The state found beyond the struggle
Determined to show a return to basics in battle
MF 37 Kei KOIZUMI
Introducing all the blue and red warriors taking on the 2026 Meiji Yasuda J1 Century Vision League in 'PLAYERS FILE 2026.' What thoughts do the players hold, and with what resolve are they preparing to face the year ahead, especially with the special half-season tournament approaching?
In the 2025 season, when he fought as captain and the team's performance struggled to improve, Kei KOIZUMI also endured hardships. What kind of experience did that become for him? And as the new season approaches, marking his longest tenure at one club with his fourth season, what feelings does he hold deep in his heart?
Last season, as captain, he quietly supported the team. Watching each teammate’s expression, he would occasionally speak to those whose faces looked gloomy, despite his awkwardness. During the first half of the league when the team struggled, he saw nothing but pained faces. It’s not hard to imagine the immense pressure he was under. After repeatedly confronting his own 'lack of ability,' Kei KOIZUMI arrived at a simple answer. It was that phrase he often said like a catchphrase.
"I don't care what it takes, as long as we win."
He continued to battle the pressure and felt the weight of the captain's armband more than anyone else. Toward the end of last season, he said, "Looking back on this past year, each member of the team really went through a lot. We saw each other every day. We spent more time together than with our families, and during that time, everyone worked hard and endured. Whether I can say that year was a good one, I still don't know."
However, the man who endured the hardship put it into words like this.
"I couldn't deliver results, so I achieved nothing as a player or as a captain. But there were things I wouldn't have understood without trying, and I was able to develop new ways of thinking. I realized there are experiences only those who have truly gone through it can understand. I discovered that captains have been living with these emotions every day. If the team's performance had been better, I might have been able to focus more on myself. But when the team wasn't doing well, I had to prioritize the team above all else. Honestly, during the difficult first half of the league, I couldn't balance both and lost sight of myself."
Then, looking ahead to the new season, Koizumi said, "I want to return to my original mindset once again."
"I reflected once more on what I felt when I first came to Tokyo. I want to reorganize why I came to Tokyo and what goals I had when I joined, and first of all, I want to complete this half-season."
Before I knew it, this season marks my fourth wearing the blue and red. In terms of years with the club, it has become tied as the longest in my career alongside Albirex Niigata, where I started my professional career.
"I believed that I needed to experience fighting for a long time at one club. Simply put, I haven’t achieved anything yet in Tokyo. There are things I need to do here, and at this timing when everyone is ready to give their best, I couldn’t consider any other options. Even if I have to cling on, I felt it’s better to stay and do more here. I want to show that determination."
After enduring hardship, he wanted to see the scenery that would come into view. Although he said, "There were times I lost myself," his true nature is to run and fight harder than anyone else. It’s fine to remain the same as before. He just needs to continue being a man who is fully committed to victory above all.
That is the value of the man Kei KOIZUMI is, and where his pride lies. The elder brother of the blue and red, now deeper and more mature, has become a man’s man who commands respect.
(Honorifics omitted in the text)
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
