NEWS
Thiago Santana, Samuel Gustafson, Ola Solbakken join press conference
On the 15th, a press conference was held for Thiago Santana, Samuel Gustafson, and Ola Solbakken, with the three players and technical director Tsutomu Nishino in attendance, answering questions from the media, fans, and supporters.
[Tsutomu Nishino TD]
``Hello, everyone. I'm Nishino, the technical director. In preparing for this season, one of the major themes was increasing our offensive power. Also, (pair) The term ``Urawa Standard'' is often used.In order to be a club and team that continues to compete in the world, we must raise the ``Urawa Standard,'' daily practice, the quality of each staff member's work, and We would like to firmly raise the ``Urawa Standard'' based on the daily attitude of our players and aim for this season's league championship and next season's (FIFA) Club World Cup.The 3 things we will introduce today I believe that the name is a force that we can introduce to everyone in the sense of increasing our offensive power and raising the ``Urawa Standard'' to the world level.Today, we will hear various words from these three people, and we will also introduce new I hope it will raise your expectations for the season.”
[Thiago Santana]
"Nice to meet you. My name is Thiago Santana I joined from Shimizu S-Pulse. I'm very happy to be able to come to this big club. I'm going to do my best from now on and bring joy to everyone."
[Samuel Gustafson]
``Hello. I'm Samuel Gustafson, 29 years old, from Sweden. I'm very happy to be here at this club. I'm looking forward to this adventure with the Reds, and I want to do my best to help the team while also growing.'' I think so. Let’s all seize growth together.”
[Ola Solbakken]
"Hello, my name is Ola Solbakken. I'm 25 years old and I'm from Norway. I'm a winger. It's a great honor to be here at this club. I'm very excited and looking forward to the start of the league. This great team welcomes me. I am very grateful that they accepted me.”
[Q&A with media]
(I have a question for TD Nishino. Solbakken is on loan for six months, and I think there is a difference in the season system with Europe, but we don't have much time, so what is the club's plan for the future? What are your thoughts and plans?)
``We are very happy and honored that Urawa Reds has come to play for even just six months this time.As the club has not yet decided on what will happen next, it will naturally be a long-term commitment for the club.'' We would like to do our best to create an environment where people can play for the Reds.And in order to do that, we will also need the help of the fans and supporters who cheer us on, so we believe that this team is I hope I can do something that will make people want to play more."
(I have a question for Solbakken. I think it was an unusual transfer, but how did you wait and how did you feel until the transfer was decided, which you couldn't decide on your own?)
"No one knows what the future holds. No one can read it. Therefore, it is difficult to tell anything right now. The most important thing is that I will do my best and contribute to the Reds club. Enjoying soccer and helping the team. The results will come naturally."
(A question to each of the three players. It's been a while since you joined the team, but what do you feel is the Reds' strong point?)
Gustafson
``First of all, I think we have a great group of players, many with experience and specialists.There are also many young players who are still hungry, and I get the impression that it's a mix of that.It's a very high-level team. I think so.The same goes for the fact that we are constantly encouraging each other's growth.The defense is already solid, hard and compact for the opponent.As Nishino-san said earlier, we need to grow our offense properly. I think we'll become an even stronger team if we do. That's my first impression."
Solbakken
``My impressions are mostly similar to what Samuel conveyed, but what surprised me the most was his technique, agility, and speed on his feet.Overall, his technique when holding the ball was high, and as Samuel said, I think that's a high level. That's what impressed me the most."
Santana
``Similar to what Samuel said, each individual has high quality and everyone is playing with high intensity in practice, so I think we will have a very strong team.I have only been with the Reds for about three weeks. It's been a while, but everyone has welcomed me so warmly, and it feels like I've been here for a season instead of three weeks.The Reds are a huge club and everyone is training hard every day to achieve success. I'm working hard, so I want to aim to win the J1 League, and I want to help the players and staff.In particular, the managers and coaches are from overseas, so they probably don't know what kind of league the J1 League is yet. I hope I can help. I want to do my best to show my heart and grow in practice every day so that Urawa can win the J1 League."
(I think these three players will play a very important role in helping the Reds win the championship, but specifically how do you imagine they would like to contribute through their plays?)
Santana
``First of all, I want to grow through daily practice.I want to cherish each day and grow both defensively and offensively.I believe that if I work hard in daily practice, I will definitely be able to achieve good results.'' I think the J1 League is a very high-level league, so I want to play each game as if it were the final.''
Gustafson
``First of all, I think it's important to practice hard, one day at a time, and to grow while helping each other.If we do that, I think the team will naturally become stronger.'' .In terms of tactics, I have experience playing under coach (Matthias), so I hope I can be a good tool to speed up the process of instilling in the players.It's my first year. I think there are many things we need to do carefully.”
