Japanese coach Kenichi Kamata recently spoke with Japanese media outlet FNN. He has been coaching China's U16 national team, and his performance has been widely recognized by Chinese fans. Now, he has shared his experiences coaching in China, many of which are being discussed publicly in Japan for the first time. He has expressed many expectations and hopes for Chinese football, three of which have left a deep impression on us.
Firstly, he said that if given the opportunity to coach the Chinese men's national team in the future, he would spare no effort to help Chinese players reach their full potential. This is very touching and shows that he is not ruling out the possibility of becoming the head coach of the national team in the future. Compared to South Korean coach Hwang Sun-hong, who directly declined an offer from the Chinese team, Kamata is more courageous and willing to help Chinese football.
Secondly, as a Japanese person, Kamata acknowledges that coaching a Chinese national team is challenging. However, the Chinese Football Association has given him enough trust, which motivates him to help the U16 team perform at their best to repay that trust. We should commend the Chinese Football Association for not holding back due to his nationality, and Kamata himself is very grateful. We believe he will do everything he can to help this young national team succeed.
Thirdly, Kamata specifically praised the strengths of Chinese players in front of Japanese media. He said that Chinese players have better physical qualities than their Japanese counterparts and are very strong in execution, which is a significant advantage. However, they can be somewhat mechanical and lack in thinking ability, so he will find ways to help them better express themselves. It is clear that Kamata has a deep understanding of Chinese football and can see both the strengths and weaknesses of Chinese players without any condescension. He can effectively leverage the characteristics of Chinese players.
After listening to his interview and seeing the sincerity, courage, and wisdom of this Japanese coach, we are really looking forward to Kamata helping Chinese football achieve real breakthroughs in the future! (Lao Qiu)