The 2024/25 Singapore Premier League season preview with Albirex Niigata FC.
I am joined by Head Coach, Kazuaki Yoshinaga and his translator and also the U15 and fitness coach at the club, Masayuki Kato.
Honoured to have Coach Kazu - a man of few words, but big on ambitions. He opens up about his formula for success and the intricate process behind curating a team that resonates with the club's signature playing style. Masa also gives us the lowdown on the club's pivot towards local talent development, highlighting their unwavering commitment to advancing Singapore's football scene.
Coach Kazu's emphasis on the importance of the off the field character and behaviour of his players is evident as he plans for the club to mount a serious challenge to defend the title. Listen as he previews the local and foreign players at his disposal - we are in for a treat this season!
Lets Go!
The 2024/25 Singapore Premier League season preview with Albirex Niigata FC.
I am joined by Head Coach, Kazuaki Yoshinaga and his translator and also the U15 and fitness coach at the club, Masayuki Kato.
Honoured to have Coach Kazu - a man of few words, but big on ambitions. He opens up about his formula for success and the intricate process behind curating a team that resonates with the club's signature playing style. Masa also gives us the lowdown on the club's pivot towards local talent development, highlighting their unwavering commitment to advancing Singapore's football scene.
Coach Kazu's emphasis on the importance of the off the field character and behaviour of his players is evident as he plans for the club to mount a serious challenge to defend the title. Listen as he previews the local and foreign players at his disposal - we are in for a treat this season!
Lets Go!
Hi, we are back on the Silver Fox Hustle podcast. This is the SPL preview of the season that is, the 2024-2025 season, and today in the studios we have the defending champions, albrechts Niigata, singapore, and in the studios with us is the head coach for a couple of seasons already, mr Kazuaki Yoshinaga, and also another guest, masayuki Kato, who is also the fitness coach and the under-15 head coach of the Albrechts Niigata side. Welcome to the podcast, mr Masa and King Kazu, they call them. How are you, my friends?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Good good, very good, very good.
Speaker 1:Okay, listen, this is a new thing on the podcast because we have Masa, who will act as a translator in a way, and, of course, coach Kazu. If he can answer in English, no problems, and we will try to do this as much as possible, and thank you for being in the podcast as well, very much appreciated. Now, before we start talking about the SPL season, right, I want to ask Coach Kazu one thing. He always looks serious, you know, on the bench, and it's understandable because it's a match and trying to win games and all, but is he very, very serious off the pitch as well? Are the players afraid of Coach Kazu? Coach Kazu, maybe you can answer.
Speaker 3:I think usually I'm going to be that serious I think usually I'm not that serious man, then I Usually not that serious man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, only on the pitch. Yeah, Are the players afraid of him, Especially the local players? Are they afraid of him?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. Are the players afraid of him?
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 3:I don't think they're afraid of me. I sometimes make some jokes Very nice, good, good.
Speaker 1:Actually, you know what? This is? The first time I'm actually seeing him smile a lot, the very first time. So, actually seeing smile a lot, you know, the very first time. So thank you very much for being here as well. Right now, let's talk about last season and I want to ask coach Kazu about this. Right, he's won the league four times, four titles, four coach of the year as well. Yes, you know, winner. I want to ask coach Kazu Coach of the year as well. Yes, you know, winner. I want to ask Coach Kazu how proud are you of his achievements or of your achievements so far? Coach?
Speaker 3:If you can translate, I'm grateful to the players who played in the tournament.
Speaker 2:I'm grateful to the players who played in the tournament.
Speaker 3:I don't have any weird thoughts about the tournament won titles, but it's a past thing and past players did it, so it's already done and I don't have any special feeling towards the past.
Speaker 1:You know, coach Kazu actually reminds me of Arsene Wenger, and he said medals are nothing. Season is over, throw the medals away. We look forward to the next season. Very, very well done, coach kazoo. Now I want to go through the stats from last season. Right, obviously you guys are defending champions. You scored 86 goals, conceded only 20 goals, you won 20, draw 2 and lost 2. Right? How would you summarize last season, masa, if you want to? 去年をどのように?
Speaker 2:いや、あのー, まあその数字も今も忘れてましたし. それはもう本当に去年のメンバーで ベストを尽くした結果としては リーグ戦素晴らしい結果を 残してくれたというふうに思ってます.
Speaker 3:So actually I have forgot that start.