Solbakken
``First of all, I want everyone to fight together to win the title.I want to adapt to the team as quickly as possible, and personally I want to score as many goals as possible, and as a team, I want to concede as few goals as possible.If everyone works hard every day, The results will come.”
(Please tell us why you chose each jersey number and what you think about that number.)
Santana
“As for the uniform number, it is a very important number to me.The reason is that the 12th is the day my wife and I started dating.For that reason, I chose the number 12.I played well with this number and scored many goals. I want to do my best to win the championship for my team.”
Gustafson
``The number my brother wore when he was at BK Hecken was number 11. Since I started wearing it, I've achieved pretty good results, winning the league and cup matches. I want to keep that trend going. , I chose number 11. I want to have the same success with the Reds."
Solbakken
``Personally, I have played without worrying about uniform numbers until now.The first uniform I received when I was little was number 9.So, I love number 9, but it has to be number 9.'' I’m not particularly concerned about that.”
(I have a question for Gustafsson and Solbakken. Are there any players who have played in Japan that you have a connection with?)
Gustafson
“I had contact with (David) Moberg before, and when I came to the Reds, I heard some pretty positive things about the club and the country. When asked who he is, he says Moberg.”
Solbakken
“I was a teammate of Kasper (Junker) when he was at FK Bode/Glimt, so I had been talking to him even before he moved to the Reds.I was also a teammate of Marius (Heubraten), so the two of us talked about Japan. I've listened to them quite a bit.Since both of them are close to each other, I was able to get information from Kasper in advance.Casper in particular taught me a lot of good things about Japan.''
(I have a question for TD Nishino. I think that winning the AFC Champions League and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup played a huge role in acquiring players Solbakken and Gustafsson. I think I was able to convey the persuasive power of seriously fighting against the world. How much influence do you feel it had on the actual negotiations?)
``I think it's best to ask the players themselves how much of an impact they had.'' We talked about how we want the team to grow in the medium term, and when we asked the players to come, we thought, ``This is how we want the team to grow together with the team.'' The Club World Cup is a huge tournament, so we appeal to everyone in common to say things like, ``There's a tournament like that coming up next year, so let's take on the challenge together.'' That really stuck with me. I think so, but please let me know what you think later.”
[Q&A with fans and supporters]
(A question to all players. What do you want your fans and supporters to call you?)
Santana
“Thiago Santana, Santana, I would be happy if you could call me whatever you like. Everyone has welcomed me warmly since I joined the team, so please call me whatever you like. I want to achieve results, so I look forward to working with you.”
Gustafson
``Whether you call me by my first name or my last name, I hope you can call me whatever you like. (Matsushita, the interpreter) Igor calls me ``Gusta,'' and I think it's quite short and easy to call. Now I want to do my best to perform in front of everyone.”
Solbakken
``I'd like everyone to call me Ola, or Solbakken, their last name or their first name, whatever they like.Especially in Norway, people sometimes call me 'Sol,' so I'd appreciate it if you could choose from those three. I think"
(Question for all players: Have you eaten Japanese food? Do you have a favorite?)
Santana
“My family and I love yakiniku.”
Gustafson
"I've only been in Japan for a short time, but I've eaten a lot of things. Everything is of high quality, and I think Japanese food is fantastic. I think it's fresh and delicious. I want to continue to enjoy it."
Solbakken
``Everything I've ever eaten was delicious.In particular, I went to a yakitori restaurant the other day, and the yakitori was extremely delicious.''
(Question for Santana: Have you decided on the performance for the first goal?)
"I haven't decided yet. All I can say is that I've always wanted to play for the Reds, and I think I'll be so happy if I score my first goal that I don't know what to do. I don't know what will happen yet."
(I have a question for Gustafsson. Please tell me if there is a side of Coach Mattias that we don't know about.)
"On the surface, I have an image of being calm. I think this is something that many Scandinavians have, but on the inside I think they are very passionate and emotional people, so please don't be fooled."
(I have a question for Solbakken. I have been rooting for Solbakken since before he joined the Reds. I am very happy that such a player has joined the Reds. I hope that Solbakken will achieve what he wants to achieve in Urawa. Please let me know. I will continue to support you.)
"Thank you. As I said earlier, I have a strong desire to improve my fitness and play, and then win the title. There is still little information about our opponent, but we are a strong team. I think so. I want to go and grab the title.”
(This is a question for all players. Are there any Japanese players you have become friends with since joining Urawa Reds? If there are any players in particular you would like to talk to, please let us know.)
