealing loan moves away. The signings of Tsunoda and Simic have stirred up a fair share of consternation among supporters, with both having been branded "club signings" by former manager Erol Bulut. Now, with Simic's loan to Karlsruher understood to contain an obligation to buy, it appears both of those "club signings" will leave without having played a single competitive minute for the Bluebirds. Cardiff must now turn their attention to incomings, with goalkeeper Nathan Trott's arrival understood to be imminent, with a centre-back, left-back and winger also on the radar. Chairman Mehmet Dalman said on Saturday that, after Trott, another signing is close. Article continues below "One is very close, but we have a problem in getting it over the line, which can be solved," Dalman said. "So we want to buy goalkeeper and one other, then the other two will probably be loans. "We don't really need that many new players. I think the squad is pretty good." Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
Wales Online
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Tonight's Cardiff City news as Bluebirds star proves a huge hit on loan and player's nightmare finally ends
Tonight's Cardiff City news as Bluebirds star proves a huge hit on loan and player's nightmare finally ends The latest Bluebirds news from Cardiff City Stadium Antoine Colassin (L) fights for the ball with Kortrijk's Japanese defender Ryotaro Tsunoda (Image: Getty Images ) Here are your Cardiff City headlines for Friday, May 2. Tsunoda proves a hit again at Kortrijk Amid the gloom of a double relegation for Vincent Tan's teams, one small positive has emerged. Ryotaro Tsunoda has spent a season and a half as a Cardiff player but is yet to kick a ball in a Bluebirds shirt. The Japanese defender spent the first half of the campaign sidelined through injury before being sent out to KV Kortrijk for his second loan stint at the Tan-owned club. Cardiff's defence has been a shambles this season and needs to be addressed as a point of urgency as they embark on a season in League One. Tsunoda was brought in from Yokohama F Marinos as a "club" signing for the future and one suspects that he would have to start playing regularly for the Bluebirds next term if their investment is to yield any joy. Fortunately for Cardiff, while KVK's fortunes have been as dire as their own on the pitch, on the brink of relegation, the 25-year-old has enjoyed his second positive loan spell in the Belgian top flight. Indeed, according to the stats at WhoScored, he is the highest-rated player at Kortrijk this season, with a rating of 7.28. And, according to journalist Jorunn Vannoorden, who covers KVK for Belgian outlet Niuewsblad, the Japanese defender has a bright future ahead of him. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. Article continues below "Tsunoda's return was definitely a hit," Vannoorden said of the centre-back, who has played 10 matches during his second stint in Belgium. "He proved from his first match back that he is actually too good for KV Kortrijk and does deserve his place higher up. Only question is how pain-free he can stay, as he does remain injury-prone. If he can, a bright future awaits him." Curtain closes on Etete's nightmare campaign Kion Etete's nightmare season has finally come to an end in light of the news that he has been ruled out of Bolton's curtain closer this weekend. Etete suffered a bad hamstring injury while on pre-season tour with the Bluebirds ahead of the campaign and spent months on the sideline. He made his one and only appearance for Cardiff this term in the FA Cup at Sheffield United before signing a new, two-year deal and penning a loan move to the Trotters. But it's been a disastrous loan spell. He conceded a penalty on debut, resulting in the goal in a 1-0 loss to Reading, before spending the next eight games out injured. He played just four more times, all off the bench, and didn't score a goal, losing every game in which he played. Bolton boss Steven Schumacher has ruled the striker out of their final game of the season against Eli King's Stevenage, bringing an end to a season he will want to forget. However, with two years now left to run on his deal, he will likely have a big say for Cardiff in the third tier next season, however, at time of writing, has Yousef Salech, Callum Robinson, Isaak Davies and potentially Roko Simic ahead of him. Excluded U21s players hints at Norwich team news A number of under-21s players were conspicuous by their absence for the game against Watford this afternoon, prompting speculation over their potential involvement at Carrow Road tomorrow. The Bluebirds' senior side conclude their campaign against Norwich City in East Anglia tomorrow afternoon, ending a disastrous campaign in which they suffered relegation to League One. And while tomorrow's trip against the breadth of the country is futile in the club's efforts to keep their Championship status, more than 1,200 Bluebirds will be making the journey. The supporters might just see a glimpse of the next generation, too, with a host of U21s regulars missing from the game against the young Hornets. Notable absentees were Dylan Lawlor, Troy Perrett, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa, Ronan Kpakio and Roko Simic. Whether all or even some of those get first-team minutes tomorrow remains to be seen. As for the under-21s, they beat Watford in convincing fashion, thumping them 3-0 at Cardiff City Stadium thanks to goals from Freddie Cook, Cody Twose and Josh Beecher. Wilshere: I've got huge respect for Ramsey Interim Norwich City manager Jack Wilshere has spoken fondly of his ex-Arsenal team-mate Aaron Ramsey ahead of their meeting tomorrow. The former Gunners stars will go toe to toe on the touchline tomorrow, with Ramsey taking charge of the Bluebirds in his final game of his interim stint and Wilshire in the Canaries' dugout. Speaking about coming up against his old midfield partner, Wilshere said: "We go back many, many years. We pushed each other a lot. I wanted to be in the team, he wanted to be in the team. We shared some amazing moments - he scored in the FA Cup final. "I've got huge respect for him for taking [the Cardiff job] on. You could see he thought about the game. He is completely committed and it is his life. He spent a lot of time injured like I did but I saw the hunger in him." Wilshere's second game on the Norwich coaching staff was that incredible turnaround win for Cardiff in the reverse fixture in the Welsh capital during that unbeaten run which kicked off Omer Riza's stint as caretaker manager. "It was my second game and we played really well," Wilshere said of that game. "We dominated the ball, and they transitioned on us twice. "The context of the game shapes the approach. We want to win for the fans and leave them on a good note where they are excited for next season and believe on it. When you're a coach on the side, you want to see the passion, hunger and desire to win duels and run back. Article continues below "Tactically, you can set a team up, but if you don't have that and can't suffer or defend your box [then it's no good]. Hopefully we can get that balance right tomorrow." Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
