NEWS News

Q: What should fans and supporters call the coach?
A: For the past two years, I have been called Albert, but the correct pronunciation is Albert. The accent is on the 'be'. For some reason, in Japan, I have been registered as Albert, and even Wikipedia lists me as Albert (laughs), but I would be happy if people could start calling me Albert.

Q. So, Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, this will be your first time in J1, and a challenge at a metropolitan club like FC Tokyo. How did you feel when you received the offer?
A. First of all, I want to say that I really felt comfortable working in Niigata. The club made efforts to change its direction, and the players followed the playing style I aimed for. I believe the fans and supporters liked it as well. However, I am always seeking new challenges. I have spent most of my career as a youth coach. After coaching at the Barça (FC Barcelona) Academy, I was able to take on the role of Academy Director at Barça, which is one of the most important positions in youth development worldwide. I was involved in various reforms within the club, and after that, I embarked on a new journey of challenges.

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

Q. So it's a challenge in J1, right?
A. Yes, I want to take on a challenge with a top-class J1 club if it's an attractive project. I received several offers, but the most appealing one was from FC Tokyo. I was drawn to the club's initiative to reform and their idea of challenging a new team playing style. Also, it's a club located in the capital of Japan, a wonderful country. I was interested in the fact that, despite having the potential to become a great club, they have not yet achieved results that match that potential. Additionally, the uniform, which is similar to Barça's Blaugrana (meaning 'navy and garnet' in Catalan), was another factor that caught my attention (laughs).

Q. This is a club where Takefusa KUBO once belonged. Do you feel any connection?
A. Barcelona signed Takefusa KUBO when he was 10 years old, and I was the one who decided that as the academy director at the time. I think it's a beautiful story that I came to the club where KUBO joined after Barcelona. However, it's unfortunate that he did not return to Barcelona (laughs).

Q, I have also watched your 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, focusing on what to do with the ball both in attack and defense. I believe the style Barcelona has expressed matches well with the strengths and characteristics of Japanese players. Many Japanese players are intelligent. They tend to understand well why a certain play is required and why a certain phenomenon occurs, and play with that understanding. Compared to the world's top teams, they may be physically inferior, but their technical level is very high. They also have speed. Additionally, with their dedicated nature, they are good at pressing and winning the ball back.

Q. These are exactly the qualities required for Barca's style, aren't they?
A. I have always wondered why Japanese players do not pursue the style of play like Barca. I believe we were able to prove in Niigata that Barca's style suits Japanese players. Although most players had never experienced it before, by the second year, they were able to express it quite well. Even more important is that fans and supporters liked this style of play. Many spectators came to the stadium. If we can express the football we showed in Niigata in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, it would be wonderful.

Q, The soccer during your time in Niigata seemed to have attack and defense designed simultaneously. Also, it was characteristic that the shape changed significantly between forming a defensive block and building up in attack.
A, In both attack and defense, everyone must play as a single block. In my country, we express this as "everyone traveling together." Possession is important, but even more emphasized was positioning (players' placement). With positioning and possession, better attacks can be realized. Also, in soccer, there are two main ways to defend: defending space and defending by maintaining possession. As Johan Cruyff said, as long as we keep possession of the ball, the opponent cannot attack.

Q: So, having possession of the ball means good defense, right?
A: That's right. If each player takes good positions, better possession can be achieved, creating more opportunities. If you take good positions in attack, when the ball is lost, you can recover it effectively. That is the positioning I seek. And in defense, players must sweat and run for the team. Players who cannot do this will not be allowed to play. If there is a player who thinks they are so great that they don't need to run, I will give that player Guardiola's phone number (laughs).

Q. You recommend going to Manchester City (laughs).
A. Actually, if you look around the world, there is only one player who doesn't have to run: Lionel Messi. In other words, in Tokyo, everyone has to run. On top of that, even if the opponent applies high press, I want the players to connect passes firmly without fear. In Niigata, during the first year, they kept clearing the ball one after another. But in the second year, they started to keep the ball and pass it to their teammates instead of clearing it. I want the Tokyo players to change in a shorter period of time.

Q. You seemed to have watched several Tokyo games in the 2021 season. Were there any players you are looking forward to or found interesting for the 2022 season?
A. I watched many Tokyo games, but you really can’t know until you see the players with your own eyes. First, I want to look at the players with a fresh perspective. I plan to hold meetings and have clear communication with the players. I am the type who prefers to talk to players individually. I want them to come to me if they have any questions, and I also want to offer advice. I tend to express myself straightforwardly without sugarcoating, so sometimes it might be hard to hear. Regardless of whether they are young or veterans, I want to convey my honest thoughts to the players.

