Q, What should fans and supporters call the coach?
A, For the past two years, I have been called Albert, but the 'to' is not pronounced, it's Albert. The accent is on the 'be', that's the original. For some reason, in Japan, I was registered as Alberto, and even Wikipedia has it as Alberto (laughs), but I would be happy if you could call me Albert from now on.

Q, So, Albert, this will be your first J1 and a challenge at a club in the capital, FC Tokyo. How did you feel when you received the offer?
A, First of all, I want to say that I really enjoyed working in Niigata. The club made efforts to change its direction, and the players followed my preferred playing style. I think the fans and supporters also liked me. However, I always seek new challenges. I have spent most of my career as a coach in youth development. After working as a coach at Barcelona's academy, I was able to take on the most important position in youth development in the world as the academy director. I was involved in various reforms within the club and then embarked on a new journey of challenges.

Q, You have served as the technical director of the Gabon national team and as a coach for New York City in Major League Soccer, right?
A, When Domenec Torrent, who had long been the right-hand man of Josep Guardiola (former Barcelona coach, current Manchester City coach), was appointed as the coach of New York City, he invited me to join him. During the two years supporting Torrent, I developed a desire to become a coach myself. However, it wasn't just anywhere that I wanted to go. At that time, I was looking to be involved in an attractive project in a country or city that I respected, and then I received an offer from Albirex Niigata. Two years have passed, and I now have a desire to take on a new challenge.

Q, So it's a challenge in J1.
A, Yes, I want to take on the challenge with a top-class club in J1 if it's an attractive project. I received several offers, but the most appealing one was from FC Tokyo. I was drawn to the idea that the club is embarking on reforms and is willing to challenge a new team playing style. Moreover, it's a club located in the capital of a wonderful country, Japan. I was also interested in the fact that it has the potential to become a great club, yet it hasn't achieved results that match that potential. Additionally, the fact that their uniform is similar to Barcelona's Blaugrana (meaning 'navy and maroon' in Catalan) was one of the factors that caught my interest (laughs).

Q: This is also a club where Takefusa KUBO once played. Do you feel any connection to that?
A: Barcelona acquired Takefusa KUBO when he was 10 years old, and I was the one who made that decision as the academy director at the time. I think it's a beautiful story that I came to the club that Kubo joined after Barcelona. However, it's unfortunate that he didn't return to Barcelona (laughs).

Q, I have been watching the matches during your time in Niigata, but once again, what kind of football do you aim to play at FC Tokyo?
A, Thank you for watching the matches. The Barcelona team I once worked with emphasized positional play, continuously seeking to understand what to do with the ball in both attack and defense. I believe the style expressed by Barcelona matches the strengths and characteristics of Japanese players. There are many intelligent players in Japan. I have the impression that many players understand well why certain plays are required and why certain phenomena occur. Compared to the world's strong nations, they may be physically inferior, but on the other hand, their level of technique is very high. They also possess speed. With their dedicated nature, they are also good at pressing and winning the ball back.

Q, it's exactly what is required for the style of Barça, isn't it?
A, I have always thought, why don't Japanese people pursue a play style like Barça's? I think we were able to prove that Barça's style suits Japanese people in Niigata. Even though most players had never experienced it before, they were able to express it quite well in the second year. What's even more important is that the fans and supporters liked this playing style. Many spectators came to the stadium. There is nothing more wonderful than being able to express the soccer we expressed in Niigata in Tokyo, the capital of Japan.

Q, Soccer in the Niigata era seemed to be designed with both attack and defense in mind. It was also characteristic that the shape changed significantly when building blocks in defense and building up in attack.
A, In both attack and defense, everyone must play as one block. In my country, we express this as "travel together with everyone." Possession of the ball is important, but what we emphasized even more was the position of the players. By combining position and possession, we can achieve better attacks. In soccer, there are two main ways to defend. One is to defend the space, and the other is to defend by holding the ball. As Johan Cruyff said, as long as we have possession of the ball, the opponent cannot attack.

Q, in other words, having the ball equals good defense, right?
A, that's right. By each individual taking good positioning, we can create better possession and create more chances. In attack, if we can take good positions, we can recover the ball in a good way when it's taken away. That's the positioning I seek. And in defense, we must sweat and run for the team. I won't let players who can't do that play. If there's a player who thinks they're such a wonderful player that they don't need to run, I'll give that player Guardiola's phone number (laughs).

Q, I recommend going to Manchester City (laughs).
A, However, in reality, there is only one player in the world who doesn't need to run, Lionel Messi. In other words, in Tokyo, everyone must run. Plus, even if the opponent presses high, I want them to pass the ball firmly without fear. In Niigata, in the first year, I cleared the ball one after another. In the second year, I started to keep the ball instead of clearing it and connect passes to my teammates. I hope the Tokyo players can change in a shorter period of time.

