Win with good soccer. Backward calculation from victory and goals
The 2025 season is finally starting. Tokyo will be fighting alongside the new head coach Rikizo MATSUHASHI in this new season. In this first interview, he spoke passionately about various topics, from the circumstances of his appointment to his experiences as a player, his pride as a coach, his personality, his approach to players, and the soccer style he aims for with the blue and red team. Born in Chofu City, which can be said to be the home of Ajinomoto Stadium, the new coach is natural and full of humanity. With the start of the new team just around the corner, the vision for “Rikizo Tokyo” is beginning to take shape with various keywords.
Born in Chofu
──First of all, congratulations on your appointment as manager. What were your thoughts when making this decision?
I am truly grateful for this opportunity, and I felt a sense of disbelief. My career as a coach is not that long, and while I have achieved promotion to J1 League, it was not just my effort but also the strength of everyone I worked with. Therefore, regarding the evaluation from those around me, I actually felt a bit of imbalance when compared to my own expectations and the pace of growth in my coaching career. Nevertheless, I was very happy to receive this recognition and to have the conversation at an early stage.
By the way, Coach Matsuhashi was born in Chofu City, where Ajinomoto Stadium is located.
It is often asked, but my place of birth is Koganei City, and I grew up in Chiba Prefecture.
──That said, returning as a coach to the place where I was born. It feels like the beginning of a wonderful story.
That's right. I also feel that this is a kind of "connection." When I was appointed as the coach in Tokyo, my mother contacted me and said, "It's a connection, isn't it?" It's interesting, isn't it? I wonder if there's something to it, and I really want to make it something meaningful.
──What would you like the fans and supporters, who walk alongside a locally born coach, to call you?
There isn't a specific name, but I often get called "Riki-san." One player said something clever, calling me "Power Zō-san." Just the "power" part was in English (laughs). Teruhito NAKAGAWA, who I worked with at Yokohama F.Marinos, further shortened it to "Power-san." It's quite clever when you think about it (laughs).
Value Communication
──Looking back briefly at Coach Matsuhashi's career, he played for Nissan Motor, Yokohama Marinos (at the time), Kyoto Purple SANGA (at the time), and Jatco, and then he has walked the path of a coach.
It has been significant to be able to interact with many wonderful players and coaches. Although it has been gradual, various clubs have given me opportunities to grow. I am still far from complete, but I have been able to shape myself while viewing football from various angles. Among them, my experience as part of the Yokohama FM academy staff has been particularly impactful. The interactions with coaches and peers have been truly fruitful. We have discussed in detail, day and night, themes such as how to sincerely face football and how to help players progress to the next stage. This also includes conversations and collaborations with staff from various clubs, not just coaches. I believe that such experiences have laid the foundation for me. Of course, there were also clashes along the way. Including those experiences, it has been a place where I felt very much molded by the waves.
As a character, he is said to be "serious and passionate." It was impressive that during the season when Albirex Niigata achieved promotion to J1 League, all the players seriously claimed, "The MVP is Muriqui." I believe this is the best proof that the coach's passion became the foundation of the team.
Passion is necessary, but I also believe it is not a methodology. My thoughts and words are truly what I think, just as they are. How one behaves as a person is important in moving things forward, but if that is treated like a mere "decoration," it becomes a lie. I am myself, and I am not creating to show that part; I simply say what I do not understand. I will ask about things I want to learn. It is natural that I cannot be perfect in everything, and it is obvious to seek guidance from the leaders and peers around me for the areas where I am lacking. I also learn from the players. It is important to communicate properly, but it is not about having a special style; I just want to face the players sincerely.
──The "words" that express that feeling are very impressive. During the Niigata era, you shared many resonant phrases such as "the strongest enemy is the one in front of you" and "the philosophy doesn't change, but the methods do." The most striking was "overcome with technique." When the opponent comes at you with high pressure, instead of running away, I felt a positive and strong policy was shown to confront and surpass them with our strengths to win. There seems to be a strong commitment to words.
I believe that there are words that resonate in our hearts, stimulated by various things including reading. I used to jot down good words, but recently I have not been actively doing that. I started to think, 'Isn't that a bit superficial?' I believe that the words that truly resonate in my heart are those that come out of my mouth when they have a significant impact on me and match the scenery in front of me. I think important words should be set aside for a while until they settle in the heart, and they will naturally come out when needed.
──Serious and passionate. On the other hand, he is also lightly teased by the players, for example, being called "Rikizo MATSUHASHI, handsome!" by both the players and supporters, showing a lovable character side as well.