Speaker 1:I think he, leftoo, is always looking forward. No, looking back, now let's talk about forward, then we move forward. But I want to ask Masa, maybe you can answer this question. It's a whole new thing for Elbrex. Now it's going local and it's the other way around. Now you have the local players and then you're followed by the foreign players, who might be Japanese or whatever you may seem fit for the team. Right, just just in general. Right, how did this thing come about? Was it a collective effort or collective decision by the management, or how did this all local thing come about?
Speaker 3:yeah, so I think, uh, we have been working in Singapore for more than 20 years. Last year was 20th anniversary. Then we wanted to contribute Singapore football more, which made us decide to be a localized team.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful. So after 20 years, you decided that it's time to give back and contribute to, especially with the local players as well. Right, it's wonderful. Now I want to ask Coach right, planning for this year was it difficult Because you need to get the local players and then look for the foreign players? Right? What was Coach Kazu's main area of concern? What was Coach Kazu's main area of concern, like? What was the problem in getting these players in?
Speaker 3:What was the most worrying thing about getting these players in?
Speaker 2:Every year it's like this, but when it comes to choosing new players, it's the club's way of thinking and the way of playing football. I think it's important for the players to come to see us in our way of fighting.
Speaker 3:I think it was very important to see that in that way. We need to find players who fit clubs' philosophy and how we play football. So in that sense a bit difficult to pick up players.
Speaker 1:I like this part. You know you talk about style of play, right. So to me, I commentate on the games and I watch from the outside right. You guys are always known for possession-based football. Watch from the outside right. You guys are always known for possession based football. Very fit players, yeah, who can go up and down throughout 90 minutes. Technically brilliant players as well, very good on the ball, technically very good players and tactically also very good, can play in a few positions. You know, I think that's how I see it. What is to coach Kazu Albrecht's style of play?
Speaker 3:So our football is like total football, so attack by everybody and defend by everybody and based on that, we should utilize individual strong points.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep yep, I want to ask this question to Coach Kazu, right? Do you see this as a weakness in our local players? We talk about attacking together, defending together, and we see so much I'm a local, but I see so much of our local players maybe we attack but we don't defend, or we can't defend because we are not fit enough, right? Is that the same problem?
Speaker 2:that he's maybe facing now with the local place as well. Coach Kazu is nodding his head.
Speaker 3:I think it's a habitual thing. So in training we don't like do only attacking or defending, we do both. Then throughout those training, I think we can improve players Right, right.
Speaker 1:So it's basically trying to get the players to keep on doing again and again and again so that they improve and they get it right, right. So in that sense, is Coach Kazu, maybe, maybe change the style this year because of the local players.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no yeah. That might change a little bit the style this year because of the local players. Yeah, no yeah.
Speaker 3:So there might be slight change. But in football there are kind of variation. So throughout the game I think we should take a balance, then manage the game yes, I understand.
Speaker 1:Now let's talk about the local players that come in. I just want to read out some names Ho Wai Loon, amy Reka, daniel Goh Idki Sight Fredaus, ashad Shamim, gareth Lowe, right. And of course there's Hasan as well, who's played for last season with you guys. Now, how have the local players adapted to the team and training methods, especially?
Speaker 3:How did you practice?
Speaker 2:I think they had a hard time, but they were very serious about it.
Speaker 3:They wanted to meet my needs. They have the will to respond to the questions up training. So, yeah, I think they have been doing well.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, training has been tough. Yeah, and Masa, you're always in training sessions. You are doing the translating as well.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Was language a little bit of a problem in the first place, but it's, or football is, universal language. Yeah, I don't think that much issue. Yeah, but yeah, I think fine, okay, good, good, that's great, great, yeah, but yeah, I think, fine, okay, good, good, that's great, great to know. I think Hasan would be A very great help To A great help to the team, right, because he's been there for a year, he knows how it works. I think he'll be very good For the dressing room. Yeah Well.
Speaker 2:At first. After he practiced he told me To be better in the off-pitch after practice. Since then I've been working with local players and veterans. He was on the team when I was out, but even though he wasn't there, the local players were still very enthusiastic about the game and he said players need to improve those things.
Speaker 3:Afterwards I think they improved that Then Hasan left the team for national team games. But even during those periods other players kept working hard, so I think his influence is big, brilliant, well done.
