Throughout last year’s battles, the keyword for the team was “passion.”
The battles that fueled them were expressed as a desire to win, creating excitement in the stadium.
This season, WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA will focus on the spirit that each player has behind their “passion.” What kind of power will their soul, enthusiasm, courage, and determination give to the team this season?
At all times, he will give it his all in the match that is before him. That is the spirit that Shota FUKUOKA carries in his heart.
“Sometimes when I give it my all, I can play well, but sometimes I end up spinning my wheels and making mistakes, which can cause trouble for the team. But all of this is only possible because I’m giving it my all, and that’s why I can grow. I realized this through the battles last season, so I just give it my all. I step onto the pitch with that as my minimum standard.”
Looking back, Fukuoka’s last season was a full year of activity. He played 36 games in the J1 League, a number that was his career high. Although he had played 29 games in the same league in 2021 when he was with Tokushima Vortis, the experience of continuing to stand on the pitch while competing for the top spots, unlike back then, gave him a confidence that was completely different from his career over the past 10 years.
“I played in games during my 23 years at Gamba, but honestly speaking, when you think about the team’s results, it ended without a full burn. However, last year, I played in almost all the games and although we didn’t win the championship, we were able to compete for the top spots in both the league and the EMPEROR’S CUP, and I felt that I was able to express the results of what I had been doing consistently. Of course, many issues came up and I realized that I still have a lot to grow. It was also a reminder that it’s meaningless if I don’t continue this.”
Come to think of it, it was in a match against Yokohama F･Marinos in July last year. When I tried to talk to him in the interview area after the match, he replied, “I’m sorry, I can’t hear right now.” According to Fukuoka, this happens almost every time after a match.
“During a match, you use your mind and body to the fullest, and your adrenaline keeps pumping. After a match, it’s not uncommon for me to lose my hearing, or have a dazed head and not be able to think clearly.”
This is what they call a burnout state. It is proof that he put all of himself into preparing as best he could, squeezing every ounce of strength out of his body to the limit and fighting through the full 90 minutes. Listening to him talk, it makes you worry about how he will generate the energy to go on to the next game, but with the support of his family, he says that the next day he is able to switch his mind and body to the next game.
“I basically can’t sleep on game days, and only get a few hours of sleep in the morning, so when I wake up, my head is usually still fuzzy. But when I wake up and see my child sleeping, I get a surge of new energy. Sometimes I say that but then go back to sleep (laughs), and when I’m lazing around in bed, my wife says to me, “Are you still sleeping? It’s time to go!” That’s also a turning point for me. Kids are very obedient, so when they wake up and say something like, “Dad, you shot at the other team’s goal yesterday!” that can really hurt (laughs). But that all adds up to the energy that makes me want to work hard for the next game.”
Fukuoka is 30 years old this year, which means he is at an age where he can be called a veteran, but he calls himself an “old rookie.”
“I’ve only just started playing in the J1 League. I’m wearing the emblem of a big club like Gamba, and I have strong teammates around me, so I think I still have a lot to grow. I want to start from scratch after last year’s success, but I want to keep my confidence strong and continue to pursue further growth from here.”
So that you can repeatedly experience the joyous moment that comes after fighting with all your might.
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Text by Takamura Misa
AloJapan.com