10-year-old in Leicester, currently 20 years old fighting in Belgium Interview with Shuntaro Koga (Union San Girowa) "I want to go out to all the top level tournaments in Vol.5"

Vol.4 from here

-- There are no foreign player quotas in the Belgian league. What are your thoughts on that?

KogaIt's hard to say whether it's good or bad, but conversely, if you were asked what colors Belgium is, it would be hard to answer. But having a lot of players of different races is an interesting element.

-- The Belgian national team is strong, isn't it? What do you think is the reason for that?

KogaWhen I think about why France (the winners) are so strong, I think about the strong African-French players they have, such as Pogba, Kante, and even Makelele in the past.

Among these players are Griezmann, who is of German descent, Koscielny (of Polish descent), and goalkeeper Lloris (from the south of France). Perhaps this blend of ethnicities is the secret to their strength.

Africa has a lot of great players, and their individual abilities are incredibly high, but as a team they have a hard time winning. The combination of the individual strength of African players and European tactics is powerful.

In that sense, I think Spain is amazing, even though they have a lot of similar players. South America has both strong and skilled players, and in Europe they also have discipline and the ability to fight as a team.

It is often said that there are many similar players in Japan, but I wonder how interesting things could go if a Japanese team had three incredible African players.

I think that countries like France and Belgium, which are currently trending, have successfully integrated African and European players and are one step ahead.



-- There aren't many people who have had this much experience while still in their teens. What are your immediate goals for the future? (At the time of this interview, you were 19 years old.)

KogaMy biggest goal right now is to see how many games I can play this season and next season. My goal for this year is to be in the starting lineup and play for a long time (90 minutes).

I want to improve my physical strength while playing in matches. No matter how much I run, it's not the same as the physical strength needed for a game. I want to push my body hard for a year and grow, and I hope that this will be my year.

I haven't really thought about what we want to do as a team. I want each of us to become stronger and to get bigger in both body and weight. I'm not going to grow any taller (laughs).

- In terms of long-term goals, what are you aiming for, like the Olympics or the World Cup?

KogaI don't have any specific goals in mind right now, but I would like to take part in all the top-level tournaments, including the Olympics, the World Cup, and the European Champions League.

It doesn't matter what country it is, or what format it is, but I just want to compete at the highest level. That's why I went to Europe. I believe I can achieve that.

It's not easy to set a goal, but we live in a world where you can go as low as you can and go as high as you can in six months. I feel like if I work hard for a year, there might be something beyond that.

   
- Are there any players of the same age that you keep in contact with or that you pay attention to?

KogaI don't keep in touch with people my age that much, but I've met Cy Goddard a few times and we keep in touch. He's in Italy now, I think. I met him in Japan too, and I personally hope he does well. He's only one or two years older than me, though.

I also met Yuki Kobayashi, who is a little older than me. When I was in the Netherlands, we lived close by and I had the opportunity to talk to him. We're also connected through Verdy.

-- Up until now, you've had a lot of difficulties outside of soccer, such as registration issues.

KogaI feel like I can finally put all my energy into soccer. There are players in the Belgian first division who are on the Japanese national team, so in that sense, I'm not taking it lightly, but I think if we can get promoted to the first division, play in every game, and get good results, a spot on the national team isn't far off.

The national team is not something you can just go to, and Belgian first division teams have also played in the Champions League, so it's not a low level team. However, I'm grateful that there is something tangible that can be achieved.

- I'm looking forward to the day when I can see Koga in action for the Japanese national team and in the Champions League.

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Photo provided by Shuntaro Koga
Interview photo: Kohei Kikuchi