1-2-1 With... Cesare Polenghi (Japanese Football Writer)

As my last football interview was about Chinese football I thought it would make sense to jump across the East China Sea to Japan the land of the rising Sun. Here I've found Cesare Polenghi to interview regarding Japanese football. Cesare is a correspondent for www.goal.com and also edits www.japanesesoccer.net. He is also author of the book Samurai Of Ayutthaya outside football. 

Football Team Supported: Juventus/Spurs

Q. What is the top football club in the Japan and how do they compare to their counterparts in Europe? And also when compared to other Asian teams?

In recent years there are three clubs that persistently played convincing football and won titles: Kashima Antlers, Gamba Osaka, and this year's champions Nagoya Grampus. They seem just as good or even better than other Asian clubs, but once they meet in the ACL, Japanese teams often choke. Let's see what happens in 2011!

Q. Who would you say are the top 3 players playing in the J League?

A. Okay, I'll stay out of the mainstream and have some personal picks for 2010:

(1) Tomoaki Makino, defender. I pick him because he really entertains the audience. His post-goal celebrations are the stuff of legend.



(2) Ryang Yong-Gi, midfielder. The epitome of the "concrete" player. Goals, assists, he singlehandedly kept Vegalta Sendai in J1.

(3) Takeshi Usami, forward. Seventeen when the season started, scored some amazing goals, but more than that showed a personality that few Japanese forwards displayed so far. Great hopes for him.

This kid really does look the business...

Q. Could these three players play in Europe and do you see them moving in the future?

I believe that in the right club, they could do well in Europe. Makino has signed with FC Koeln, Ryang (28) probably a bit too old for the move. Watch out for Usami in the future!

Q. Who do you consider to be the greatest Japanese footballer ever?

A. It boils down to a matter of tastes as well, I believe so far I'd give medals to Kazu Miura, Hidetoshi Nakata and my personal favorite, Shinji Ono.

One of Japans most successful footballing exports Shinji Ono

Q. What is your most memorable match from the J-League?

A. Too many to choose... In 2010, Gamba-Frontale 4-4 was a treat, but there were other great games.



Q. Which foreign players would you say have had the biggest influence on the J League? 

A. Zico and Dunga are the ones who taught the Japanese that besides having fun playing, it all gets a lot more fun when you actually win.

Dunga respected as a player in Japan, lets just hope he doesn't become a fashion icon...

Q. Which foreign coach has had the biggest impact on domestic football in Japan?

A. Surely the Japanese must believe it was Ivica Osim. He is still on TV every day!

(Ivica Osim managed J-League minnows JEF United to winning the J-League Cup and also managed the Japanese national team. He is also known for his comments to the media after a penalty shootout between Japan and Australia saying "I didn't see it because it was bad for my heart. I don't want to die while I coach Japan's national team. I want to die in my hometown, Sarajevo." His quotes have become so popular in Japan he's released a book called Words of Osim in 2005 it has sold 400,000 copies...) 

Q. Which foreign team has had the biggest impact on domestic football in Japan?

A. In general Japanese soccer always looked up to Brazil, but in the first years of the J.League everybody wanted to play like AC Milan or Juventus. Now the model is, of course, CF Barcelona.

Q. Has the popularity of football increased in recent years in Japan? And is it most followed sport?

A. It has of course increased after the 2010 World Cup, but there are still big problems with management, so it will take a while before football unseats baseball as number one sport in Japan.

Q. Which European player is the most popular in Japan?

A. Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo now. Historically, Beckham and Del Piero.

Q. What do you think of the decision to allow Russia to host World Cup 2018 instead of England?

A. Russia is very close to Japan, so why not?

Q. What did you think of the performance of the Japanese team in South Africa 2010?

A. Mindblowing and unlucky.

Japan star Keisuke Honda battles in the last 16 match against Paraguay. Japan should have won the game but went out 5-3 on penalties

Q. And finally where do you think the J League and the Japan international team will be in ten years time?

Japan has already produced world-class players. Quite a few in recent years.

It all depends on how the Japanese Football Association and the J.League can grow from a management point. They seem to be still struggling between what Japanese "traditions" are, and what it seems common sense in the rest of the world. Japanese clubs must get out of their corporate mindset, and become more sport-oriented, which means for example picking General Managers who know a thing or two about football...

I hope you feel more enlightened regarding Japanese football after reading that, I certainly do. I would also like to thank Cesare for taking time out to talk to us. And as usual thank you for reading...