Qatar, Nagatomo and the redheads: “I wanted to give a precise message”

The footballer explained that he decided to dye himself to show grit and to represent his attitude towards the World Cup

Grit and red hair. Nagatomo he put them in the suitcase he packed for the World Cup in Qatar. The former Interista and his National they beat, in the debut match, none other than the Germany for two to one. And what struck the international media was not only what he did on the field but also the decision to dye his hair, red indeed.

“The idea – has explained – was to make it red as part of the Japanese flag and to show the passion of our national team players. I wanted to prove it, I asked people what color should i dye them and many said red. I thought so too, so it seemed to best represent my attitude towards the World Cup».

«We have many players who are playing in their first World Cup and have confidence playing in European clubs. This time we don’t have that many veterans – added the player who collected 139 appearances for the Japanese team – experience and trust make our team a whole like a puzzle. I am ready to play in any position‘ said Nagatomo, who made 139 appearances for the Japan. He has also promised that if his national team reaches the quarter-finals, he will change his hair colour. But for now he has to keep them that way. «I’ve told my family that even if they don’t like them, there’s not much I can do now», he concluded.