Junya Ito has reportedly been removed from Japan's Asian Cup squad by the national governing body. -AP
Junya Ito has been removed from Japan's squad at the Asian Cup by the Japanese Football Association in the midst of sexual assault allegations that he has denied, Japan's Kyodo news agency reports.
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Japan are the favourites to win the Asian Cup being played in Qatar and will face Iran in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Ito, a winger, played in all of Japan's matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He plays for top-tier French club Reims.
Two women allege that Ito sexually assaulted them last year. Local media has reported the case is being investigated in Japan by Osaka police.
"We need to create an environment in which players can concentrate on football. We've made the decision thinking about the situation comprehensively," Kyodo quoted JFA President Kozo Tashima as saying.
