Kodai Sano is the first Japanese football player at PSV since Ritsu Doan. The international player joined from NEC, where he had a standout season. With the Nijmegen-based club, the midfielder reached the KNVB Cup final and qualified for the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Champions League. However, it was with PSV that he made his debut in that competition. In his first match, at home against Shakhtar Donetsk (1-1), the Japanese player immediately made an impression.