Atsuki Ito shares his enthusiasm for the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2023/24 group stage MD1 Wuhan Sanzhen match, which will be held away from home at the Wuhan Sports Center Stadium on Wednesday, March 20.

Ito was a key player in the team's victory in the previous tournament as well. What kind of enthusiasm will the volleyball team, which is expected to play an active role throughout the tournament, have for the match against Wuhan Sanzhen and the tournament's return to a home-and-away format?

(After returning to Japan from Japan's national team's European tour, you will soon be back in China Trial and traveling, but how are you feeling about your condition?)
I had a little jet lag after returning from Japan's European tour, but it has calmed down. The time difference between Japan and China is one hour, so there is no problem. I feel the usual fatigue from the consecutive games, and I don't feel that tired from the travel.

(I heard that you walked with the team in the morning, but not enough to check your condition?)
) "In the walking, it was hot. It is hot in Wuhan. It feels hotter than Japan. I don't know about the temperature, but the sun is strong. But Trial is at night and I heard it is cool because of the rain."

(Has Ito ever been to China before?)
It is my first time.

(You have only been in Wuhan for a short time. How do you feel about the atmosphere of the city?)
(You have only been in Wuhan for a short time, but how do you feel about the atmosphere of the city? There are many tall buildings from the airport to the hotel, and they are even lit up. The condominiums that can be seen from the hotel are also lit up until night. The entire city is lit up in the same color and in conjunction with each other. For example, various buildings are glowing blue and change to red at the same time. Probably all the tall buildings are glowing. Shopping centers and buildings also have moving images projected by projection mapping. I had heard that Wuhan is a rural area, but it is not like that, it is prosperous."

(Do you find it difficult to sleep because of the lights at night?)
) "It's okay, because it went out after a certain time."

(Do you feel that you are back in the ACL, including such a foreign atmosphere?)
(Do you feel that you have returned to the ACL, including the atmosphere of such a foreign country?

(Ito, as a fan/supporter, you have seen Reds play in the ACL, but what do you imagine the difference between the centralized format and the home-and-away format?)
(Ito: "The last ACL tournament was a concentrated event, so we were able to focus only on the ACL during that period, but now we have the J1 League and the (YBC) Lewan Cup, and the ACL is also included in the schedule. But now we also have the J1 League and the (YBC) Lewan Cup, and the ACL is also included. We have to travel away from home, so I think the way we fight away from home and the way we fight at home will become more important than ever.

(How does Ito feel about such a situation?)
I am looking forward to it. The atmosphere away from home in Japan is different from that at home, but the Reds fans and supporters are wonderful, so I don't feel away from home that much. Trial However, like the final of the last tournament, away is completely away and home is completely at home, and I think that is the ACL. It should be a good experience for me and I am looking forward to it.

(This will be the first time for you to play in a home-and-away format throughout the tournament, but is there anything you feel you will cherish in the away matches of the ACL, based on your experience in the final of the last tournament?)
(What do you feel is important in away matches in the ACL, based on your experience in the final of the last tournament?) "Personally, I think it will be a battle where we need not lose away from home at the very least. I think we need to be smart like that.

(What is important for Ito as an individual player in the fight not to lose?)
(What is important for Ito as an individual player in the fight not to lose? It is important for me to be a solid defensive filter and not lose on the edge of the ball. Even if we are pushed into a corner, one play, such as taking the ball and going on the counter to shoot, can change the flow of the game, so I want to increase such play. I think the competition will be more intense than in the J-League, and this will be the first time I have played against a Chinese team. I believe that I will be able to show my strengths if I control myself in this situation and don't lose in the fight on the edge of the ball and in other areas. I would like to emphasize the importance of showing my strengths in such Trial situations.

(Once again, what kind of tournament is the ACL for Ito?)
It is a stage that I have been longing for, and the ACL is the tournament where I feel Reds' strength the most. Having seen that stage, I had always wanted to play there, and I was able to win the tournament I had always wanted to play in. However, the last tournament was held in a centralized location due to the Corona disaster, so I think the ACL, which is a home-and-away tournament, will allow us to grow in two ways. I think the fans and supporters will be excited, and the ACL is a very big tournament for me.

