※Publication order is based on statements made at press conferences
FC Tokyo Manager Albert PUIG ORTONEDA
I am very proud to be able to play against a great club in the opening match. And I am delighted to be able to face this match, which marks the debut of a great manager with a wealth of experience, as our opening match opponent. I also hope that my players will have a good game. Of course, I hope that we can bring great joy to our fans and supporters.
＜Urawa Reds Manager Maciej SKORZA＞
Our new journey begins on Saturday. We hope for many successes on our path with Urawa. An interesting match awaits us against FC Tokyo. We see them as a strong opponent with a solid organization. And with Manager Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, who has experience with FC Barcelona, we can imagine the philosophy of this team. However, our Urawa players have also prepared well during the preseason. So, we believe they will deliver good performances and bring good results. As Manager Albert said, this match will be my debut in the J-League. I am excited to see what the J-League is all about. I am looking forward to the match and hope that both teams can deliver a good performance.
<FC Tokyo Yuto Nagatomo player>
I think we were able to create a great base with coach Albert and Tokyo throughout last season. We have also been able to create a great base during the preseason and have a sense that we can play well. And Urawa is also a good team every year, so I think it will be a hot and good game. I am the same age as Shinzo Koroki, who is next to me, but when he was at Hoshosho High School and I was at Toho Fukuoka High School, I was still handling the ball as an anchor, which may be unthinkable now. And there is also a relationship where I marked Koroki and we had arguments and fights during the game. In that sense, I want to fight with the feeling that I absolutely don't want to lose.
I always followed him when I went to drink water. He was such an intense player. We have been preparing for a year at camp and for the FC Tokyo match. Every year, when we play against FC Tokyo, it becomes a fierce battle and we have a great game. I think we can show the fans and supporters who come to the stadium a really interesting game. After the game, I want to do my best so that I don't hear the voice of "Bravo" from FC Tokyo (laughs).