Speaker 1:Well done to the team as well. Working hard. So I think his influence is big, brilliant, well done. Well done to the team as well, and I think I spoke to, I think, hiro and Hasan before in the podcast a couple of months ago and I think off the pitch is very, very important. You know the reputation of the club, you know, I think it's key and I think the players have got to behave themselves as well, and I think, kudos to Albrecht, well done. I want to touch on a few things. Right, ho Wai Loon is your captain. Is there a decision? Why, or was it a collective effort, to pick him as the captain? What was the reason?
Speaker 2:behind Ho Wai Loon.
Speaker 3:So at first. So I decided that the words that can make him work, act and be a leader are suitable for him. After all, players came to training, then I discussed with them. Then from them they recommended Hoa Lun. Okay, because of his like attitude, behavior and also his performance. Yeah, then I think, yeah, he is a good to choose nice.
Speaker 1:I just want to talk about a few players and what they can bring to the team, like what can they offer to the team? Daniel Goh, what can he offer to this team, this Elbrecht's team? I?
Speaker 3:think he chose our team because he wants to grow even more.
Speaker 2:I hope so too. I hope he can grow even more as a player who can shine on the national team. For our team, it's important for him to grow. That's what I expect.
Speaker 3:I think Daniel chose Alvarez because he wants to improve more. Then I also expect him to improve more Then, if he can perform better in national team that would be great for him and us Nice.
Speaker 1:I want to touch on this player, amy right, amy Rekha right. He's also the vice I think the vice captain. He didn't have a good couple of seasons at Haogang, you know, not so good. You know what can he bring to Elbrex this season. You know, in terms of positions as well, what can he offer to Elbrex.
Speaker 3:Amy right, what can you?
Speaker 2:bring to Amy. He's not just improving physically, but also physically.
Speaker 3:I hope he can show us a different side of him this year season, then also maybe training wise didn't do well, maybe so at first he struggled at alvarez, but now he's working on his physicality then now I think he's getting fitter and fitter right, so I think he can do much better this season.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice okay, let's talk about the foreign players that you've got right. I'll just read through the names and then Coach Kazu can speak about every one of them just a little bit. You know what are their strengths and what can they give to Albrechts right? First up is Stevia Mikuni. Yep, he's 25 years old. He's a centre-back. He, what does he bring? Is he a centre-back or defensive mid, or he's only a centre-back? What can he offer to the team?
Speaker 2:I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense. I think he's an important player in terms of defense.
Speaker 3:I think he's an important his best, so I want him to improve. Then I want him to show his best in Singapore, nice.
Speaker 1:Yojiro Takahagi. He's 37 years old. He's a former league winner in the J-League with Hiroshima a couple of years ago, or many years ago. What does he bring? I think he brings the experience and the position as well. What position does he play?
Speaker 2:中盤のどこかに必ずいてもらわなきゃ困る選手。 攻守でやっぱりリーダーシップを取れるような選手。 特に攻撃については、彼は僕はもう15歳くらいから知ってますけど、 やはり天才的なプレーヤーと呼ばれた時もあったので、 そういう彼の技術の高さ、戦術側の高さに注目.
Speaker 3:So basically he will play in midfield, then he can lead attack and also defend. Then I know him from, since he was 15 years old, nice, but like in the past he was called like genius, okay yeah, so technically and tactically he is brilliant. So please watch him.
Speaker 1:Nice, very nice. I think we will be hoping to really see a lot of him. I think he is one to impress, definitely this season. How about Yohei Otake, who studied, for? He's a former FC Tokyo player as well. Position-wise, what does he bring to the team he's?
Speaker 2:a former FC Tokyo player as well. Position-wise, what does he bring to the team? He's a midfielder or an aggressive player. He's also a genius, as he's been called. I hope he can shine again here.
Speaker 3:He's also a midfielder and an attacking type. I hope he can shine even more here, singapore.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to a lot of geniuses playing for Elbrecht this season, you know, I think it's something that we all should look out for, and it's wonderful. Kawachi is back, center back. Yeah, no problems. Jumbo is back to score goals for you guys. We've got geniuses. And then we've got players to score goals as well. We've got center backs as well. I want to ask this question to coach right, how important right now are the foreign players? How important are they? Because the rest are all the local players? How important?
Speaker 3:are these foreign players to the team this season, especially 特に誰がいいってことね。 特にというか、どれくらい重要ですか? 外国人選手、日本人選手ですけど。 特にシリーズの最初はかなり重要になってく.