(Last time you won the ACL, which you had longed for, for the first time, and you wondered what would happen to your motivation, etc., but do you feel as if you have new motivation now that the format of the tournament has returned?)
I think the return to a home-and-away format is a big deal. The group stage of the last tournament was never tough, and it felt like the real competition started in the knockout stage. We were able to play in the knockout stage at Saitama Stadium, which was a big advantage for us. This year's ACL tournament is like the one I used to watch, with no restrictions, so our motivation is very high. I would like to be the champion in the East and play against the superstars of Saudi Arabia, and in East Asia, I think the Chinese will come with a full team, unlike the last tournament where the players were mainly young, and there is also a strong team in Korea. Including these factors, I think we will have very good motivation going into the Asian tournament.

(When I was watching, he said, "The ACL is the tournament where I feel Reds' strength the most,
Is there a strength as Reds that you can feel because of the home-and-away format?)
I think we will be able to show our strength at home more clearly than we do in the J-League. I think the atmosphere of Saitama Stadium is so great that not only Japanese teams but all Asian teams know how scary Reds' home game is, and they feel so. I think home-and-away battles also tend to bring out the strength of Reds, and I think home-and-away has a good influence on me. I think I can enjoy the away atmosphere away from home, and at home I can show fun Trial while receiving a solid support from the fans and supporters."

(I know I am repeating myself, but does the confidence you have at home make the fight not to lose away from home more important?)
(Again, because of your confidence at home, will it be important to fight not to lose away from home? I think it is okay to have that kind of mentality when playing away from home. If Trial can do it with the mentality of "it's good to win at home," I think it will go in a good direction. I think it is also an advantage to be able to Trial with that mentality. However, the Wuhan Sanzhen game is the first game, so it will be an important one regardless of whether it is home or away. We want to make a good start."

(Have you heard from anyone who has experienced an away fight in the ACL?)
I have asked Koroki (Shinzo) and Shusaku (Shusaku) Nishikawa, and I have asked Nishigaki-san (trainer Terumitsu Nishigaki) to maintain my body, and I have heard many stories, but I have also heard stories about being baptized by the away team.

(You won't know what away baptism is until you actually undergo it, but how do you think you would feel if you underwent it?)
(You would have to actually try an away baptism to know how you would feel about it. I think I can tell it as an episode. However, I have heard that they started construction in the middle of the night at the hotel and that there were many things that happened on the bus, and I think I would feel bad if I actually took it, but the more I hear about it, the more I think it is also an ACL. Even now I don't know if I will make it to Trial without problems, and I know anything can happen, so I will keep that in mind as I head to Trial."

(I think the fans/supporters sent you off with a great atmosphere after not winning the Kyoto Sanga F.C. match on the 15th Trial that you wanted to win, but what did you actually feel when you were there?)
It was an atmosphere I did not expect. I was disappointed that we ended up with a draw in our bid to win the J1 League championship, and I was going around the stadium thinking it was inevitable that the fans/supporters would boo us, but when we approached the north goal back, the cheering started. I felt that the Asian stage was a very big thing for the fans and supporters, and I was encouraged and encouraged. I felt that there was no time to look down, and I was happy to see that atmosphere. If we can go home with a good result in the first ACL game, we will be able to fight again soon in a good condition, both in terms of the excitement of the fans and supporters and our mentality. I believe that if we return home with a good result in our first match of the ACL, we will be able to return to the J1 League soon in a good condition, including the excitement of our fans and supporters and our mentality. In the first game in China, it is not good to take too many risks by going for the win, but I think it would be ideal if we can fight a good fight and get the result.

(Based on your recent successes, including with the Japanese national team, don't you feel that you want to make a difference in the ACL?)
I am looking forward to the ACL competition, and I think it is a tournament that is easily evaluated. The Japanese national team has often talked about the ACL finals, and I think that Asian competitions will be evaluated. I hope to bring out the best in myself.

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)