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Q: Before we talk about joining Tokyo, could you share your experience about Sendai, where you played for two and a half years after coming to Japan for the first time?
A: My family and I had a very happy life in Sendai. We received a lot of support from the fans and supporters in Sendai. I have only good memories. I am also grateful to the club staff, and I still remember my debut match against Cerezo Osaka. Of course, there were matches against Tokyo as well, and I have only happy memories.

Q: The press release announced from Sendai included the loving words, "Let's definitely meet again in J1." Player Kuba (nickname for Swowik) will continue to fight on the J1 stage as a member of Tokyo from here.
A: I am, of course, disappointed with the result of Sendai's relegation to J2 in the 2021 season. However, I approached every practice and match with all my strength. In that context, I was very happy to receive an offer from Tokyo, a big club in Japan, and I want to achieve a lot together with my teammates at this club.

Q. What was your impression of Tokyo as an opponent?
A. In the 2019 season, when I first came to Japan, Tokyo was competing for the championship. I had the impression that they were a strong team at the top of the standings. They are also a team where players with quality consistently perform well in matches.

Q. In the 2021 season, Tokyo secured 2 wins against Sendai, and in both matches, Kuba's big saves stood out.
A. I remember (laughs). However, in the end, Sendai was defeated. We did our best, but Tokyo has a team full of high-quality players, so that was the result.

Q. Which Tokyo player left a strong impression on you?
A. Diego OLIVEIRA. I faced him twice in penalty shootouts, so he left a strong impression (laughs). His penalty style is unique, and I think he is really skilled. From a GK's perspective, his style is difficult to handle, but since we are on the same team now, if he takes penalties in practice, I feel I could adapt to any style (laughs).

Q. Tokyo has excellent goalkeepers, but what is your impression of the level of Japanese goalkeepers?
A. Of course, Tokyo has talented goalkeepers, and Kosei TANI from Shonan is also a wonderful talent. Keisuke OSAKO from Hiroshima and Yuma OBATA, who played for the same Sendai team, are also great examples. It seems that the number of promising players full of potential is increasing. There is no doubt that the quality of Japanese goalkeepers is improving.

Q. Kuba's home country, Poland, has produced many famous goalkeepers such as Jerzy Dudek and Wojciech Szczęsny. Krzysztof Kamiński, who previously played for Iwata, also had a successful career.
A. That is very important for Polish football. Many goalkeepers have played for major European clubs, and several are currently active. Besides the players mentioned, goalkeepers like Artur Boruc (who played alongside Shunsuke Nakamura at Celtic and Maya Yoshida at Southampton) and Łukasz Fabiański are also outstanding. Kamiński's great achievements in Japan are one of the reasons I was able to come here. I want to demonstrate the strength of Polish goalkeepers here in Tokyo as well.

Q. By the way, at what age did Kuba start playing as a GK?
A. It's quite a long time ago... (laughs), but I think it was around 5 or 6 years old. My older brother started playing soccer first, and since I was the youngest, I ended up playing as the GK. Everyone disliked being GK because you have to fall down or jump from high places when making saves, but for me, that was normal and didn’t bother me. After that, I also had experience playing as a defender. I belonged to a large academy, but since my playing style wasn’t very technical (laughs), the coach suggested, "How about trying GK?" Receiving the GK gloves was also a motivation for me, and from then on, I have been dedicated solely to being a GK.

Q. Since there are many great goalkeepers, I thought it was a popular position in Poland.
A. I think children in every country want to be strikers at first (laughs). When players like Dudek and Boruc were active, goalkeepers became popular too, but after all, when it comes to Poland, it's Roberto LEWANDOWSKI. So, I think many players admire forwards.

Q. Looking at your career, you have played for domestic clubs in Poland, but I once read news that you almost signed with Reading in England in 2015.
A. At that time, I went for a tryout for about a week. However, the team's goalkeeper slots were already filled, and shortly after, I got injured, so the talks did not progress as I had hoped. But I had always wanted to test my potential and abilities overseas someday, and that first opportunity ended up being in Japan. I have held that desire since my time in Poland.

Q. Having played in the J.League for two and a half years, do you have a different impression of Japanese football now compared to when you first arrived?
A. In my opinion, Japan is a wonderful country and the league is excellent. I don't know much about other Asian countries, but I think this is a great league.

Q. In the 2022 season, Tokyo will be led by the new manager Albert PUIG ORTONEDA. He was in charge of Albirex Niigata until the 2021 season. Have you ever watched the style of football his team plays?
A. Although it was only a few matches, I did watch games from his time at Niigata. I checked to understand what kind of football they play and what kind of performance is expected. My impression is that it is a style focused on ball possession, and I think building attacks from the GK and defenders is also required. Originally, the GK's role was to firmly protect the goal and stop shots, but nowadays, the demands are much broader. This includes foot skills and kicking ability. Probably, Tokyo's new style will require many of these skills. My own approach is to thoroughly absorb, learn, and improve on what is demanded from training. I want to tackle this with a positive attitude to adapt properly.

Q. In 2021, Tokyo's challenge was conceding many goals. Fans and supporters expect Kubá to be the best at shot-stopping, but how do you want to improve the defense, including the DF line?
A. No team can defend the goal or score goals with just one player alone. Everyone from FW to GK attacks and defends together. In my case, I want to communicate more with the DF line and specifically maintain a compact formation to defend effectively.

Q. Do you have a clear goal you want to achieve with this team?
A. I usually don't set many personal goals, but first and foremost, as a team, we want to move in a positive direction and deliver results. It would be great to win more trophies, but above all, we want to fight hard and become a group that fans and supporters can truly be proud of, saying "This is really a great team." The players must continue to perform in a way that inspires such words from many people.

Q. Lastly, what are you looking forward to about living in Tokyo, the capital of Japan?
A. Tokyo is truly a major metropolis and leaves the impression of being a wonderful city on a global scale. My family is also looking forward to it, but the important thing is that no matter where we are, we can always be together as a family. One thing I'm excited about is that it will be closer to Disneyland than from Sendai (laughs). I'm also looking forward to other famous spots. I love Japanese food, and both sushi and yakiniku are fantastic. Natto? When I first tried it, I couldn't handle it, but I'm getting used to it gradually (laughs).

text by YUKI NISHIKAWA