Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Referee Ryuji Sato is set to make a name for himself in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
In what will be his first World Cup experience, the Japanese is relishing every bit of it as the-AFC.com finds out in an exclusive interview.
Who is Ryuji Sato?
Ryuji Sato has been steadily rising up the ranks of refereeing. A familiar face in Japan, the 41-year-old has been a referee for over a decade, taking charge of games around Asia.
Sato began his career in the lower J-League and AFC U16 Championships before moving on to the AFC Champions League, AFC Cup and is now a regular feature in the J-League. The Japanese got his break taking charge of the AFC Challenge Cup final in 2012 and later the 2016 AFC Champions League final second leg. He was recently at the centre at the 2017 U20 World Cup Korea Republic.