On the 12th, manager Maciej Skorza held an online press conference, where he spoke about his enthusiasm for the Meiji Yasuda J1 League Round 30 match against Gamba Osaka which will be held at Panasonic Stadium Suita on Saturday, September 14th.

"Hello everyone. I'm happy to be reunited with you all, and I'm also happy to be able to cooperate with you all from now on. I hope to build a smooth relationship with you all, so that it will be satisfactory for both sides. Thank you."

[Question and Answer Session]
(From the first training match to today's training, what was the one thing that Coach Maciej emphasized to the players?)
"That's a good question. First of all, we started by setting the team's goals. We talked about our cooperation and the rules. We also talked about short-term goals and goals for this season. But we didn't do anything particularly different. When I start working, I always tell them what is important to me. It's not that they have to just follow my instructions, but the rule is that I can help the team. We have come together as one team, and I just help make that team work. What's important for us is to have a good attitude, a good team spirit, and to overcome each and every difficulty."

(Since you were in charge of the team until last season, I think there are some players you already know, but you said that there are about half of the players you don't know. What was your impression of those players that you were seeing for the first time?)
"I think we'll get to see this for real in the official matches, so I'd like to get to know them during the matches, including their spirit. Right now we're talking about the rules and attitude, which is very important, but it's just a start. They need to show this through their actual actions and behavior. I've been watching the team train for three days, and my impression is very positive. They're doing a good job, working hard in very intense training. Now it's time to show that in the matches."

(The first opponent, Gamba OSAKA, will be a tough opponent. In getting the team back on track, is there anything you want them to focus on on the pitch or anything you want to emphasize?)
"I have watched several games against Gamba OSAKA, including yesterday's match. First of all, I think Gamba OSAKA is definitely stronger than last season. If we want to beat Gamba OSAKA away from home, there are a few things we need to be careful of. We have been working hard in training on these points this week. I think the movements and form when we don't have the ball will be important. I would like to be able to control the game as well as possible. We need to be in the right zone and in the right position at every moment of the match. I would like the players to play with high intensity throughout the 90 minutes."

(At your inauguration press conference you spoke about a balance between offense and defense, but what have you been working on during these three days of positive training? Will you place your center of gravity back and aim for a counter attack? Or will you be more aggressive and press from the front?)
"To answer simply, I think it's important to be in the right position at that moment. Gamba OSAKA has good attacking players and is good at building up the play, so I think there will certainly be times when we have to defend in zone 1, in a low position. Gamba OSAKA is a good team, but no team is perfect. If we want to beat them, I think we first need to be able to defend well in a low position. I feel that the new players at Urawa Reds have great offensive potential. I hope to be able to utilize that potential in a good way."

Can you give us some more specifics about the offensive potential of the new players?
"Comparing last year's team to this year's team, I think the offensive potential has definitely increased. I don't really want to mention individual players' names, but we have players like (Yusuke) Matsuo, (Naoki) Maeda, and Thiago Santana, who was the top scorer, and it's no secret to anyone that they have great offensive power. And under coach Per-Mathias Hoegmo, the team has been able to show beautiful attacks. Coach Matthias has created an attractive team in terms of attack. For me, having known the J.League for a long time, the advantage is that we can build a team that can compete in a balanced way within the J.League."

(I'm sure you've watched a lot of J-League games since it was decided that you would take over as manager of the Reds. Have you noticed any changes compared to last year?)
"I can't comment with any confidence yet, but from my impression watching the J.League, (FC) Machida (Zelvia) has been a surprise. I feel they are a new force in the J.League. With these new forces emerging, when you look at the teams at the top, it seems like their defenses are more organized compared to last year. One good example of this is Gamba OSAKA our next opponent. Compared to last year's Gamba OSAKA, their defensive style has changed."

(Regarding taking charge of the same team again, one would think it would be easy but in reality it is difficult. Maciej has managed Lech Poznan twice, will that experience be useful when he takes charge of the Reds again or is it irrelevant this time?)
"There are similarities, but with Lech Poznan it was a different situation, as it was seven years since my last visit. The second time I went to Lech Poznan it was towards the end of the season, not mid-season like this time. With Lech Poznan I won the league in my second season, so hopefully I can repeat that here."

(In the J.League, managers who take over for the same team for the second time often struggle. This is the case with Kashiwa Reysol 's Nelsinho and Katanosaka Tomohiro, who is in charge of Oita Trinita in the J2 this year. I think they also struggle because it is easy for opponents to devise countermeasures. I am not too worried about Maciej, but what do you think about him?)
"That means that there will be hardships ahead (laughs). As you say, there is a possibility that future opponents will analyze last year's Urawa Reds and devise countermeasures. However, I myself would like to develop my tactics and not stay in one place, and the tactics themselves may change depending on the players available. Currently, coaches Ikeda (Nobuyasu), Maesako (Masato), and Hayashi (Maiki) (who is also in charge of analysis) are giving me a lot of information so that I can get to know the team. I want to create a situation where I can be of help to the team as soon as possible. And the positive thing for me in this situation is that I already know them, so I can trust and listen to their opinions from the beginning."

(I've heard that Coach Matthias has created an attractive team, but have you noticed any changes in the play of the players who have been there since last year?)
"There are some players I've known since last year who are continuing to improve. I won't mention any names right now, but there are some players who are growing and developing. That's all I can say for now."

(I can't say anything specific, but last year we selected players with an emphasis on height, which I think ensured the strength of our defense. This year, those players are gone and the average size is smaller, but will that affect how we play?)
"We have to prepare taking all factors into consideration. Before coming here I watched videos of the Reds and had an idea of what I need to do. But in reality, I will have to watch them in training and in games. First of all, over the next month I will try to figure out what the best way is for this team to win. Rather than forcing my own philosophy on them, I want to think about what we can do with the current team. With 11 games remaining this season, what we need most is to pick up points."

(It was also announced that Rafal Janas and Wojciech Makowski, who were in charge of the team last year, will take up the new positions as top team coaches. I believe Janas was in charge of offense and Makowski was in charge of defense last year, but as they have not yet been appointed, is Maciej directly instructing them?)
"We are dividing up the work among the current staff. Mako (Makowski) was a manager in Poland. After the match against Gamba OSAKA, we will analyze the match thoroughly and proceed with our work, but I hope that they will come to Japan in a week or two so that we can work together."

[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]