Junya Ito was part of the national team in the Asian Cup. The allegation involves two women and is said to have occurred at a hotel in Osaka last year.
Midfielder Junya Ito has been excluded from the Japanese national football team currently competing in the Asian Cup in Qatar due to an alleged sexual assault on two women, which the player denies, as reported by the Japanese agency Kyodo.
"We need to create an environment in which players can focus on the game. We made the decision considering the situation comprehensively," said the president of the Japanese federation, Kozo Tashima, as quoted by Kyodo.
The 30-year-old midfielder, who plays for French club Reims, is part of the Japanese national team, which also includes Sporting player Hidemasa Morita. The team is set to compete in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup.
According to Japanese media, the allegation involves two women and is said to have occurred at a hotel in Osaka in June 2023, following a match between Japan and Peru.
Junya Ito's lawyer assured the Kyodo news agency that the "accusations are completely unfounded," and the Japanese national football team coach, Hajime Moriyasu, stated that he has not yet examined the matter.
Japan is set to face Iran, featuring FC Porto forward Mehdi Taremi, in the Asian competition's quarter-finals on Saturday. Japan is the record holder with four Asian Cup victories, the most recent being in 2011.
