We will unravel the "Passion-al Football" advocated by manager Daiki Iwamasa, who has taken the helm of Antlers, and explore the future the team envisions.
Team and Reinforcement, and Business
I want to draw a picture of the club working as one.
──Could you tell us again about your feelings when you became the manager of Antlers?
"After I became manager, we had training sessions and matches, and I had many opportunities to feel that I had really become the manager of Antlers as I heard the voices of the fans and supporters. However, when the club offered me the manager position, to be honest, I didn't think about anything, or rather, my honest feeling was 'nothingness.' In the process of acquiring coaching qualifications, I had accumulated coaching experience in several categories, but I hadn't decided whether to return to the professional category as a coach from there. However, during the coaching license training and through interactions with many coaches, I began to think that the place where I could truly live as a coach was indeed the professional category, and that I would be able to exert my abilities more easily there. I started thinking this over the last year or two. At that time, I believed that to become a manager in the professional category, even if it wasn't a mid-season appointment like this time, the offer would suddenly come, and I would have to make an immediate decision and become a manager. Looking back, it was the same when I was a player. There were even offers that said, 'I want your answer tomorrow.' Since manager appointments often follow a similar pattern, there's probably no time or leeway to think. So, I had intended to accept the manager position whenever an offer came, and I thought the important thing was how to respond."
──So, because you had already decided to accept the manager position whenever it was offered, you didn't think about various things when you became the manager of Antlers this time.
"That's right. There was nothing to think about; once I aimed to become a manager in the professional category, there was no other option but to accept the offer. I believe I had been preparing for it in my own way since I started aiming to become a coach in the professional category. It certainly happened sooner than I expected, but whether it's early or late, or whether now is the right or wrong time, they won't wait for my answer."
──Nevertheless, did you have a special feeling in the sense that you were starting your managerial career at Antlers?
"To be honest, I don't think it's very good for my individual career (laughs wryly). Originally, I wanted to build my career in lower categories like J3 or J2 and gradually move up. As a coach, you have to experience not only success but also failure. I believed that through repeating successes and failures, my coaching philosophy and tactical theories would solidify. Vaguely, I had a picture in my mind as an ideal that if I could gain experience in that way, and become the manager of Antlers around the age of 50, that would be great. Becoming the manager of Antlers is, in a way, the ultimate goal, so then it becomes a question of what I aim for next (laughs wryly). When I thought about becoming a coach in the professional category, I imagined that if I walked the right path in my coaching career, learned a lot, gained experience, and continually updated myself without being satisfied with the status quo, I might eventually have the opportunity to be entrusted with the manager position at Antlers. But that was a distant future. The flow of things is that Antlers, not just this year but in recent years, hasn't been able to win titles and has been going through a lot of trial and error. Without that background, I, at 40, wouldn't have become manager at this timing. So, if anything, I feel a sense of destiny."
──When you accepted the manager position, you reportedly told Football Director Muneaki Yoshioka, "I want to create a new Antlers with the club." What feelings prompted you to say that?
"Antlers this year, at the same time as the Football Director changed from Mitsuru Suzuki to Yoshioka, brought in René Weiler and was trying new things. René is European, so rather than thinking about the 'future' of this club, I think he focused on getting results 'now.' Considering that it was his first time managing in Japan, it was natural for him to try to enhance his own reputation. However, I also felt that if that were the case, it would naturally mean he wouldn't pay attention to the fact that the current team was in a transitional period. In such a situation, when I, who had watched Antlers for a long time, looked at the current Antlers from a distance, I felt that it was somewhat similar to 'the situation when the Kashima Antlers club started.' In the early days of the J-League, Zico (club advisor) came as a player, and after that, many people were involved, working hand-in-hand with Suzuki to strengthen the team, building the history of Antlers. That process came to mind. In that sense, now that Yoshioka FD is trying to build a new Antlers, if the team on the field doesn't also align and have the perspective of creating a new Antlers, I thought Antlers might be shaken from its very foundation. So, rather than saying the manager is the manager and the FD is the FD, how about expressing it as 'the team and the club'? I told Yoshioka FD that I want to draw a picture where the team, reinforcement, and even the business, the entire club, work together to move forward."
──Is this a path you can envision precisely because you know the history of this club, having also played for Antlers as a player?
