On July 5th, at the "REDS START DAY 2026/27" held at Saitama Stadium, a press conference was held to announce the appointment of manager Cho Kwi-jae.

Coach Cho and Sports Director Satoshi Horinouchi attended the press conference and answered questions from the media.

[Satoshi Horinouchi SD]

"Hello everyone. Thank you very much for gathering here today for the press conference announcing the appointment of our new manager. I am Horinouchi, the Sports Director, and I will be in charge of the top team again this season. I look forward to working with you all."

First, I would like to explain the reasons for selecting Manager Cho Kwi-jae. The biggest reason for choosing Manager Cho Kwi-jae is that I strongly felt that his passion and energy are what Urawa Reds need right now. And in terms of football, I highly valued his speed and drive in the vertical, especially his speed after winning the ball back, his high intensity, and his aggressive attitude in both attack and defense for 90 minutes, which is why I selected Manager Cho Kwi-jae."

[Director: Cho]

"Hello, everyone. I imagine there are many of you here who are meeting me for the first time. I’m Cho, and I’ll be serving as head coach starting this season.

As a player—it’s been 31 years now, hasn’t it?—Urawa Reds—though Saitama Stadium hadn’t been built yet back then. There’s no doubt that even back then, this was a team supported by a tremendous number of fans and supporters. As SD Horinouchi just mentioned, I will, of course, give it my all, and I want to create a team that fans and supporters will want to cheer on—and—to put it somewhat abstractly—I want to build a team worthy of fighting alongside them. I also intend to build relationships of trust with the current staff and players, and I’m determined to deliver results that will keep us moving forward.”

[Q&A]
(I’d like to ask SD Horinouchi: Between the news reports in mid-May and the appointment of Head Coach Cho Ki-jae, why were you unable to announce the reasons for his selection?)
Horiuchi, SD
“Since there were contractual considerations involved, we carefully deliberated within the club to determine the appropriate timing to share this information with everyone.”

(A question for Coach Cho. Among the reasons for your selection mentioned by General Manager Horinouchi were various qualities such as driving force and speed after winning the ball; however, on the other hand, the number of fouls and cautions, as well as the short actual playing time, have been a concern since your time at Kyoto Sanga F.C..As the head coach, were those fouls necessary? Also, how did you assess the fouls in terms of the specific situations and locations?)
Coach Cho
“I was aware of those statistics myself, and since fair play is a given in soccer, I certainly don’t think those numbers are a good thing in and of themselves. However, intense fair play—or rather, that sort of thing—is commonplace even in the World Cup we’re watching right now, so I believe it’s important to help the players understand that line and work within it.

Reducing fouls and increasing actual playing time are by no means absolute requirements for victory, so I want to communicate our balance in this area appropriately while taking into account the characteristics of our current players.

Of course, injuring opponents—as well as blindly stalling for time—is no longer permitted under the current rules in some cases, so I believe this is one area where we need to prepare ourselves in anticipation of the new rules.”

(Question for Coach Cho: What strengths of this season’s team do you plan to leverage, and what kind of team do you aim to build?)
Coach Cho
“We started practice on July 3, and today is the third day. It goes without saying, but as I coach them, I’m reminded once again that the players are doing this job because they love soccer. They’re on this team because they love it, and they want to win because they love it—I believe we must respect that fundamental premise.

If my current soccer philosophy and approach were based solely on my own unique ideas, I don’t think we’d be able to beat Trial, nor would I be able to foster the players’ growth.I’m personally convinced that the elements SD Horinouchi mentioned are absolutely essential for winning, so I want to use this training camp to build chemistry and see how we can add our own flair to them and how they’ll evolve depending on each player.

That said, I get the impression that the players are playing with a very positive attitude, so I think the key is how I can build on that for the next step.”

(I’d like to ask SD Horinouchi. Last month, Makoto Taguchi former national team manager issued a press release regarding Coach Cho’s appointment. Broadly speaking, while it touched on Coach Cho’s past, I felt a significant portion of the text was devoted to explaining why there’s no cause for concern even with Coach Cho at the helm.On the other hand, the explanation of why Coach Cho was the only suitable candidate felt somewhat lacking in comparison. Could you elaborate a bit more and explain why Coach Cho is an irreplaceable figure for Urawa Reds?)
Horiuchi, Sporting Director
“He originally played for Urawa Reds, and we’ve had repeated conversations with Coach Cho Ki-jae leading up to this point—conversations about not only inspiring this Urawa Reds team but also the city of Urawa itself. We want to convey passion and intensity through our soccer and paint the city of Urawa red.I felt that the current Urawa Reds needed that kind of strength of conviction and passion more than ever.

In terms of soccer, I personally felt that in order to build upon and further develop what Urawa Reds has achieved so far, we still lacked forward momentum and speed in the attacking third.When considering who would be the best person to help us build on those aspects—and of course, there were several coaching candidates—I became strongly convinced that Coach Cho Ki-jae was the best choice, the very best.”