Santana
``I had played against most of the players before I joined, and I had spoken with Nishikawa (Shusaku) and Hiroki Sakai. They were both very happy when I joined. I often talk to those two, but I also talk to all the players. I get along well with everyone, and the team atmosphere is very upbeat, and it's easy to communicate with everyone. I hope we can continue to do well in this atmosphere. I am confident that we will be able to achieve our goals.I get along well with everyone.”
Gustafson
``First of all, I thought it was a team that welcomed me warmly, and as Ola said, it was a team that was really easy to fit into.I felt safe.As Thiago also said, the experienced players made us feel like we were on both sides.'' I think this is a team that gives off an atmosphere that says, ``There's no problem.'' There are many specialists, and all of them take the lead.In particular, Ken Iwao uses Japanese words such as ``Thank you for your hard work.'' He teaches me every day. He is my guide.”
Solbakken
``As I've said many times, I think it's a really easy team to join.I think the group is united and warm-hearted.I think there's also the Japanese culture in particular, but it's important to be yourself. I feel like there's no resistance to anything.The experienced players talk to me, and I think it's an environment where everyone is communicating well, not just one person.Therefore, I feel like I can interact with anyone. I have the impression that he is easy to talk to.If I had to choose one person, I think it would be Ugajin (Tomoya).''
(This is a question for all the players. Our fans and supporters are also getting more excited as the season begins. Please give a passionate message to the fans and supporters of Urawa Reds.)
Please give a passionate message to your fans and supporters."
Santana
“We ask for your continued support. The Reds supporters are very passionate, and I think he is truly the 12th player in the team. We have really big goals for this year, and our biggest goal is to become the J1 League champion.” This is our goal.The league is long, so there will be good times and bad times.If our supporters fight together even in bad times, we will become stronger as a team and I think we will get closer to our goal.Everyone is working together as one. Let's do our best for the J1 League title. Thank you for your support."
Gustafson
``First of all, I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the stadium.Of course, I'll be waiting for you at the training ground as well.I'm happy to be joining such an interesting team.I hope we can work together with the fans and supporters to create a good team.'' I would like to go and find success. Thank you in advance.”
Solbakken
"We need everyone's support. I've heard that the Reds are the best team. To everyone who has come to Okinawa and to Ohara so far, thank you for your amazing support. From now on, we will meet at the stadium. Let's all fight together and aim for the championship, whether it's home or away."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
Click here for the press conference
[Tsutomu Nishino TD]
``Hello, everyone. I'm Nishino, the technical director. In preparing for this season, one of the major themes was increasing our offensive power. Also, (pair) The term ``Urawa Standard'' is often used.In order to be a club and team that continues to compete in the world, we must raise the ``Urawa Standard,'' daily practice, the quality of each staff member's work, and We would like to firmly raise the ``Urawa Standard'' based on the daily attitude of our players and aim for this season's league championship and next season's (FIFA) Club World Cup.The 3 things we will introduce today I believe that the name is a force that we can introduce to everyone in the sense of increasing our offensive power and raising the ``Urawa Standard'' to the world level.Today, we will hear various words from these three people, and we will also introduce new I hope it will raise your expectations for the season.”
[Thiago Santana]
"Nice to meet you. My name is Thiago Santana I joined from Shimizu S-Pulse. I'm very happy to be able to come to this big club. I'm going to do my best from now on and bring joy to everyone."
[Samuel Gustafson]
``Hello. I'm Samuel Gustafson, 29 years old, from Sweden. I'm very happy to be here at this club. I'm looking forward to this adventure with the Reds, and I want to do my best to help the team while also growing.'' I think so. Let’s all seize growth together.”
[Ola Solbakken]
"Hello, my name is Ola Solbakken. I'm 25 years old and I'm from Norway. I'm a winger. It's a great honor to be here at this club. I'm very excited and looking forward to the start of the league. This great team welcomes me. I am very grateful that they accepted me.”
[Q&A with media]
(I have a question for TD Nishino. Solbakken is on loan for six months, and I think there is a difference in the season system with Europe, but we don't have much time, so what is the club's plan for the future? What are your thoughts and plans?)
``We are very happy and honored that Urawa Reds has come to play for even just six months this time.As the club has not yet decided on what will happen next, it will naturally be a long-term commitment for the club.'' We would like to do our best to create an environment where people can play for the Reds.And in order to do that, we will also need the help of the fans and supporters who cheer us on, so we believe that this team is I hope I can do something that will make people want to play more."
(I have a question for Solbakken. I think it was an unusual transfer, but how did you wait and how did you feel until the transfer was decided, which you couldn't decide on your own?)
