Mr. Ryuji Sato (left) announced his retirement from December 15, 2022 and the Vietnam – Malaysia match was the last match he managed as a FIFA referee.
Mr. Ryuji Sato from Japan became the focus of media controversy after managing the Vietnam – Malaysia match in the framework of the AFF Cup 2022. The king of this field received many “bricks and stones” from professional critics. , Malaysian fans … because they were said to be “biased” for Vietnam, leading to ruining the match.
However, whether they love or hate this referee, Malaysian fans will not have to witness any more matches run by Mr. Ryuji Sato. The reason is because the Vietnam – Malaysia match will be the last match that he will play as a referee.
Information posted by the Japan Football Federation on December 15, 2022, referee Ryuji Sato will “retire” after 2022.
In his post, the Japan Football Federation also appreciates the contributions of the FIFA referee born in 1977. Mr. Ryuji Sato has been recognized as a FIFA referee since 2009. During his time as a professional referee, he managed 276 matches in J-League 1, 32 matches in Emperor’s Cup. He also did many international missions in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the U20 World Cup, the Asian Cup…
Sharing about his decision to suspend his whistle, Mr. Ryuji Sato said: “I decided to retire from the end of 2022. From the end of 2009 until now, I have been able to live a memorable life as a FIFA referee. and work professionally. I will step by step towards new dreams and other great goals of life in the future.”
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