It's been two years since we had an exclusive interview with Gotoku Sakai on syncSPORTS. Two years feels like an eternity considering how much Vissel Kobe has surged in that time. After going through an intense period of continued fighting and continued evolution to become the seasoned veteran he is today, what future does Sakai envision from here, and how does he inspire the younger players?

※This interview was conducted during the Okinawa training camp in January 2025.

——Looking back at the 2024 season as defending champions, what kind of difficulty did you face on the tactical side?

“The ‘counter-Vissel Kobe tactics’ from opponents definitely intensified. But I think that we were able to play even stronger soccer because we were able to execute a play style that didn’t let our opponents shut us down throughout the season. Also, the new players each demonstrated their own strengths, which brought a wider variety to the team. I feel we were able to grow as a team on the tactical side.”

——Were there any new personal challenges?

“Every year I work on various things to improve on the previous year. For example, I incorporate a lot of practice focused on reviewing plays that didn’t go well and improving them, and I work on remodeling my body. Rather than drastically changing my approach, it’s more of steadily accumulating improvements.”

——What goals have you set for yourself for the 2025 season?

“Improving my numbers. In particular, goals and assists. Over the past two years I haven’t produced the numbers I had in mind, so I want to contribute to the team in that regard. Of course it’s not a position where I’m always aiming for goal, so it’s important to balance that with defense, but I want to improve more in terms of finishing accuracy and movement into the penalty box area.”

——Which teammate do you have high expectations for this season?

“There are so many I can’t choose! I have high expectations for so many players. If I had to narrow it down to one, it would be Taiki (Sasaki Daiju). He’s a player who has steadily built up his ability over the past few years, but I get the feeling he’s still not satisfied with himself. It might be enough for the average player, but Taiki is different. He’s a player who can go much, much higher. In terms of goals, he’s definitely someone who can score 10 or more, and I think the opportunity was there. But the fact that he hasn’t reached that level means there are things he needs to do. I’m expecting him to finally deliver this year.”

——You turn 34 this year. How do you interact with young players and juniors as a veteran?

“I’m really not conscious about “teaching” them anything. My take is that it works be great if they can learn from watching me play, and see what my attitude toward football is. Instead of giving them advice, I focus on communicating by sharing each other‘s opinions. A lot of it is aligning visions and opinions, like ‘I thought doing so-and-so would lead to a better attack, what do you think?’ I try to focus on creating an environment where it’s easy to talk to each other like that.”

——Is there a secret to staying active at the highest level for so long?

“Very basic things: maintaining a regular life rhythm, getting enough sleep, taking care of my body, supplementary exercises, and being careful about what I eat. Everyone ages, but I take care of my body so my performance doesn’t decline. I feel more damage to my body now that I’m in my thirties compared to when I was in my twenties, so I Rey to be more careful. On the other hand, the more I apply myself to these things, the more I feel that my body can still move. I’m confident that I’m working harder than players in their teens and twenties. The fact that I can take the pitch with confidence every game at this age is precisely because of those daily efforts.”

——I’ve heard that you started football a bit later than others. Looking back, what kind of football kid were you?

“I wanted to play overseas from early on. I originally started playing football because I saw a friend’s older brother kicking a ball and thought it looked fun―that was when I was 10 years old. That’s late compared to others, right? Since I wasn’t as good as the other kids who started early, I practiced a lot so I could catch up with them. I was very competitive even back then. When I was about 15 and went on an overseas trip with the under-age national team, I was surprised by the high level of the foreign players, and at the same time thought, ‘I don’t want to lose to them.’ That’s when I became conscious of playing overseas. From that moment on I kept aiming to play abroad. I think it was good for me that I developed that mindset within five years of starting soccer. What mattered wasn’t how old I was when I started soccer, but that I kept making the effort thinking, ‘I don’t want to lose to anyone, I want to get better.'”

“I want to get even better.” The reason he can keep performing at the highest level for so long is precisely because of that straightforward, unwavering attitude―unchanged since the day he started soccer. Ahead of Sakai’s continued efforts lies, surely, the “better future” of Vissel Kobe.

EDIT: Yohsuke Watanabe (IN FOCUS)
TEXT: Kodai Wada