Japan international midfielder Kento Hashimoto has joined J.League 1 side Vissel Kobe on loan from Russian top-flight outfit FC Rostov on a 3-month deal. The former FC Tokyo man was one of the many foreign players playing in the Russian Premier League who have suspended their contracts with their clubs following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Kento’s loan was announced by Vissel on Sunday, with the player being expected to link up with his new teammates soon. The defensive midfielder was expected to provide some steel to Vissel’s engine room, as the men from Hyogo Prefecture seek to claim glory from four fronts this season – the J1, the J.League Cup, the Emperor’s Cup, and the AFC Champions League.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th prompted FIFA to release an emergency regulation that allows foreign players in both Russia and Ukraine to temporarily suspend their contracts with their club and temporarily move elsewhere abroad outside the regularly-scheduled transfer windows.
Besides Kento, other players plying their trade in both the Russian Premier League and the Ukrainian Premier League have used this emergency regulation to leave their country of residence to play elsewhere, such as former Newcastle United man Remy Cabella (who has since terminated his contract with Russian side FC Krasnodar), Nigerian striker Sylvester Igboun (who has since terminated his contract with Russian outfit FC Nizhny Novgorod), Norwegian rising star Erik Botheim (who recently joined Krasnodar from Bodo/Glimt but suspended his contract following the invasion), and former Shakhtar Donetsk man Junior Moraes, who terminated his contract with the Ukrainian giants to join Brazilian titans Corinthians on a permanent deal.
“I’m really thankful to Vissel Kobe for letting me join the team as I’ve found the situation difficult in the past month,” Kento said in a statement released by Vissel.
Prior to joining Vissel, Kento has made 29 league games for Rostov since joining them from FC Tokyo in 2020, scoring eight times.