Makoto Hasebe's first season with FC Nurnberg has not gone to plan after the Franconian outfit was relegated from the German Bundesliga.
The 30-year old midfielder, who captains the Japan national team, joined der Club from Wolfsburg in September 2013 but his debut campaign at the Stadion Nurnberg has ended in disaster.
Nurnberg were beaten 4-1 by Schalke in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday to remain 17th (second bottom) on the Bundesliga table after losing 11 of their last 12 matches.
Hasebe played a full 90 minutes on the weekend in his return from a five-month absence because of a knee injury to notch up just his 14th start of the 2013/14 campaign.
The former Urawa Reds star is expected to be named in Alberto Zaccheroni's preliminary Blue Samurai squad for the 2014 World Cup which will be announced early this week.