It's really appreciated, isn't it? There are thoughts about whether being too serious is a good thing, and it's not like we have to be "dead serious" all the time; it's okay to be appropriate where it counts. I always think that things will turn out as they will, and I've even told the players, "I don't know, so I'm counting on you guys" (laughs). If everything is too rigid, I wonder if we can really rely on it. A little unconventional idea might not come out if we are too serious, so it's good to relax a bit. I understand both the good and bad sides of my emotions, so when I feel emotional ups and downs, I really try to be conscious of staying neutral in any situation and keeping my center of gravity right in the middle.
"I've grown tired of hearing about 'good soccer'"
──How have you viewed the team and club in Tokyo so far?
I have seen that we are steadily growing into a big club. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and it is truly a large city known by everyone in the world. I believe the club is also moving towards becoming one of those "big places."
──What kind of persuasive words were used when you were appointed as the coach?
This was the first team that approached me with a pitch, and they explained to me why it was me, including the club's vision.
──What kind of vision and projects were they?
As a club, I have taken on a significant role in the gradually changing flow of how we establish our style of soccer. First, I am considering how to incorporate what I have into the current strengths of the team, and I believe there are areas where my thoughts align with that. In Niigata, we built up play carefully, and the phrase 'number one in ball possession' became synonymous with us, but that is not our goal. The players in Niigata understood that well. Therefore, I communicated to the players that while I appreciate being evaluated positively for 'good soccer,' I have grown tired of hearing that. What we aim for is not just 'good soccer,' but 'winning with good soccer.' So, it goes without saying that we must work backward from victory and goals. Tokyo has players with speed in the front line, and their fast attacks are appealing, not limited to counterattacks. We can attack without taking too many touches, and there are players who can break through individually. It's just a matter of how to utilize those characteristics.
──How was that way of thinking cultivated?
I believe this idea is most influenced by my career as a player during the Nissan.S era. Rather than playing aimlessly, I was asked for a bit of playfulness and technical skills from my seniors, and I was trained from various angles. That's why I think the phrase 'detach with technique' came about. There is a commitment to that, isn't there? Under the pressure from the opponent, instead of just casually pulling the ball back, the accumulation of trying to lure the opponent out and bending the arrow creates many goals and chances. If that happens, holding the ball becomes a prerequisite, and not only that, but attacking quickly is also important, and for that, how to defend becomes crucial. First, I want to work together with the players to determine what is best or better. I try not to become too theoretical and avoid having preconceived notions.
──As expected, "technique" seems to be a major keyword. The episode requested by Kazushi KIMURA, who was a superstar during the Nissan era, is well known.
This is truly ingrained, isn't it? Kazushi says, "Soccer is always about pursuit!" Since he said it, there's no doubt about it. Back then, everyone at Nissan was like that. When my pass was a judgment error, instead of hearing, "That's not it," I would hear, "Oh, that's it, I see." This makes you feel like you're being laughed at for your lack of skill, and it pierces your heart. However, if you can't keep up with that level, you won't get to play in the matches. That's why you have to strive for skill. I believe that's a very important point.
──What perspective should fans and supporters take to understand and enjoy Coach Matsuhashi's soccer?
We will definitely focus on the technical aspects. Moreover, I always want the players to play with vitality and fully demonstrate their abilities. Rather than fitting everything into a rigid form, I want to make decisions while progressing with team building.
──As mentioned earlier, Nakagawa's name came up, but there are players in Tokyo with whom we have worked together so far.
Nakagawa and Keita ENDO experienced league victory together at Yokohama F.Marinos. I have been watching ENDO since his academy days, and Kei KOIZUMI was part of Yokohama F.Marinos' primary (elementary school) and junior youth teams. Although I haven't directly coached them, I have always observed their progress. Recently, Takahiro KO was with us in Niigata.
Isn't it a joy as a leader to once again join forces with them due to the bond we share?
That's true. A lot of time has passed, but I think it's very meaningful that we were able to meet again here, whether it's fate or a reunion. I am very happy about this and want to make it something meaningful.
──I heard you visited the MIXI, Inc. office in Shibuya for a meeting with the club. I believe you could see all of Tokyo from the upper floors.
The view was amazing, and I immediately started taking pictures in silence as soon as I entered the room. I'm not usually the type to take photos, but it was really incredible, wasn't it?
──That huge city will be the hometown of the team led by Coach Matsuhashi. Perhaps you have felt something new about "Tokyo" once again.
I thought I had come to a tough club (laughs). Of course, that is a joke, but by looking around, I felt the greatness of the city of Tokyo and realized it is a place with great power. It made me feel a renewed sense of determination.
In the announcement of his appointment, he expressed his determination by saying, "I want the stadium to be enveloped in a whirlwind of excitement." Together with the stadium, we expect Coach Matsuhashi to bring a style of football that excites the entire city of Tokyo.
That is what this club aims for, and I truly want to involve many people. The potential is enormous, and I want to carry that heavy responsibility and move forward towards a great goal together with the fans and supporters.