Q, Did you watch some of Tokyo's games in the 2021 season? Are there any players you are looking forward to or find interesting for the 2022 season?
A, I watched many of Tokyo's games, but unless I see the players with my own eyes, I won't know. First, I want to see the players with a blank slate. I want to have meetings and clear communication with the players. I prefer to talk to players individually. If there is something they don't understand, I want them to come and ask, and I also want to give advice. I am the type to express things directly without beating around the bush, so sometimes it may be harsh to hear. Regardless of whether they are young or veterans, I want to convey what I think to the players.

Q, Niigata had a great season in 2021, but they stumbled a bit towards the end. What do you think was the cause of that? Tokyo also had a great season in 2019 but stumbled and missed the title. Are there any lessons that can be applied in Tokyo as well?
A, I don't know what happened in Tokyo, but I can explain what happened in Niigata. In over 90% of the matches in the 2021 season, we had more chances and shots than our opponents, but the lack of finishing ability caused us to drop points continuously, which I believe was the main cause of our stumble. Niigata was clearly more attacking than any other team, but it's difficult to explain why a team like that had so many draws. There were even games where the shot count was 20 to 3, yet the score was 1-1.

Q, When you look at rival teams, players like Peter UTAKA (Kyoto Sanga F.C.) and Lukian (Júbilo Iwata) have shown their scoring ability, haven't they?
A, I think they have brought points to their teams. If we can score the first goal, the opponent also has to score, and it becomes easier for us to score additional goals. For example, in the game where we beat Tokyo Verdy 7-0 at home, that was the case. However, perhaps influenced by the impact of that game, many teams have started to tighten their defense afterwards.

Q, Tokyo has a great lineup of strikers.
A, They need to prove once again that they have high scoring ability. This is because the 2022 season will require them to demonstrate their scoring ability in tight spaces. Counterattacks usually have space to shoot, but in the 2022 season, there will be more games where we push the opponent. In that case, the space in front of the opponent's goal will become narrower. Can they still score? Of course, I have high expectations for them. I also have expectations for young players. Japanese players tend to be concerned about age, but I don't hesitate to use young players. I respect veterans, but what is important on the pitch is not age but performance. It doesn't matter if they are 35 years old or 15 years old.

Q, Takefusa KUBO also played on the J1 pitch at the age of 16.
A, There are many talented young players in Japan, so I also want to pay attention to academy players. If there are good players, I want to challenge them in the top team. On the other hand, foreign players must bring something to the team that Japanese players cannot. That applies to me as well. If I can only provide what Japanese coaches can provide, then I don't need to lead the team. Also, I think the coach who succeeds me should be a Japanese coach.

Q: So, you are saying that you will build a solid foundation.
A: I will leave this club, this city, and this country sooner or later. My mission is to nurture FC Tokyo, a club for the people of Tokyo. I was surprised that everyone in Japan says, 'We aim for the championship.' I do not say such things. I hate losing more than anyone and am obsessed with winning, but what I can promise is to instill a clear playing style, equip the team with the strength to always be in contention for the championship, and help the club grow. I will focus on players from the academy, reinforce with high-quality foreign players, and continuously grow while bringing in players suitable for my playing style. FC Tokyo is still not at the top level in terms of management scale in J1. The current professional football world is not an easy place where clubs that cannot compete at the top level in management scale can aim for the championship. However, if the team and the entire club continue to grow, it can also promote the growth of management scale.

Q: In addition to developing the current players, if the club gains economic strength, it will be able to establish a more solid foundation.
A: That is a time-consuming process, and we must proceed with patience. I hope the fans and supporters will support us with a long-term perspective. I want you to closely observe what kind of play the team is aiming for and how they are expressing that play. If we continue to express play that makes you feel proud, the number of fans and supporters in the stadium should increase. The more fans and supporters we have, the more we can attract sponsors.

Q, if the number of sponsors increases, the income will increase, and it will be possible to reinforce the team with higher quality players.
A, for example, Kawasaki Frontale is always involved in the championship race because they have a clear playing style. I also want to build the foundation of this club over the next 2-3 years. Based on that foundation, I want to grow the club into one that can compete for the title every year. For that, not only the players and the team, but also every aspect of the club needs to become professional. I think it is also my role to promote that. It's not just about the playing style expressed on the pitch, the entire club needs to grow. Being a wonderful person and being a wonderful professional are required.

Q, Finally, please give a message to the fans and supporters in Tokyo.
A, I believe that Japanese people have a national character of respecting each other. I am also a person who values respect. Let's cooperate and fight together. If I make a mistake, I will apologize, but I will not apologize for losing a game. Even if I give my all, there are times when I can't win a game. That is not a failure. Success in any project requires time and patience. In that process, I want to continue fighting so that everyone can unite. I look forward to the day when I can meet all of you!

text by Atsushi Iio