"If you take it that way, I would be grateful. I also believe that a club and team should inherently be that way. Antlers has undoubtedly been in a transitional period recently, and including the COVID-19 pandemic, I think there have been various difficulties in recent years. With many paths to take, I feel it's necessary for the club and team to unite, clearly indicate a definite direction, and then proceed with discussions and fine-tuning as needed. Therefore, I naturally feel that my knowledge of the club's history is a strength."
The origin of enjoying football
Spending every day sparkling
──Having observed the team as a coach this season, what did you first identify as the team's challenges upon becoming manager?
"First and foremost, I wanted to bring back the atmosphere of enjoying football. This applies not only to the players but also to the staff. The work of a professional football team is so constrained by the demands of winning that being exposed to pressure is, to some extent, unavoidable. However, when I returned as a coach after a long time, it felt a bit stifling, or even painful. So, I wanted to create an environment where everyone would be excited to come to work every day, and in their respective fields, they could think, 'What new challenge can I take on today?' and enjoy it. Of course, there might be failures along the way. But I had a desire to create a workplace where everyone fulfills their professional duties responsibly and spends every day sparkling. I conveyed this to the players and all the staff. Based on that, I then planned to tackle the finer details of play and tactics."
──So, you prioritized the atmosphere and mood before play and tactics?
"Yes. Although it's work, it's where we spend most of our daily hours. We approach each week's match with a lot of passion, so if we don't feel a sense of purpose there, it becomes unenjoyable. Especially for the players, it's a profession they've wanted since childhood, a profession they've aspired to. Including the staff, this is a dream place that many people want to reach. Among the many people who want to become staff working on the field, I wanted them to feel happy working for a team like Antlers. While each person feels their own raison d'être and responsibility, I first wanted them to rediscover the joy of working here. If each individual works vibrantly, the team's atmosphere will naturally improve, and results will follow. This is true not only for football but for any profession, I believe. Some might see it as superficial or for show, but I believe it ultimately leads to results. Personally, I even think that tactics and analysis come after that. Because the feeling of enjoying football is everyone's origin, I think."
──Yuuma Suzuki said that what stuck with him was when Coach Iwamasa told him, "Don't become a laborer. Football is meant to be enjoyed."
"That's exactly it. Actually, I read something similar in a book. I've forgotten the title, but it said, 'Some people's work has become labor.' When I read that, I nodded and thought, 'That's so true!' There's a huge difference between people who view their work as labor and those who approach it with a sense of purpose. While this applies to any job, football players, especially Antlers players, always have the mindset of 'we must win,' so if they become trapped by that curse, even running gradually becomes labor. The objective of a match is certainly to win, but before that, they should feel joy and enjoyment in things like, 'if we run here, we can create this kind of attack,' or 'we can intentionally steal the ball from the opponent in this way,' and they should really be running to achieve that. Running and fighting were supposed to be the means to that end, but because the objective isn't clear, it becomes labor, and they suffer from feeling like they just have to do what they're told. When that happens, it doesn't become vibrant football, and ultimately, they can't achieve results. So, I conveyed 'Don't become a laborer' not only to Yuuma but also to other players and staff, and I feel like they empathized with it."
Passional Football
Its true meaning lies in "heart"
──When you took over as manager, you said you aimed for "Passional Football." Could you explain the football you're aiming for again?
"As a coach, I once wrote down my coaching theories in notes. This season, after serving as interim manager, I returned to being a coach and, while observing René's coaching, J-League matches, and European football, I re-organized my coaching theories. During that process, when I was thinking about what kind of football I would play if I became manager and considering a slogan, the word 'passional' suddenly came to mind. I thought, 'This is it!' In my impression, 'passional' evokes the image of 'heart.' If it were 'positional,' I think many people would have the impression of 'head.' So, I thought that if I conveyed 'passional,' many people would imagine 'heart' just like me, and that's why I felt this was the direction of football I wanted to aim for."
──I see.