(I’d like to ask Coach Cho. You’ve emphasized speed throughout our discussion so far, and during today’s practice, you mentioned, “No more than one back pass.” While I understand the importance of playing with that sense of speed and the unique strengths of the current players,will you have the players adapt to your vision, or will you strike a balance with their natural strengths—and is it acceptable for something different from what was done at Shonan Bellmare or Kyoto Sanga F.C. to emerge at Urawa Reds? Which approach takes higher priority Pos?)
Coach Cho
“Speaking of priorities Pos, it’s still quite difficult to say since not much time has passed, but what immediately comes to mind is that Jürgen Klopp also started with 1.He started his coaching career at FSV Mainz 05, moved to Borussia Dortmund, and ended his coaching career at Liverpool FC, but I think he’s a manager who consistently delivered results by adapting to the players he had at each stage.Of course, as far as I know, his style changed quite a bit from Mainz to Dortmund to Liverpool—and naturally, that’s something that has to change depending on the players available—but I personally feel that he consistently demonstrated his fundamental philosophy of “this is what soccer is all about” with every team he managed.

I think the answer to your question is that there’s a mix of elements: those that must remain unchanged at the core, and those that must be adapted based on the available players and the opponent’s formation.Naturally, I believe it’s difficult to win in today’s soccer or against Trial without adopting a hybrid approach. It’s no good to stick to just one style of attack and do nothing on defense—and of course, the reverse is also no good. So, I believe this is something I need to build up gradually by consulting with my staff and talking with the players.

“So, at this point, regarding whether we should adjust based on the players’ strengths—or whether we need to adjust at all—I feel I need to carefully sort out, through my daily interactions with them, what needs to be changed and what doesn’t. Or rather, I feel we must be careful not to stifle the ideas the players already have.”

(Question for Coach Cho: Looking at it objectively from the outside, what do you see as the strengths and areas for growth of Urawa Reds, and what points do you feel need improvement?)
Coach Cho
“I think that’s a very sharp and difficult question. I was in Kyoto until the very end, but even if I were to look at the opposing team and imagine what changes need to be made, that wouldn’t necessarily be the right answer, so I don’t think it would be fair to say that.

No one can predict what the future holds for the players currently on the Urawa Reds roster, but based on what I’ve seen over these past three days, I believe there is definitely room for growth in their physicality, mentality, tactical awareness, and technical skills. It might sound a bit abstract, but I’m confident that if they fully realize their potential, our fans will share that same enthusiasm and cheer them on.It’s not my job to evaluate what has changed compared to last season—that’s entirely up to the viewers—but I do believe that if there are any obstacles holding back the current players’ growth, removing those obstacles would allow their true potential to shine even brighter.

For example, if our defensive line is currently positioned at 35 meters, I don’t think the players would be averse to making the effort to move it back to 30 or 25 meters. By drawing that out of them—and then building on it by boosting their confidence and giving them more positive experiences from those efforts—I believe they’ll develop a whole new dimension to their game.I’m grateful when SD Horinouchi talks about passion, but to say that passion alone will make the team better is absolutely not the correct answer. I want to build a team where players deepen their understanding in various ways and aren’t afraid to express it—a team where they feel, “It’s okay to give this our all.”

(What is Coach Cho’s core philosophy in soccer?)
Coach Cho
“I often use the term ‘football’ rather than ‘soccer,’ but I believe that through playing football, people come to love it, and it, in turn, is loved by them.Football isn’t in a world of its own within society today; as society evolves, football evolves alongside it. So, we need to increase the number of people who want to watch our football, and to do that, we must build relationships of trust among the players and between the players and the staff.I want us to be a team that can create a story—or even a movie—and there’s no doubt that this is the kind of team I aim to build.

Of course, there’s the soccer we play, but I’ve always considered that fundamental philosophy to be very important to me.”

(Question for Coach Cho: Although it’s a past issue, there was a case of power harassment, and I’ve heard there are voices of opposition from Urawa Reds supporters regarding your appointment. How do you view the current situation? Also, in what ways do you hope to demonstrate that you’ve changed moving forward?)
Coach Cho
“As for the specific reactions, since I rarely encounter situations where people say anything directly to me, I’m not quite sure how to respond.

What I recognize now is that I have made many mistakes and failures, including that incident, and it is a fact that I have hurt people on those occasions and faced situations where I had to reflect on my actions each time.

However, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to speak here about how I plan to improve, what specific steps I’ll take, or how I’ve changed. Furthermore, although some time has passed, how everyone feels when they see me leading Urawa Reds and the players from now on is not something I can control.How people perceive us depends entirely on our efforts to make the soccer we play—along with the current players—truly compelling, so I want to focus solely on that. As for how I’ve conducted myself in the past and how I aspire to be, I believe that is something everyone will come to feel on their own in due time. That is my understanding regarding the question you just asked.”