Q. Niigata played wonderful football in the 2021 season but slowed down somewhat at the end. What do you think was the cause of that? Tokyo also had a great season in 2019 but lost momentum and missed out on the title. Are there any lessons from that which could be applied to Tokyo?
A. I can't speak for what happened in Tokyo, but I can explain what happened in Niigata. In over 90% of the matches in the 2021 season, despite outnumbering the opponents in chances and shots, the main reason for the slowdown was the continuous loss of points due to a lack of finishing ability. Niigata was clearly more offensive than any other team, but it's difficult to explain why such a team had so many draws. There was even a match where the shot count was 20 to 3, yet the score was 1-1.

Q. Looking at rival teams, Peter UTAKA (Kyoto SANGA F.C.) and Lukian (Júbilo Iwata) demonstrated their scoring ability, didn't they?
A. I think they brought points to their teams. If we can score the first goal, the opponents have to come forward to score, making it easier for us to add more goals. For example, the match where we defeated Verdy 7-0 at home was such a scenario. However, perhaps due to the impact of that match, many teams have since started to strengthen their defense.

Q. Tokyo has a great lineup of strikers.
A. They need to once again prove their high scoring ability. This is because the 2022 season will require them to demonstrate finishing skills in tight spaces. Counterattacks usually provide space to take shots, but in the 2022 season, there will be more games where we press the opponent. As a result, the space in front of the opponent's goal will be limited. The question is whether they can still score under those conditions. Of course, we have high expectations for them. We also have expectations for the younger players. Japanese people tend to be concerned about age, but I do not hesitate to use young players. While I respect veterans, what matters on the pitch is performance, not age. Whether a player is 35 or 15 years old makes no difference.

Q. Takefusa KUBO also stepped onto the J1 pitch at 16 years old.
A. There are many talented young players in Japan, so I want to pay attention to academy players as well. If there are good players, I want to give them a chance to challenge themselves in the top team. On the other hand, foreign players must bring something to the team that Japanese players cannot provide. This applies to me as well. If a Japanese coach can only offer what any Japanese coach can provide, then there is no need for me to lead the team. Also, I believe that the coach who succeeds me must be a Japanese coach.

Q: So, you are saying to build a solid foundation, right?
A: Sooner or later, I will leave this club, this city, and this country. My mission is to nurture FC Tokyo, a club for the people of Tokyo. I was surprised that everyone in Japan says, "We aim to win the championship." I don’t say that. I am someone who hates losing more than anyone and is obsessed with winning, but what I can promise is to instill a clear playing style, equip the team with enough strength to always compete for the championship, and grow the club. We will focus on players from the academy, strengthen the squad with high-quality foreign players, and continuously grow by recruiting players suited to my playing style. FC Tokyo is still not among the top-level clubs in J1 in terms of management scale. The current professional soccer world is not an easy place where clubs that cannot compete at the top management level can always aim for the championship. However, if the team and the entire club continue to grow, it will also promote growth in management scale.

Q. In addition to developing the current players, if the club's financial strength improves, it will be able to build even more solid power.
A. That is a time-consuming process and must be approached with patience. I hope fans and supporters will continue to support us with a long-term perspective. I want everyone to carefully watch what kind of play the team aims for and what kind of play it expresses. If we continue to demonstrate play that everyone can feel proud of, the number of fans and supporters at the stadium should increase. The more fans and supporters we have, the more sponsors we believe we can attract.

Q. If the number of sponsors increases, income will increase, making it possible to strengthen the team with higher-quality players.
A. For example, Kawasaki Frontale always competes for the championship because they have a clear playing style. I also want to spend 2 to 3 years building the foundation of this club. Based on that foundation, I want to develop the club so that it can compete for titles every year. For that, not only the players and the team but every area of the club needs to become professional. I believe it is also my role to promote that. This is not just about the playing style expressed on the pitch; the entire club must grow. It is required to be a wonderful person, and as a professional, to be an excellent worker.

Q. Finally, please give a message to the fans and supporters in Tokyo.
A. I believe Japanese people have a nature 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 if we lose a match. Sometimes, even giving your all, you cannot win a game. That is not a failure. Any project requires time and patience to succeed. Within that, I want to keep fighting so that everyone can unite. I look forward to the day I can meet you all!

text by Atsushi Iio