Q, first of all, before talking about joining Tokyo, please tell us about your time in Sendai, where you played for 2 and a half years when you first came to Japan.
For me, my family, and myself, living in Sendai was a very happy experience. We received a lot of support from the fans and supporters in Sendai. I have nothing but good memories. I am also grateful to the club staff, and I still remember my debut match against Cerezo Osaka. Of course, there were also matches against Tokyo, and I have nothing but happy memories.
In the press release announced from Sendai, there were words of love that said, "Let's definitely meet again in J1." Player Kubo (nickname for Słowik) will continue to fight on the J1 stage as a member of Tokyo from here.
I am of course disappointed with the result of Sendai's relegation in the 2021 season. However, I have approached every practice and game with full effort. In the midst of that, I was very happy to receive an offer from Tokyo, a big club in Japan, and I want to win many things with my teammates at this club.
Q: What was your impression of Tokyo as an opponent?
A, in the 2019 season, when I first came to Japan, Tokyo was competing for the championship. They left a strong impression as the top team on the standings. They are also a team with high-quality players who always play well in matches.
Q: In the 2021 season, Tokyo won two matches against Sendai, and in both matches, Kubo's big save stood out.
A, I remember (lol). But in the end, Sendai lost. We did our best, but Tokyo has a high-quality team, so that's the result.
Q: Who is the most memorable player among Tokyo's players?
A, it's Diego (Oliveira). I have faced him twice in PKs, so it's a memorable experience (laughs). His PK style is unique, and I think he's a really skilled player. It's a difficult style for a GK, but now we're on the same team, so I feel like I can adapt to any style by practicing with him (laughs).
Q: What is your impression of the level of Japanese goalkeepers, considering that Tokyo has excellent goalkeepers?
A, of course there are talented GKs in Tokyo, and Shonan's Kosei Tani is also a wonderful talent. Hiroshima's Keisuke Osako and Sendai's Yuma Obata, who also played in the same team, are the same. It seems that there are more and more promising and potential players. There is no doubt that the quality of Japanese GKs is also improving.
Q, Poland, the home country of player Kubo, has produced many great goalkeepers such as player Jerzy Dudek and player Wojciech Szczesny. Former player Krzysztof Kaminski, who played for Iwata before, also had a successful career.
A, it is very important in the Polish football world. Many GKs have played for big clubs in Europe and are still playing. In addition to the players mentioned, there are also great GKs such as Arthur BORUC (played with Shunsuke NAKAMURA at Celtic and with Maya YOSHIDA at Southampton) and Lukasz FABIANSKI. In Japan, Kaminski's great achievements led to my decision to go to Japan. I also want to show the strength of Polish GKs in Tokyo.
Q: By the way, at what age did Kubo start playing as a goalkeeper?
A, it's a story from a long time ago... (laughs), I think I was about 5 or 6 years old. My older brother started playing soccer first, and since I was the youngest, I ended up playing GK. Everyone hated playing GK because you have to fall down when making a save or jump from high places, but for me, it was normal and didn't bother me. After that, I also played as a DF. I belonged to a big academy, but my playing style wasn't very technical (laughs), so the coach recommended, "How about playing GK?" That's when I received my first pair of GK gloves, which became a motivation for me, and I've been a GK ever since.
Q: I thought being a goalkeeper was a popular position in Poland because there are many famous goalkeepers.
A, I think all children from any country want to be strikers at first (laughs) When players like Duduk and Boltz were active, GK also became popular, but when it comes to Poland, it's all about Roberto Lewandowski. So I think there are many players who aspire to be FW.
Q, looking at your career, you have played for domestic clubs in Poland, but I have read news that you were close to signing with Reading in England in 2015.
A, at that time it was about 1 week, and I went to take the test. However, the GK position on the team was already filled, and right after that I also got injured, so the conversation didn't go as planned. However, I always wanted to test my potential and skills overseas, so Japan became my first stage. I have held onto that desire since my time in Poland.
Q: After playing in the J-League for two and a half years, do you see any differences in your perception of Japanese soccer compared to when you first arrived in Japan?
A, in my opinion, Japan is a wonderful country and league. I'm not familiar with other Asian countries, but I think it's a great league.
Q, Tokyo will be led by a new coach, Albert, in the 2022 season. He previously coached Albirex Niigata until the 2021 season. Have you ever watched Albert's team play soccer?
A, I have watched some games during my time in Niigata. I checked to see what kind of soccer they play and what kind of plays are expected. My impression is that they have a style of connecting the ball and also require building up attacks from the GK and DF. Originally, the role of the GK was to defend the goal and make saves, but in this day and age, there are many other things that are expected from them. This includes technical skills and kicks at their feet. I believe that in Tokyo's new style, these things will be demanded more. My personal style is to absorb, learn, and improve on what is required from practice. I want to approach this with a positive attitude so that I can adapt well.
Q: In 2021, Tokyo had a problem with conceding a lot of goals. While fans and supporters may have the highest expectations for Kubo in terms of shot-stopping, how do you plan to improve the defense, including the backline?
A, no matter what team, you cannot defend the goal alone, and you cannot score alone. From FW to GK, everyone attacks and defends together. In my case, I want to communicate a lot with the DF and specifically maintain a compact formation to defend well.
Q: Do you have any clear goals you want to achieve with this team?
A, I don't usually set personal goals, but first of all, I want the team to be in a good direction and get results. And if we can win more trophies, that would be great, but first and foremost, we want to fight well and become a group that fans and supporters can be proud of and say "they are a really good team". Players must continue to play in a way that these words come from various places.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about living in Tokyo, the capital of Japan?
A, Tokyo is truly a metropolis and it is also an impressive city globally. My family is also looking forward to it, but the most important thing is being able to always be with my family no matter where I am. One thing I am excited about is that it will be closer to go to Disneyland than from Sendai (laughs). I am also looking forward to other famous places. I love Japanese food, sushi and yakiniku are the best. Natto? It was not good when I first tried it, but gradually (laughs).
text by YUKI NISHIKAWA
