SV 98 exercises purchase option for Akiyama

Paul Fernie: “Hiro integrated superbly into our group from day one and, despite the language barrier, adapted incredibly quickly to German football and culture. On the pitch, he has demonstrated exactly the qualities we hoped for when we signed him. He is extremely press-resistant, always wants the ball, and can dictate the tempo of a game. Furthermore, he has already made great progress in his work off the ball and is increasingly developing into a ball-winner. On top of that, there’s the goal threat he has shown so far this season, something we honestly haven’t seen to this extent in Japan. Therefore, there was no doubt for us that we wanted to keep Hiro beyond this season and would exercise our purchase option. Now is the right time to have clarity before the start of winter training.”

Hiroki Akiyama: “I immediately felt very welcome at the club and in the entire city. We are a great team with very good footballers and outstanding characters. I’m incredibly happy to be a part of it and I’m glad that I’ve been able to help the team on the pitch so far. I want to thank the management for their trust and I’m very happy about the permanent move to Darmstadt. My wife and daughter have also joined me in Germany now, and we’ve finally arrived as a family. I’m really looking forward to the second half of the season and my future with the Lilies.”

So far this season, Akiyama has made 16 appearances in the second division, starting every match. The midfielder has scored two goals. He also played in the cup matches against Schalke and Freiburg, contributing a goal to the victory against Schalke.