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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saints starlet scores match-winning double on loan at Valenciennes
SAINTS starlet Rento Takaoka scored a brace to help loan club Valenciennes secure their first win of the 2025/26 season. Japan youth international Takaoka scored twice in five minutes as Sport Republic's Valenciennes beat Le Puy 2-1 on Friday evening. Takaoka, 18, was introduced at the break to make his second appearance for the third-tier side, and found the net 25 minutes later. Mael Zogba hit back three minutes later for visitors Le Puy before Takaoka capped off a crazy five minutes by scoring the winner. Having run off the shoulder of two defenders, the teenager remained composed to slot past the onrushing goalkeeper. The win lifts Valenciennes to sixth place in the Championnat National after a win and a draw in their first two fixtures. Following Takaoka's move to France, head of group talent strategy Andy Goldie said: "Rento's loan arrival at Valenciennes is an important step in our youth development strategy. "Rento is a young talent we recruited from Japan. He's a Japanese international who played in the U17 World Cup last year. Valenciennes is a great environment to help him progress."
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saints forward joins Sport Republic's Valenciennes on season-long loan
YOUNG Saints forward Rento Takaoka has joined Sport Republic sister club Valenciennes on a season-long loan. The Japan youth international, who joined the club earlier this year from Nissho Gakuen High School, will now spend the 2025/26 season in the French Championnat National. Takaoka, who is yet to play senior football in his burgeoning career, has trained with the third-tier outfit during pre-season. He is set to play for the club's 'reserve' team and will become the first Japanese player to represent Valenciennes. READ: The Saints academy talents to look out for during 2025/26 season Andy Goldie, head of group talent strategy at Southampton, said: "Rento's loan arrival at Valenciennes is an important step in our youth development strategy. "Rento is a young talent we recruited from Japan. He's a Japanese international who played in the U17 World Cup last year. "Valenciennes is a great environment to help him progress this season." Simon Raux, director of the VAFC training centre, added: "Rento's arrival is truly symbolic in relation to the Sport Republic group and the mutualisation between the clubs. Valenciennes and Saints played a pre-season friendly against each other last month. (Image: Southampton FC/Matt Watson) "There was the departure of Joachim Kayi Sanda last year to Southampton, and this year, there is Rento's loan to VAFC. "It's an enriching experience for all the players and all the parties." A statement from Saints added: "The club wishes Rento well for the coming season and looks forward to following his progress." Takaoka is the second Saints youngster to join Valenciennes this summer, following defender Derrick Abu, who joined on a free transfer at the end of his contract at St Mary's.
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Southampton owner Dragan Solak open to investors but ‘selling the club never on my mind'
Southampton owner and chairman Dragan Solak has confirmed he has no plans to sell the club, but says he would welcome future investment from partners. Solak is the lead investor of Sport Republic, the investment firm that bought an 80 per cent stake in Southampton in 2022, and became the club's chairman in January after Henrik Kraft stepped down. Advertisement Southampton were relegated from the Premier League in April with seven games remaining. Manager Russell Martin was sacked in December and his successor, Ivan Juric, was dismissed in April after winning only one of his 14 league games in charge. Will Still, who left Ligue 1 side Lens at the end of the season, has now taken over. After some suggestions in April that Solak may look to move on from Southampton, the 60-year-old told the BBC a sale 'is not part of any plan'. 'I never had any plans of selling the club,' Solak said. 'I might invite some partners to join me when and if we (are promoted) to the Premier League because I think we will need maybe more base to invest and to be even better, but selling the club was never on my mind. 'I was thinking much more about this 10-year project of how to develop the club commercially and financially so it is more robust and less dependent on TV rights. 'My love for Southampton and respect and loyalty are just growing through all this.' Southampton finished the 2024-25 campaign with 12 points, only one above the lowest ever total in a Premier League season, set by Derby County in 2007-08. Solak pointed to the departure of Jason Wilcox, their director of football, as a factor. Wilcox became Manchester United's technical director in April 2024, and is now their director of football, but was not replaced ahead of Southampton's return to the Premier League. 'We suddenly lost a man who started building something and unfortunately we didn't replace him fast enough,' Solak said. 'We went into the challenges of the Premier League without a leading figure in our football department and that was very, very costly.' Johannes Spor was appointed in February as group technical director by Sport Republic, which also owns Turkish side Goztepe and French club Valenciennes. Southampton will discover their Championship fixtures next Thursday when the schedule is released by the English Football League. Still's side have made one signing so far this summer, bringing in Joshua Quarshie from German side Hoffenheim.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Solak at helm will 'benefit' Saints
Dragan Solak (right) has done his first sit-down interview with the BBC since buying a majority stake in Southampton back in 2022 [Adam Blackmore on X] After waiting three and a half years to have a proper sit down with Saints' owner, and now chairman, Dragan Solak, it was a relief and a pleasure to spend time with him. I haven't met many billionaires (!) and so it was great that he was warm, affable and courteous. But he was also sharp and switched on, and there was a calm confidence that I'm guessing comes from being successful. Advertisement I can't imagine him suffering fools for long. But for the purposes of my interview he was all-in and had things to say. Having taken on a more hands-on role during the disastrous season that's just unfolded for Saints, I can tell he is fully engaged in the club and putting things right. I think Saints fans should be warmed by many things he said, especially ending speculation about his ownership and his belief that the club will get things right. Sport Republic have made a number of mistakes during their first three and a half years in charge but many of those decisions were made while Solak was a "silent" owner. Now he is very much at the helm and I think that can only benefit the club. Click here to listen to the full interview with Southampton owner Dragan Solak.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Solak at helm will 'benefit' Saints
After waiting three and a half years to have a proper sit down with Saints' owner, and now chairman, Dragan Solak, it was a relief and a pleasure to spend time with him.I haven't met many billionaires (!) and so it was great that he was warm, affable and courteous. But he was also sharp and switched on, and there was a calm confidence that I'm guessing comes from being successful.I can't imagine him suffering fools for long. But for the purposes of my interview he was all-in and had things to taken on a more hands-on role during the disastrous season that's just unfolded for Saints, I can tell he is fully engaged in the club and putting things right.I think Saints fans should be warmed by many things he said, especially ending speculation about his ownership and his belief that the club will get things Republic have made a number of mistakes during their first three and a half years in charge but many of those decisions were made while Solak was a "silent" he is very much at the helm and I think that can only benefit the here to listen to the full interview with Southampton owner Dragan Solak.
