Q, first of all, before talking about joining Tokyo, please tell us about your time in Sendai, where you played for 2 and a half years when you first came to Japan.
A: Life in Sendai was very happy for me and my family. We received a lot of support from the fans and supporters in Sendai. I have nothing but good memories. I am also grateful to all the club staff, and I still remember my debut match against Cerezo Osaka. Of course, there were also matches against Tokyo, and I have only happy memories.
In the press release announced from Sendai, there were words of love that said, "Let's definitely meet again in J1." Player Kubo (nickname for Słowik) will continue to fight on the J1 stage as a member of Tokyo from here.
A: Of course, I was disappointed with the result of Sendai's relegation to J2 in the 2021 season. However, I gave my all in everything from practice to matches. In that context, I was very happy to receive an offer from Tokyo, one of Japan's big clubs, and I want to achieve a lot together with my teammates at this club.
Q: What was your impression of Tokyo as an opponent?
A: In the 2019 season, when I first came to Japan, Tokyo was competing for the championship. My impression was that they were a strong team at the very top of the standings. They are also a team where players with quality consistently perform well in matches.
Q: In the 2021 season, Tokyo won two matches against Sendai, and in both matches, Kubo's big save stood out.
A, I remember (laughs). However, in the end, Sendai was defeated. We did our best, but Tokyo has a team full of high-quality players, so that was the result.
Q: Who is the most memorable player among Tokyo's players?
A, it’s Diego OLIVEIRA. I have faced him twice in penalty shootouts, so he left a strong impression on me (laughs). His way of taking penalties is unique, and I think he is truly a skilled player. From a goalkeeper’s perspective, his style is difficult to deal with, but since we are now on the same team, I feel that if he takes penalties in practice, I’ll be able to handle any style (laughs).
Q: What is your impression of the level of Japanese goalkeepers, considering that Tokyo has excellent goalkeepers?
A, of course Tokyo has talented goalkeepers, and Kosei TANI from Shonan is also a wonderful talent. Keisuke OSAKO from Hiroshima and Yuma OBATA, who played in the same Sendai team, are also like that. I have the impression that the number of promising players full of potential is increasing. There is no doubt that the quality of Japanese goalkeepers is also improving.
Q, Poland, the home country of player Kubo, has produced many great goalkeepers such as player Jerzy Dudek and player Wojciech Szczesny. Former player Krzysztof Kaminski, who played for Iwata before, also had a successful career.
A, that is very important for Polish football. Many goalkeepers have played for big European clubs and some are still active there. Besides the players mentioned earlier, goalkeepers like Arthur BORUC (who played with Shunsuke Nakamura at Celtic and Maya Yoshida at Southampton) and Lukasz FABIANSKI are also outstanding. In Japan, Kaminski’s remarkable achievements led to the opportunity for me to come to Japan. I want to fully demonstrate the ability of Polish goalkeepers here in Tokyo as well.
Q: By the way, at what age did Kubo start playing as a goalkeeper?
A, it’s quite a long time ago... (laughs), but I think I was around 5 or 6 years old. My older brother started playing soccer first, and since I was the smallest, I ended up becoming the goalkeeper. Everyone disliked being a GK because you fall down or drop from high places when making saves, but for me, that was normal and didn’t bother me. After that, I also had experience playing as a defender. I belonged to a large academy, but since my playing style wasn’t very technical (laughs), the coach suggested, “How about being a GK?” Receiving the goalkeeper gloves was also a motivation for me, and from then on, I have been dedicated solely to being a GK.
Q: I thought being a goalkeeper was a popular position in Poland because there are many famous goalkeepers.
A, I think children in every country initially want to become strikers (laughs). When players like Dudek and BORUC were active, goalkeepers also became popular, but after all, when you think of Poland, it’s Roberto LEWANDOWSKI. So, I believe many players admire FW positions.
Q, looking at your career, you have played for domestic clubs in Poland, but I have read news that you were close to signing with Reading in England in 2015.
A, at that time, I went for a trial that lasted about a week. However, the team's goalkeeper slots were already filled, and shortly after, I also got injured, so the negotiations did not progress as I had hoped. Still, I had always wanted to test my potential and abilities overseas someday, and that first opportunity ended up being in Japan. I have held that desire since my time in Poland.
Q: After playing in the J-League for two and a half years, do you see any differences in your perception of Japanese soccer compared to when you first arrived in Japan?
A, in my opinion, Japan is a wonderful country and league. I don't know about other Asian countries, but I think it is an excellent league.
Q, Tokyo will be led by a new coach, Albert, in the 2022 season. He previously coached Albirex Niigata until the 2021 season. Have you ever watched Albert's team play soccer?
A, I watched a few matches from his time at Niigata. I checked them to understand what kind of soccer he plays and what kind of play is expected. My impression is that it’s a style focused on ball possession, and I think building attacks from the GK and defenders is also required. Originally, the GK’s role was to firmly protect the goal and stop shots, but nowadays, the demands are much broader. This includes foot skills and kicking. Probably, Tokyo’s new style will require many of these aspects. My approach is to thoroughly absorb, learn, and improve on what is demanded from practice. I want to tackle this with a positive attitude to adapt properly.
Q: In 2021, Tokyo had a problem with conceding a lot of goals. While fans and supporters may have the highest expectations for Kubo in terms of shot-stopping, how do you plan to improve the defense, including the backline?
A: No team can defend the goal alone, nor can a single player score all the goals. Everyone, from FW to GK, must attack and defend together. In my case, I want to communicate even more with the DF and specifically work on maintaining a compact formation to ensure we can defend effectively.
Q: Do you have any clear goals you want to achieve with this team?
A, I don't usually set personal goals, but first and foremost, I want the team to face the right direction and produce results. It would be great to win more trophies, but above all, I want us to fight hard and become a group that fans and supporters can be proud of, saying, "This is truly a great team." The players must continue to perform in a way that inspires such words from many places.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about living in Tokyo, the capital of Japan?
A, Tokyo is truly a metropolis and an impressive city worldwide. My family is also looking forward to it, but what's important is being able to always be with my family no matter where we are. One thing I'm excited about is that Disneyland will be closer than from Sendai (laughs). I'm also looking forward to other famous places. I love Japanese food, sushi and yakiniku are the best. Natto? I didn't like it when I first tried it, but gradually (laughs).
text by YUKI NISHIKAWA
