From Friday, March 20th to Tuesday, March 31st, 18 academy selection players from three junior youth schools embarked on an expedition to Germany.
This expedition was the club's first to Germany, and was carried out as part of the "implementation of various player development programs for academy generations (U13-U18)" under the club alliance (January 25, 2026 - July 31, 2030) signed with Borussia Mönchengladbach (hereinafter referred to as "BMG") in 2026.
This expedition was partially funded by donations from our 2025 season Academy Support Club members.
During the expedition, the players participated in training sessions led by BMG coaches and played a total of four matches. Additionally, discussions were held between the coaching staff of both clubs, and tours of BMG's stadium and academy facilities were conducted.
On the first day of the expedition, after gathering at the airport and greeting their guardians, they departed for Germany on a flight lasting approximately 15 hours.
Departing Japan at 10 AM, we arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, at 5 PM local time.
The players made efforts to minimize the effects of jet lag.
Upon arrival, BMG staff greeted us, and after a three-hour bus ride, we reached Borussia-Park, BMG's home stadium. We will be staying for 11 days at a hotel adjacent to Borussia-Park.
Training
Only on the second day, training was conducted in Germany by Kashima's accompanying coaching staff.
We borrowed a VIP room with a view of the stadium pitch, where the coaches used video to convey what they wanted the players to focus on during this expedition, before commencing practice.
Practice was held on one of the approximately 10 pitches next to Borussia Park. Academy players from various categories also practiced on the adjacent pitches.
The four matches arranged for this expedition involved a different set of players than usual, transcending the Kashima, Tsukuba, and Norte areas. Therefore, the training primarily focused on defensive confirmation. During a break in practice, Norman Wittekopf, the Academy Director of BMG, also paid a visit to greet us.
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From the third day onwards, training was led by BMG's U17 and U15 coaching staff.
For goalkeeper coaching, we were fortunate to be instructed by Uwe Kamps, a club legend who played over 400 matches for BMG.
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The training led by the BMG coaching staff primarily focused on developing decision-making skills in areas such as perception and tactics. Both players and staff experienced the difference from their usual club training style, finding it to be a very educational experience.
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Players who performed well in practice were also given the right to participate in Borussia's youth team practice. Kashima's coaches encouraged them to "actively try" and "actively showcase themselves," and they earnestly took on the challenge.
The selected players who participated in the academy practice actively communicated with those around them, enthusiastically tried to show their own play, and demonstrated a difference.
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Thanks to the kindness of BMG Chairman Rainer Bonhof, we were also able to practice at their home stadium, Borussia-Park. The players enjoyed their time kicking the ball on the pitch where Bundesliga matches are held.
Training Matches
Throughout the tour, we competed in matches against teams from Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
March 23 (Mon) 6:00 PM Kick-off vs. Borussia Selection U15 (2 periods of 35 minutes)
First Half 6-0 (Taiga Inose, Reimu Isobe x4, Haruki Isobe)
Second Half 6-1 (Haruki Isobe, Rinne Fukukawa x3, Shuken Watanabe, Imusashi Oka)
Total 12-1
This was our first external match in Germany, and overall, the team moved well, and each player demonstrated their strengths, allowing us to maintain the upper hand throughout the match.
March 25 (Wed) 7:10 PM Kick-off vs. Roda JC Kerkrade (Netherlands)
First Half 6-0 (Reimu Isobe x3, Ei Shimizu, Taiga Inose x2)
Second Half 5-0 (Ei Shimizu x2, Reimu Isobe, Haruki Isobe, Imusashi Oka)
Total 11-0
We traveled about an hour from the hotel to play a match in the Netherlands. Kerkrade is a club located near the German border, playing in the Dutch second division.
During warm-ups, hail began to fall, and we played the match in extremely cold and poor weather.
In this second match of the German expedition, the players actively tried to put into practice what they had been building up in training, resulting in a passionate performance.
March 28 (Sat) 11:00 AM Kick-off vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (2 periods of 30 minutes)
First Half 5-1 (Reimu Isobe x4, Kaito Sato)
Second Half 3-0 (Shuken Watanabe x3)
Total 8-1
Against an opponent that tried to control the ball systematically, we aggressively pressed from the front to win the ball and scored the opening goal. After that, we continued to leverage our individual superiority, scoring more goals and winning the match.
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March 28 (Sat) 12:30 PM Kick-off vs. KAS Eupen (2 periods of 30 minutes)
First Half 3-0 (Taiga Inose x2, Reimu Isobe)
Second Half 1-0 (Rinne Fukukawa)
Total 4-0
Although fatigue was evident in the second match, we aggressively pressed for the ball from the front, just like in the first match, and scored the opening goal. After that, we made substitutions and continued to take active actions, securing the victory.
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Coach Discussion
We also had discussions with the BMG coaching staff.
During discussions with the U-17 and U-15 academy coaches, we were able to exchange very informative insights across a broad range of topics, not only football aspects but also mental and lifestyle approaches to youth development.
Additionally, on a separate day, we were also given extra time for a specialized discussion on goalkeeping. Based on materials actually used in an internal Borussia meeting, a presentation was given on goalkeeper development, followed by a Q&A session.
Cultural Exchange
During our stay, we also had many opportunities to learn about German culture.
We also participated in a stadium tour of Borussia-Park and were able to experience the magnificence of a Bundesliga club's stadium, including its capacity of approximately 54,000 people, the locker rooms designed with a connection from the academy to the top team in mind, and the VIP rooms.
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After the training match, we had lunch with the BMG U15 players. Despite the language barrier, we taught each other English and Japanese, used translation apps, and actively communicated, spending a joyful time filled with smiles.
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We also went sightseeing in Düsseldorf, walking along the Rhine while listening to explanations from our guide, and experiencing Germany's history and cityscape.
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On the day of our return, many BMG staff members came to greet us, expressing their great expectations for this partnership and acknowledging the numerous achievements gained during this expedition. CEO Stefan also came to encourage the players and presented them with uniforms. As a surprise, a player bus was arranged to take us to the airport for our departure.
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During our stay, we received full support from the BMG coaches and staff, allowing us to concentrate on football and gain many experiences that would not be possible in Japan, thus successfully concluding this expedition.
To make use of the experiences gained in Germany for their future activities, the players have returned to their respective areas to compete in the Kanto League.
They will bring back their many experiences to their respective teams and continue to grow.
*The photos of this training session were taken by a professional photographer from Borussia Mönchengladbach.