Mainz appoint Leicester icon Shinji Okazaki as ambassador

Mainz appoint Leicester icon Shinji Okazaki as ambassador

Shinji Okazaki will serve as Mainz’s ambassador with a focus on the entire Asian region as the Bundesliga club announced the news on Sunday. The former striker netted 29 goals in 70 appearances in his two-year spell at the club.

After leaving the 05ers, Okazaki played a major role in Leicester City’s sensational Premier League triumph. The 40-year-old co-founded the current sixth-tier club FC Basara Mainz and FC Basara Hyogo alongside Mainz women's team head coach Takashi "Taka" Yamashita in 2014.

Yamashita’s team could get promoted to the Frauen-Bundesliga as they currently sit second after champions Stuttgart. Okazaki is one of the coaches at FC Basara Mainz as he’s still involved in football after retirement. With the connection between the two clubs, Okazaki’s Mainz-based club offers Japanese footballers further chances.

"Shinji Okazaki has always maintained the connection to Mainz and Mainz 05. That’s expanded with his commitment to Basara. We are very pleased that we were able to convince him to take the role of ambassador for the next few years.” said Mainz’s executive Christian Heidel.

Okazaki also commented on his role as he was introduced to the Mewa Arena crowd ahead of their last home game of the season against Union Berlin. "Mainz 05 was and is an important part of my footballing life. I have been allowed to spend the most beautiful time of my Bundesliga career here and have always kept the connection to the city and club.

“I am therefore all the more pleased that I can now, as a coach and football official, also take on the role of club ambassador for Mainz 05 to connect Japan and Germany even more closely in terms of youth football.”