On the 10th, a press conference was held with new recruit Shion Homma, where he answered questions from the media.

What were your impressions after watching the Reds game?
"First of all, everyone is very skilled, and in terms of tactics, they apply quick pressure to quickly win the ball back after losing it, and I think they are a well-balanced team in terms of whether they hold the ball or attack with a quick break."

(Do you have an image of how to make the most of Honma's strengths?)
"I'm good at counterattacks, so if I can make good decisions and work well with those around me, I think I can score goals and make assists. Also, the team that has the ball is one that suits my playing style, so I'm looking forward to playing."

(What made you want to come back to Japan to play after building your career in Europe?)
"I tried to go to Europe, but the level was so high that I only had a short time to play for the first team. I feel like I'm starting over again, but I want to try again in Japan and produce good results."

(Why did you choose the Reds out of all the teams in Japan?)
"When I was young, I had the opportunity to speak with him once after the second or third year of my career, and he has followed me ever since. I want to play for a team that has that kind of trust and that needs me, so that's why I decided to join."
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(What was your impression of the Reds from the outside? How did that change after you got inside?)
"It's a big club in Japan, so the fans and supporters are very enthusiastic, the stadium has a great environment, and I wanted to play there. Now that I'm here, the players are also very kind. It's only been a little over a week, so I've been communicating with them, but I haven't gotten to know them very well yet, so I'd like to talk more and become more familiar with them."

(What do Per-Mathias Hoegmo 's football and what position do you want to play?)
"I don't really care about the position. First of all, I want to play in the game, and I'll play in whatever position the coach wants me to play. I think I have to do that. I'm preparing to play in any position."

(Was there more attacking midfielders or left-handed players in Europe?)
"That's right. That's the position I'm best at."

(You said that the level of competition in Europe was high, but what did you feel?)
"First of all, as you all know, all the European players are big and fast. I was confident that I had the technique, but I felt that I just wasn't strong enough. In soccer, if a big player has the same technique as me, the coach will want to use him, and I understood that too. But my technique was lacking, and I got the impression that I was lacking in everything."

(I think you had a chance to play for the second team, but how did you play there?)
"With the second team, I was confident that I could do well if I was allowed to play in matches, but if I don't get to play in matches, nothing happens, so getting a chance was the hardest part with the first team."

(What are your prospects for playing in the J-League? What kind of things would you like to do?)
"I played in the J.League, but I played in the J2 League and have no experience in the J1 League, so to be honest I don't know yet what the differences are. I won't know until I play, so I think the sooner I get used to it the easier it will be to get results. I want to get used to the team and the environment as quickly as possible."

(I think you're in training camp in Europe after the break, but how much difference is there between your current condition and your condition when you play in a match?)
"I played 30 minutes in a training match the other day, but I found that I was out of breath quicker than when I was in top form, and my touch on the ball was a bit off compared to Max. I can't say I'm perfect yet, but I think I'm doing my best to prepare myself to play in a match."

What do you pay attention to when preparing for a match?
"First of all, as you mentioned earlier, we are in the training camp period for the European season, so first of all I need to avoid getting injured. If I get injured, it will be over, so I am being careful from my regular training to avoid getting injured and to bring my condition up to my maximum. Also, if I can do the basic things like taking care of myself after training, sleeping, and eating well and not slack off, I don't think I will get injured, so I want to be careful about those things."

(You said that your teammates are kind, but are you good at communicating with them?)
"I don't know. If you ask the other players, you'll understand, but I don't think I'll talk much at first. I can talk to younger players, but the Reds have a lot of well-known players, so I get nervous. I'm looking forward to getting to know them better."

(What was the most nerve-wracking thing you did?)
"I think that players Koroki (Shinzo) Kogi and (Tomoya) Ugajin, who have been with the Reds for a long time, would all say the same."

(Which players did you know before joining the Reds?)
"I basically watch soccer, so I know him, but the only player I had any contact with was Watanabe (Ryoma), who I played with when I was at Niigata."

(Why did you choose the number 19?)
"It's the number that my favorite player wore when he was young. I don't have any particular preference for numbers, but I chose it because that's the number my favorite player wore."

(Who is your favorite player who wore number 19?)
"I've loved Lionel Messi since I was little, and wore the number 19 when I was younger at Barca. As I said before, I don't have any particular preference, but when I thought about which number I wanted to wear from the ones that were available, this was the one that came to mind, so I decided on it."

(Messi is also small and skilled, did you take inspiration from his playing style?)
"I'd been watching his playing style since I was little and imitating him in my training. But when I went overseas, I realized how much more of a monster Messi is than when I was in Japan. He's able to get past so many bigger players at that height and score goals with ease, so I thought he was on a completely different level."

(Want to get a little closer to Messi?)
"of course"

(Do you admire Messi?)
"I think everyone feels the same way. I think all soccer players talk about Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo, and I think they're all idolized."

(What is the origin of the name Shion?)
"I heard it once, but I forgot (laughs). I think it's because it's easy to call. People around me call me Shion."

(Do you want your supporters to call you Shion?)
"Anything you want, just call me."

What are your personal goals?
"There aren't many games in the six months remaining (of the season), so the first thing I want to do is to stay injury-free and play well through the season. After that, I want to do my best to give the Reds as much of my strength as possible to help them win. If that means goals or assists, that will help the team even more, so it would be great if I could score and assist as many times as possible, but even if I can't, I want to keep running for the team and do my best to contribute to the team."

(A year later they will be competing in the FIFA Club World Cup. Did that influence your decision to join?)
"I think being able to take part in a major tournament that will be held once every four years is an important part of my soccer career, and this tournament was one of the deciding factors."

(I think you had a career in mind after moving from Niigata to Belgium. There may have been some downsides to coming back to Japan after just two years, but how did you come to this transfer?)
"It would be great if I succeeded, but I don't think there will be any success if I don't challenge myself. I think that if I had produced results, the fans, supporters and people involved at my previous club would have been happy, but I think that's the way football is, things don't always work out that way. I think that only a handful can make it to the top, and when I went overseas I realized how weak I was, but I wouldn't have felt that if I hadn't gone there. I would like to bring that experience back to the Reds."

(Please give a message to Reds fans and supporters)
"I want to produce results so that I can be loved by the Reds' fans and supporters, and I want to do my best for the team. Please support me."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]