Speaker 2:How important is it for Japanese players? I think it's going to be very important for the first season and while we're training together, I think it's going to be very important for them to give good inspiration to the local players and improve their play. Local players' play will improve. I think that's a very important thing.
Speaker 3:I think they are very important, especially at the beginning of the season, then throughout training. I think their play stimulate local players' performance. Then it will be improved right it's.
Speaker 1:They are like role models now, aren't they? They are like role models now, aren't they? They are like role models right, so that the other, the local players, will look up to them, you know, off the pitch, on the pitch, in the dressing room. I think they are very important, not just the game the game is only 90 minutes.
Speaker 2:Not just the game. In everyday training, in everyday life, they play with them and so not only the game, but also daily life.
Speaker 3:So throughout training and those things then playing together with them, them then also compete with them. Local players should improve.
Speaker 1:I think during training sessions as well, because how hard they go, because we don't want to relax at training because game, then you relax, you must train as hard like what you would give in a game.
Speaker 1:It's a very good point, wonderful. Before we go, there are a couple of questions that we need to get out of the way right. Is there any player to look out for this season for Elbrex? Maybe a couple of players, any foreigners that you think that's going to shine for Elbrex and maybe pick a local player or two local players?
Speaker 2:that you think that's going to shine for Elbrecht this season.
Speaker 3:I won't mention specific players but I really expect local players to improve. Then if they rated in a good way, then that would be my pleasure yeah, I think is is.
Speaker 1:Is it one of coach kazu's goals to, to, to get the players recognition, the local players recognition that they can get into the national team? Is that one of the objectives as well?
Speaker 3:Well, I think でもそれにアジャストする選手が出てこないとこの国の強くならないんでそういったことは意識してます。 so I think national team head coach Ogura wants high standard players, so we need to improve our players to that standard.
Speaker 2:Otherwise Singapore football won't be better.
Speaker 3:Yeah I don't think national team head coach uh will national team strong, but uh all coaches and football players in the country will make it stronger.
Speaker 1:I think I understand what you're saying. I think what Coach Kazu is saying, and everybody listening at home as well, it is not only one club, it's the whole of Singapore. All the coaches in Singapore has got to help their players to elevate their game so that they can be up to that standard in the national team. I totally understand. Now, I've heard about you know your foreign players. You know some of the local players as well. We've got a couple of geniuses in the team as well. We've got a very, very good goalkeeper in Hassan as well. Can we expect lots of goals this season? And can we expect the same number of? You know your defense is so, so good. Last season, only 20 goals conceded right. Are we expecting the same this season?
Speaker 2:I think it's important to try to do that, so I want to stick to that number.
Speaker 3:I think Hasan wants to do the same again.
Speaker 1:Less than 20.
Speaker 3:Then, yeah, we want to try to do that. Numbers yeah.
Speaker 1:Now this is the question, right, what is your goal for the season, objective for the season in terms of, you know, champions?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So yes, of course, even when we are localized, our philosophy and goals will not change so, yes, of course, even when we are localized, our target and our philosophy never change.
Speaker 1:Beautiful you know to all the other clubs as well. I think the defending champions are not here to just, you know, give the title away. You gotta fight for your title and to get back the title. Well done now, before we go, yeah before we go, yeah before we go. I think the Albrechts fans are also like, together with the Haogang fans and the Gela, and you know, in general, you know the crew at LCS as well. The fans are one of the best in Singapore. You know we have the cheerleaders, we have the small little kids, you small little kids doing their stuff and all, and they've always supported you guys. Any message from coach?
Speaker 2:to the fans. We will do our best to create a new culture. We will fight together.
Speaker 3:I hope you come to the stadium and fight with us this year. Then we might have a tougher season, but we will do our best and try to change Singapore football culture. So please come to the stadium and support us.
Speaker 1:King Kazu and Masa, thank you so much for being on the Silver Fox Hustle podcast for the Elbrex preview, for the preview show and I think this is probably the first time that you know Coach Kazu is out about giving and having a conversation with someone and talking about his team, the first time I've seen King Kazu smile as well and laugh as well a little bit. So thank you so much for being on the podcast. We wish you all the best for the coming season. It's going to be a long season, right 24, 25.
Speaker 1:Hope for the best for you guys thank you this has been the latest episode of the Silver Fox Hustle podcast, the SPL preview, with the reigning champions Albrecht Sneegata, singapore. And till the next episode, we see you again, cheers, bye.