The Leicester City 2015/16 title-winning squad is one that will go down in history.
With odds of 5000/1 stacked against them, Premier League survival would’ve been good enough for the Foxes, let alone lifting the league title.
Under the guise of Claudio Ranieri, Leicester played up to the role of underdogs and swept away everyone who dared to crush their dreams.
In the end, Leicester won the Premier League by 10 points and it’s still regarded as the greatest sporting moment of all time.
Since then, some players have gone on to play for other clubs, while names like Danny Drinkwater have forged a career away from football.
One of those has even gone on to become the owner of a very unique club.
Former Leicester star Shinji Okazaki owns Japanese club playing in Germany
Shinji Okazaki of Leicester City lifts the Premier League Trophy after the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at The ...
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Among the talented list of names etched into history forever at the King Power Stadium was striker Shinji Okazaki.
The former Japan international joined in the summer of the title win and would go on to become a fan favourite in the East Midlands for his tenacious ability.
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Okazaki, now 38, retired from football at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and has undertaken a new project.
You’ll now find Okazaki back in Germany, where he spent four years playing for Mainz, where he is an owner of non-league side Basara Mainz.
Here, Okazaki is now part of the ownership group of the side who are a Japanese club based in Germany, designed to develop players from their homeland in Europe.
Shinji Okazaki is now the manager of FC Basara Mainz.
Back when he was playing in the Bundesliga, he founded the club to give young Japanese players more opportunities. They started in Germany’s 11th tier and have achieved five back-to-back promotions.
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Since forming in 2015 it’s been quite the ride for Basara. After starting out in the 11th tier of German football, the club have secured five back-to-back promotions and can be now found plying their trade in the sixth tier Verbandsliga Sudwest.
Asked about how the club was formed, Okazaki revealed that a conversation with club president Takashi Yamashita saw the pair looking for ways to develop Japanese talent in Europe to replicate the careers of players such as Shinji Kagawa.
Jakub Stolarczyk of Leicester City with Shinji Okazaki after the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers at King Po...
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He told Transfermarkt: “When I moved from Stuttgart to Mainz in 2013, Takashi Yamashita was already in the city. Through his company, he was connecting with young Japanese players eager to gain footballing experience in Germany.
“However, he noticed that many players didn’t develop as much as expected. Some found opportunities to play, but when faced with tough conditions, they often blamed their environment or coach instead of taking responsibility for their growth. The cultural and practical differences between Japan and Germany were immense—not just in everyday life but on the pitch as well.
“I suggested to Yamashita, ‘Why don’t we create our own team and develop Japanese players ourselves?’ He immediately agreed, saying, ‘Let’s do it!’ That’s how Basara was born.”
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