"No one knows what the future holds. No one can read it. Therefore, it is difficult to tell anything right now. The most important thing is that I will do my best and contribute to the Reds club. Enjoying soccer and helping the team. The results will come naturally."
(A question to each of the three players. It's been a while since you joined the team, but what do you feel is the Reds' strong point?)
Gustafson
``First of all, I think we have a great group of players, many with experience and specialists.There are also many young players who are still hungry, and I get the impression that it's a mix of that.It's a very high-level team. I think so.The same goes for the fact that we are constantly encouraging each other's growth.The defense is already solid, hard and compact for the opponent.As Nishino-san said earlier, we need to grow our offense properly. I think we'll become an even stronger team if we do. That's my first impression."
Solbakken
``My impressions are mostly similar to what Samuel conveyed, but what surprised me the most was his technique, agility, and speed on his feet.Overall, his technique when holding the ball was high, and as Samuel said, I think that's a high level. That's what impressed me the most."
Santana
``Similar to what Samuel said, each individual has high quality and everyone is playing with high intensity in practice, so I think we will have a very strong team.I have only been with the Reds for about three weeks. It's been a while, but everyone has welcomed me so warmly, and it feels like I've been here for a season instead of three weeks.The Reds are a huge club and everyone is training hard every day to achieve success. I'm working hard, so I want to aim to win the J1 League, and I want to help the players and staff.In particular, the managers and coaches are from overseas, so they probably don't know what kind of league the J1 League is yet. I hope I can help. I want to do my best to show my heart and grow in practice every day so that Urawa can win the J1 League."
(I think these three players will play a very important role in helping the Reds win the championship, but specifically how do you imagine they would like to contribute through their plays?)
Santana
``First of all, I want to grow through daily practice.I want to cherish each day and grow both defensively and offensively.I believe that if I work hard in daily practice, I will definitely be able to achieve good results.'' I think the J1 League is a very high-level league, so I want to play each game as if it were the final.''
Gustafson
``First of all, I think it's important to practice hard, one day at a time, and to grow while helping each other.If we do that, I think the team will naturally become stronger.'' .In terms of tactics, I have experience playing under coach (Matthias), so I hope I can be a good tool to speed up the process of instilling in the players.It's my first year. I think there are many things we need to do carefully.”
Solbakken
``First of all, I want everyone to fight together to win the title.I want to adapt to the team as quickly as possible, and personally I want to score as many goals as possible, and as a team, I want to concede as few goals as possible.If everyone works hard every day, The results will come.”
(Please tell us why you chose each jersey number and what you think about that number.)
Santana
“As for the uniform number, it is a very important number to me.The reason is that the 12th is the day my wife and I started dating.For that reason, I chose the number 12.I played well with this number and scored many goals. I want to do my best to win the championship for my team.”
Gustafson
``The number my brother wore when he was at BK Hecken was number 11. Since I started wearing it, I've achieved pretty good results, winning the league and cup matches. I want to keep that trend going. , I chose number 11. I want to have the same success with the Reds."
Solbakken
``Personally, I have played without worrying about uniform numbers until now.The first uniform I received when I was little was number 9.So, I love number 9, but it has to be number 9.'' I’m not particularly concerned about that.”
(I have a question for Gustafsson and Solbakken. Are there any players who have played in Japan that you have a connection with?)
Gustafson
“I had contact with (David) Moberg before, and when I came to the Reds, I heard some pretty positive things about the club and the country. When asked who he is, he says Moberg.”
Solbakken
“I was a teammate of Kasper (Junker) when he was at FK Bode/Glimt, so I had been talking to him even before he moved to the Reds.I was also a teammate of Marius (Heubraten), so the two of us talked about Japan. I've listened to them quite a bit.Since both of them are close to each other, I was able to get information from Kasper in advance.Casper in particular taught me a lot of good things about Japan.''
(I have a question for TD Nishino. I think that winning the AFC Champions League and participating in the FIFA Club World Cup played a huge role in acquiring players Solbakken and Gustafsson. I think I was able to convey the persuasive power of seriously fighting against the world. How much influence do you feel it had on the actual negotiations?)
``I think it's best to ask the players themselves how much of an impact they had.'' We talked about how we want the team to grow in the medium term, and when we asked the players to come, we thought, ``This is how we want the team to grow together with the team.'' The Club World Cup is a huge tournament, so we appeal to everyone in common to say things like, ``There's a tournament like that coming up next year, so let's take on the challenge together.'' That really stuck with me. I think so, but please let me know what you think later.”
[Q&A with fans and supporters]
(A question to all players. What do you want your fans and supporters to call you?)
