To become a winning team──
The strong desire for victory with the captain's appointment
MF 37 Kei KOIZUMI
Every person and player has a story. '2024 PLAYER’S REVIEW' introduces all the blue and red warriors who fought through the 2024 season, one by one. What thoughts did they carry as they went through the season? Confidence, a sense of achievement, challenges, joy, regret... Reflecting on this season's battles through the words of each player.
A commitment to "For the team." Since his transfer to Tokyo last season, Kei KOIZUMI has continued to fight for the team to win and achieve league supremacy, and he has been appointed as one of the team captains under a three-person system. However, he ended the year without being part of the title race. With a sense of responsibility and regret, what he felt was necessary to become a winning team.
Since the beginning of the season—and to put it another way, since joining Tokyo last season, Kei KOIZUMI's words have not changed at all. The number 37, who has continued to play solely to bring the club's first league title in history to the blue and red, expressed his mixed feelings of disappointment and regret in carefully chosen words. If there is anything that has changed since last season, it may be the additional year of frustration that has accumulated.
"It has been a frustrating year. I believe not only I, but all the players feel the same way, and everyone involved with Tokyo, including the fans and supporters, must feel frustrated and disappointed with this season."
After expressing everyone's thoughts, his words turned to the discussions on the pitch. A man with an exceptionally strong sense of responsibility, who never deviates from his direction, accepted that "it is the players who deliver results. Therefore, it is natural for the players to bear the responsibility," while revealing the struggles of the past two seasons.
"In the end, both last season and this season feel quite similar, and realistically, not much has changed. For this team to continue winning and aim for the championship, a solid foundation is necessary. I want to grasp a clear way to win, such as a style of football that guarantees victory."
On the other hand, there has been a significant change when looking at individuals. Even though it is a three-person system, being appointed as team captain for the first time is a major topic. Originally, rather than leading with words or actions, he was the type to show by example, and it could be said that he may not have had the personality suited for a captain. However, starting this season, he has finally been entrusted with an important role. Instead of imitating someone else, he has taken the lead in his own way and has been guiding the team.
"Someone has to do it, and if you don't want to, you can just say 'I don't want to.' This season, I decided to commit to it, so I thought I should do it properly. Not being able to win a title means it was a year where I couldn't deliver results. I need to become stronger, improve my skills, and become a player who can lead the team to victory."
Since putting on the blue and red uniform, he has shown little interest in his own performance or statistics. Unless Koizumi brings a title to Tokyo, he is unlikely to feel satisfied. For a man who has always placed the utmost importance on whether the team wins, this season has strengthened his desire for victory even more since becoming captain.
Text by Daisuke Suga (El Golasso)