"That was a long preamble (laughs), but when the players' emotions are expressed on the pitch and their feelings are put into their play, the fans and supporters who come to the stadium relate to it and go home moved. Tactics and positioning are important, but I've come to think that 'heart' is even more important, and to embody that, I expressed it as 'Passional Football.' I use this term to mean that I want the players to play with 'heart.' Of course, when explaining 'Passional Football' to the players, I told them, 'Fast and strong football is Antlers-like football,' but the true meaning lies in 'heart.' To embody that, we play while organizing who presses the opponent where, and who runs where. In using tactics, the objective often changes, so I hope we can cherish it as our origin and a place to return to."
──So, "Passional Football" not only includes "fast" and "strong" but also the meaning of playing with "heart," correct?
"I believe that Antlers, up until now, has also played football with 'heart,' if anything. On the other hand, I have played football using my 'head,' and I constantly organize events so that I can explain them in detail, so I am often perceived as a logical person. However, if that leads the players to have the image of playing football with their 'head,' then 'heart' becomes insufficient. To avoid being completely swayed to one side, I partly used the phrase 'Passional Football,' which is the exact opposite of my own image."
──Does that mean both "heart" and "head" are important?
"I also tell the players that when things are categorized by two words in the world, I believe both are important. I think we humans, who created these words, use them to distinguish between two extremes. For example, 'logic' and 'intuition,' or 'calmness' and 'passion.' They are categorized as opposites, but when you delve deeper, both are crucial. 'Attack' and 'defense' in football are the same. 'High press' and 'retreat,' 'build-up' and 'counter'... I believe the strongest team is one that can express all these elements on the pitch. Because it's difficult, you often choose one, but I want to incorporate all of them. So I tell the players that while football is often categorized into two, we aim for both. The basis for that is 'passion' and 'logic'."
Not ball possession rate,
but game dominance rate
──Your first match as manager was against Fukuoka (2-0) in the 25th round of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League. The team's style of play seems to have changed significantly from the third match, the 27th round against Kawasaki F (1-2).
"As you say, there's a big difference between the two matches, including the Shonan match (26th round), and the Kawasaki F match onwards. It was something I had anticipated, but the timing for making the decisive change came earlier than planned. To explain, for the first two matches, I didn't make major changes from this season's style of play. That was also something I reflected on, but since matches were held immediately after the managerial change, the consciousness of needing to win came first. Due to the limited time, especially for the Fukuoka match, I organized what we had been doing and approached the game. The players seemed to have the impression that they couldn't win because (Ayase) Ueda (now Cercle Brugge) had transferred. But that wasn't the case; they just couldn't win because they had lost their own style. So, based on the video, I explained to the players, told them to remember what they had been doing, and express it on the pitch. Since it was just about remembering, not creating something new, the players responded quickly, and I believe the Fukuoka match led to a result. However, watching the subsequent Shonan match from the sidelines, and I told the players this honestly, I felt it was 'boring.' When I thought about what caused that, I realized that my own thinking was uninteresting. In other words, I was trying to fight without making big changes from the previous football. Because I had to win the match, I was making minor adjustments to the available resources, choosing a safe style of play, and trying to manage somehow to win. I thought, if I continue like this, there's no point in me being manager. I had been thinking of making a big directional change at some point, but I decided to stop thinking about vague things like 'some point.' If I was telling the players 'Let's create a new Antlers,' then I had to face that immediately. It might have seemed reckless to make a big directional change at this timing, with matches against highly complete teams like Kawasaki F (28th round) and Urawa (28th round) coming up, but I apologized to the players, saying, 'I'm sorry for sticking to the old ways.'"
──Although the result of the Kawasaki F match was a 1-2 loss, don't you think the content of the game suggested the team's future evolution and growth?
"I think those who watched the match would have noticed a big change. If you only look at the results, the draw against Shonan (1-1) earned us one point, and the loss against Kawasaki F (1-2) earned us zero points, so the Shonan match might seem more beneficial. However, if you ask which one made us feel a future and which one was a step forward, I feel it was the Kawasaki F match, even with zero points. After that match, it became clear how we should think and how we should proceed. Dominate the opponent for 90 minutes and control the game. We can use whether we achieved that or not as a criterion to move forward. Going forward, there might be matches where things don't go well, or where choosing a safe approach might earn us more points. But the question is whether we can fight with a view to the further future. Can we acknowledge the failures and challenges that become apparent by continuing, and use them as material for growth? Also, as a manager, it's crucial whether we can present such a cycle to the team. That's how much of a difference I felt between the Shonan match and the Kawasaki F match. Given what the players could achieve with just one week of preparation, I'm even more eager to pursue this path."