(Urawa Reds has set ambitious goals of winning the league title and conquering Asia, but its actual performance has been lackluster. What process do you believe the team must follow to reach the top?)
Coach Cho
“I’m not sure if it’s accurate to say ‘every team,’ but it’s common—or rather, not particularly unusual—for teams to set high goals at the start of the season: promotion to J1 for J2 teams, the championship for J1 teams, or qualifying for the ACL (AFC Champions League). Of course, discussing these goals and working together as a team to achieve them is standard practice.”

What I conveyed to the players is that phrases like ‘winning the championship’ or ‘winning a title’ shouldn’t take on a life of their own. It all comes down to how we spend each day and the accumulation of fulfilling days we create for ourselves.Right now, with 20 teams in the J1 League, a team that’s determined to win the championship doesn’t automatically get 6 points by winning its opening match—it only gains 3 points. So, I believe it’s about making each upcoming Trial a fulfilling one and winning them all; that’s what the 38 Trial are all about. As for what comes after that, I can only imagine it for myself.

However, everyone expects and hopes for that kind of performance from the Urawa Reds team. I believe that such things shouldn’t be left at mere words, so I want to make every effort to get closer to that goal.”

(Question for SD Horinouchi: You said, “I strongly feel that the current team needs passion and intensity.” Does that mean the Trial lacked the fighting spirit and that kind of drive?)
SD Horinouchi
“Rather than saying we ‘lacked’ it, given our current record, I meant it in the sense that these are ‘areas we need to build upon further.’”

(Around when did you put Manager Cho on the list for the next manager, and how many other candidates were there?)
Horiuchi, General Manager
“Just as with players, we constantly maintain a list of potential managers. In that sense, Manager Cho Ki-jae has always been on our list. As for the specific number of candidates, there are actually quite a few on the long list. From there, just as with players, we narrow it down from the long list to the middle list and then to the short list.

Naturally, just as with players, we have to consider the current situation, contractual matters, and timing, so we constantly update our list of head coach candidates after taking all these factors into account.”

(I’d also like to ask Coach Cho: What are your honest thoughts on returning to Urawa Reds, the club where you began your career as a J.League player?)
Coach Cho
“Back when I was playing, our record was really terrible, and I remember receiving some harsh criticism. There were also times when we won in the First Stage, only to have people ask, ‘What’s going on with Urawa Reds?’ Rather than dwelling on the past—‘how things were back then’—the fact is that I am now the head coach of Urawa Reds.

But deep down, I do have a strong desire to get this team—the one I once played for—to a place where everyone can be happy with it, and I shared that feeling with the players right from the start. While there are some players I’ve worked with before, there aren’t that many I’ve directly coached, so we really have to approach this as a fresh start—or rather, with a mindset of starting from scratch.I believe we need to build the team properly so that the words I just spoke don’t end up being just empty talk.”

(Back when Coach Cho was a player for Urawa Reds, I don’t think competing for the championship was a goal—the goal was simply to avoid finishing in last place. Now that the environment surrounding the club and the team has completely changed, are you prepared to lead this team as it aims for the championship while simultaneously building the squad?)
Coach Cho
“I felt the same way when I was with my previous team, Kyoto, even when we finished third in 2025. However, such goals can only come into view by giving our all to win the matches right in front of us at Trial, and I fully understand that Urawa Reds is in the situation you just described.

That’s precisely why it’s absolutely impossible to reach that level by taking a half-hearted approach Trial to the match right in front of us at Trial.Whether it’s the English Premier League or the Bundesliga—especially last season when Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur) nearly got relegated—the fact that Pos fluctuates year after year in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago is both the scary and the exciting part of modern soccer.

“In that context, Urawa Reds—I expect there will be all sorts of challenges this season—but I strongly believe that we need to overcome those hurdles together as a team and aim for greater heights, so I’m determined to make that a reality.”

(Question for Coach Cho: As you build the team, will you head into the season opener by taking into account the achievements and performance records of the current roster, or do you plan to start with a clean slate, letting the players compete so that the best ones can earn a spot on Trial?)
Coach Cho
“Of course, I think the starting positions differ between players with established careers and those making their J.League debut this year. However, my job is to select the roster for the next match without any reservations—not based on my personal feelings, but by setting aside all personal bias as head coach—and then send them out with confidence. I believe that cycle is the essence of my role as head coach.

If we were to label players as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ I don’t think we’d need a head coach at all. I firmly believe that this kind of level playing field is exactly what Urawa Reds needs right now, and I think the players probably feel the same way and are playing with that in mind. I want to continue fostering that environment—in a positive sense—as we prepare for the season opener.”

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]

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