Thank you Tokyo, hello Osaka!
The Paris Saint-Germain squad left the effervescent Japanese capital on Sunday for another historic city in the country, Osaka. Thank you for everything, Tokyo!
It was a week full of emotion for the Parisian delegation in Tokyo. Greeted with real ardour from the locals, something that could be seen every morning in front of the hotel or during every journey to the stadium, our Rouge et Bleu shared excellent moments with the club from the capital's Japanese fans.
That affection was demonstrated every time Les Parisiens headed out to immerse themselves into the local culture. An opportunity for our players to discover the secrets of the Japanese capital, both cultural and culinary!
It was also the opportunity, to go out and meet the Japanese people. In that way, numerous meet and greets filled the week, including the unique moments spent with the supporters on the pitches of the PSG Academy.
The effervescence of the locals was always visible, no more so than during the open training session, where more than 13,000 people came together at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium to see Les Parisiens play on the pitch.
A real proof to the popularity of Paris Saint-Germain, which was confirmed during the two friendlies played by the team.
In the first, Les Parisiens came out 2-1 winners over the current champions Kawasaki Frontale, in front of more than 65,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium. The perfect opportunity for the new away kit to be revealed!
In the second match, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed their good intentions, beating Red Diamonds 3-0, in front of 63,000 spectators at the Saitama Stadium.
It must be said that the daily training sessions put in place by Christophe Galtier's staff have ensured that this tour of Japan has remained a pre-season preparation ahead of the challenges that await during the 2022-2023 season.
After some final goodbyes to the Tokyo-based supporters, it was off to Osaka for Les Parisiens!
In order to get to the third largest city in the country, our Rouge et Bleu took the Shinkansen bullet train on Sunday morning… But that didn't stop them from getting a look at Mount Fuji on their way through.
Next up: the final preparation ahead of the Trophée des Champions in one week in Israel. In Osaka, Paris Saint-Germain will play their third friendly of the summer, against Gamba Osaka (Monday, 19:00 local time, 12:00 French time). Before that, the players will take part in another open training session. An opportunity to soak up, for one final time before the friendly, the passion of the locals.
Photos J.Scussel/PSG, C.Gavelle/PSG