──So, what kind of football style did you truly start trying from the 27th round match against Kawasaki F?
"As I mentioned earlier, it's 'football that increases the game dominance rate, not the ball possession rate, whether we have the ball or the opponent has the ball.' Personally, I prioritize game dominance rate over ball possession rate. This might sound vague, but the focus of game dominance rate is on who intentionally carries the ball and who intentionally wins it back. I want to thoroughly pursue how much of our football we can play in the way we intend. Therefore, when working backward from the play, even if the opponent has the ball, what we are trying to make the opponent do becomes important. We always want to think ahead, and ultimately, I want to present a way of playing where we can control the game for 90 minutes, and I want the players to deepen their understanding of this. I haven't been able to fully present all the minute details yet, so even while saying we let the opponent have the ball, there are still times when we are enduring."
──Among the keywords you mentioned when you became manager was "individuality." How do you think about the individuality of players?
"Individuality is one of the traditions that Antlers inherently possesses. It's a characteristic that unskillful players like myself played, and it's also true that there were technically gifted players like Takuya Nozawa and Moto-san (Masashi Motoyama). Mitsuo Ogasawara (Academy Technical Advisor) is also at the forefront of that. The football of Antlers has been about each player making the most of their unique characteristics. In many teams, the overall framework comes first, and players play within that framework, so individuality tends to be less visible. However, Antlers has traditionally been a team where the individuality of each player is visible, so I had the desire to start team building by leveraging that. Individuality is an important element in forming an organization. So, I conveyed the word 'individuality,' partly as a reminder to myself. How they will demonstrate that on the pitch in the future will change with each match, depending on their positioning, combinations, and relationship with the opponent. To achieve that, we provide information about the opponent to the players and change the system or positioning if necessary. However, the ultimate purpose of all of this is to bring out the individuality of the players."
A new landscape is being painted
I want you to witness the process together.
──New coaching staff members, including Kentaro Tsuboi, Ryuji Suzuki, and physical advisor Masaya Sakihana, have joined the team.
"Since I became manager in the middle of the season, I thought considerably about the selection of coaches. However, as a premise, when I served as interim manager at the beginning of the season, I, along with Coach Kosei Nakamura, GK Coach Yohei Sato, Assistant GK Coach Hitoshi Sogahata, and other staff members, managed to get through a period of just under two months. Since those reliable staff members were already there, I considered who to add to them to make the entire staff draw a beautiful circle. What I was grateful for was that the club entrusted me with the personnel selection to make it easy for me. With the addition of three new members, this staff will create new Antlers football. Of course, it would be great if every match led to a win, but I also want to ensure that it's not just about that. I want to build a team that constantly continues to try new things."
──What is your outlook on the challenge of creating a new Antlers?
"I also told the players this: to do something new, you must first approach it with a 'give it a try' attitude. Since we're doing things the team hasn't done before, there are parts we can see how they'll progress and parts we can't. Also, I myself am an inexperienced coach, and many of the players are young. In such a situation, we are all trying to create a new Antlers, so there will likely be failures and losses in that process. If we then return to a style of fighting only with what we can do and what we already know, nothing new will ever be born. That's precisely why I'm looking forward to new ideas emerging from the players who try, while also incorporating new perspectives from the coaching staff. I believe that this repetition will lead to the creation of a new Antlers."
──Do you have a message for the fans and supporters who fight alongside you?
"How do the fans and supporters feel about the current situation and recent events? I believe some may be dissatisfied or unable to process things well. As for the future, perhaps more people are watching with skepticism. Regarding the pursuit of new football, of course, I understand better than anyone that it won't be recognized until results are achieved, given my knowledge of this club's history. However, what we are trying to do with the players right now is an incredibly interesting and attractive challenge, and I believe it's something that doesn't happen often in Japanese football. Moreover, for Antlers, it's a challenge that couldn't have happened or been done without this timing and situation. I hope you will watch this new challenge with us from its start. The moment will surely come when you feel it was good to have witnessed this starting point. That picture is already clear in my mind, so I hope you will watch the landscape that is about to unfold together with us."