Santana
“Thiago Santana, Santana, I would be happy if you could call me whatever you like. Everyone has welcomed me warmly since I joined the team, so please call me whatever you like. I want to achieve results, so I look forward to working with you.”
Gustafson
``Whether you call me by my first name or my last name, I hope you can call me whatever you like. (Matsushita, the interpreter) Igor calls me ``Gusta,'' and I think it's quite short and easy to call. Now I want to do my best to perform in front of everyone.”
Solbakken
``I'd like everyone to call me Ola, or Solbakken, their last name or their first name, whatever they like.Especially in Norway, people sometimes call me 'Sol,' so I'd appreciate it if you could choose from those three. I think"
(Question for all players: Have you eaten Japanese food? Do you have a favorite?)
Santana
“My family and I love yakiniku.”
Gustafson
"I've only been in Japan for a short time, but I've eaten a lot of things. Everything is of high quality, and I think Japanese food is fantastic. I think it's fresh and delicious. I want to continue to enjoy it."
Solbakken
``Everything I've ever eaten was delicious.In particular, I went to a yakitori restaurant the other day, and the yakitori was extremely delicious.''
(Question for Santana: Have you decided on the performance for the first goal?)
"I haven't decided yet. All I can say is that I've always wanted to play for the Reds, and I think I'll be so happy if I score my first goal that I don't know what to do. I don't know what will happen yet."
(I have a question for Gustafsson. Please tell me if there is a side of Coach Mattias that we don't know about.)
"On the surface, I have an image of being calm. I think this is something that many Scandinavians have, but on the inside I think they are very passionate and emotional people, so please don't be fooled."
(I have a question for Solbakken. I have been rooting for Solbakken since before he joined the Reds. I am very happy that such a player has joined the Reds. I hope that Solbakken will achieve what he wants to achieve in Urawa. Please let me know. I will continue to support you.)
"Thank you. As I said earlier, I have a strong desire to improve my fitness and play, and then win the title. There is still little information about our opponent, but we are a strong team. I think so. I want to go and grab the title.”
(This is a question for all players. Are there any Japanese players you have become friends with since joining Urawa Reds? If there are any players in particular you would like to talk to, please let us know.)
Santana
``I had played against most of the players before I joined, and I had spoken with Nishikawa (Shusaku) and Hiroki Sakai. They were both very happy when I joined. I often talk to those two, but I also talk to all the players. I get along well with everyone, and the team atmosphere is very upbeat, and it's easy to communicate with everyone. I hope we can continue to do well in this atmosphere. I am confident that we will be able to achieve our goals.I get along well with everyone.”
Gustafson
``First of all, I thought it was a team that welcomed me warmly, and as Ola said, it was a team that was really easy to fit into.I felt safe.As Thiago also said, the experienced players made us feel like we were on both sides.'' I think this is a team that gives off an atmosphere that says, ``There's no problem.'' There are many specialists, and all of them take the lead.In particular, Ken Iwao uses Japanese words such as ``Thank you for your hard work.'' He teaches me every day. He is my guide.”
Solbakken
``As I've said many times, I think it's a really easy team to join.I think the group is united and warm-hearted.I think there's also the Japanese culture in particular, but it's important to be yourself. I feel like there's no resistance to anything.The experienced players talk to me, and I think it's an environment where everyone is communicating well, not just one person.Therefore, I feel like I can interact with anyone. I have the impression that he is easy to talk to.If I had to choose one person, I think it would be Ugajin (Tomoya).''
(This is a question for all the players. Our fans and supporters are also getting more excited as the season begins. Please give a passionate message to the fans and supporters of Urawa Reds.)
Please give a passionate message to your fans and supporters."
Santana
“We ask for your continued support. The Reds supporters are very passionate, and I think he is truly the 12th player in the team. We have really big goals for this year, and our biggest goal is to become the J1 League champion.” This is our goal.The league is long, so there will be good times and bad times.If our supporters fight together even in bad times, we will become stronger as a team and I think we will get closer to our goal.Everyone is working together as one. Let's do our best for the J1 League title. Thank you for your support."
Gustafson
``First of all, I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the stadium.Of course, I'll be waiting for you at the training ground as well.I'm happy to be joining such an interesting team.I hope we can work together with the fans and supporters to create a good team.'' I would like to go and find success. Thank you in advance.”
Solbakken
"We need everyone's support. I've heard that the Reds are the best team. To everyone who has come to Okinawa and to Ohara so far, thank you for your amazing support. From now on, we will meet at the stadium. Let's all fight together and aim for the championship, whether it's home or away."
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
Click here for the press conference
