Match Preview
One week until the kickoff of the 2026/27 Meiji Yasuda J1 League season. The new-season “Rikizo Tokyo” will be unveiled in a match welcoming the prestigious German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.
After completing a special half-year tournament, the autumn-spring system starts this summer. This match will conclude the preseason. FC Tokyo resumed training this week in Kodaira after their camp in Shiraoi, Hokkaido. While working on heat countermeasures, they continue preparations for the opening match against FC Machida Zelvia scheduled for Saturday, August 8, one week from now.
At this timing, the team facing off at MUFG Stadium (National Stadium) is Borussia Dortmund. Led by coach Nico Kovac, the 2025-26 season saw them finish second in the league with disciplined soccer based on a high-intensity, solid defense and quick counterattacks. For this year’s FIFA World Cup 2026, four players—Nico Schlotterbeck (who will not be visiting Japan this time), Waldemar Anton, Felix Nmecha, and Maximilian Bauer—will represent Germany, making this a team with many world-class players. Additionally, German national team player Bauer was a teammate of Sei Muroya at Hannover 96 (Germany), and both players appeared side by side at the pre-match press conference. There is a possibility they will match up in the game, and their smiling reunion was a memorable sight.
Dortmund faced Cerezo Osaka at YANMAR HANASAKA STADIUM on the 29th of this month, fielding a lineup centered on fresh members, including U-21 England national team player Jude Bellingham and Sérel Girass, who scored 17 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches last season. Although the match ended in a 0-1 defeat, it was an exciting game featuring players such as Amato Yamamoto, who is on loan from Gamba Osaka.
In the press conference ahead of the FC Tokyo match, Coach Nico Kovac commented, "We want to play the national team players for more than 45 minutes," hinting at the use of key players. He made it clear that this is an important game in the preseason.
Meanwhile, ahead of the match against the prestigious club that has achieved results in Europe, Coach Rikizo Matsuhashi said, "This is an important match before the season opener and a rare opportunity to face a top-tier club. However, rather than just borrowing their strength or simply challenging them, we want to fully express how far we have come by treating this as a match right in front of us. There are definitely things we can feel and learn by playing against a renowned Bundesliga club, and it is important to focus on ourselves within that. While firmly seeking good performance and good results, I also hope the players will take what they experience firsthand and apply it to their careers." He spoke about what can be gained from this match.
The 2026/27 season aims to claim the “championship” goal that narrowly eluded us in the special tournament. We want to bring the football we have built up so far against Dortmund, firmly grasp a sense of readiness, and head into the opening match. With football that shocks the world, Rikizo Tokyo will ignite the National Stadium and Tokyo itself.
Borussia Dortmund
Coach Nico Kovac's Comments
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for tomorrow's match.
A, Good evening everyone gathered here. All the players and staff are grateful for the warm welcome and kindness from everyone in Japan. We are truly enjoying our time here. Regarding tomorrow's match, we plan to play five national team players who have not had the opportunity to appear so far, and we are finalizing whether they can play more than 45 minutes. For us, there are three weeks until our first official match against Bayern Munich. We want to make good use of tomorrow's game to prepare well. Based on the result of the previous match in Osaka, we aim to win tomorrow.
Q. Please tell us your impression of the opponent’s country and club, and what kind of football you want to show in tomorrow’s match against them.
A, As I mentioned earlier, Japan is truly a wonderful country. The cities are very clean, and I feel differences in the environment compared to Europe. For the players, having the opportunity to see and experience different countries and cultures is important. They are not just confined to the hotel all the time; I believe they go out into the city, interact with people, and experience the culture. That is valuable time for each player’s life.
I find great value in having come to Japan. Of course, tomorrow's match may be a highly entertaining one, but as a professional soccer player, the result of the game is also important. The opponent we faced recently, Cerezo Osaka, was very strong. There are truly many good players in the J.League, and in tomorrow's match, I want to deliver a good performance against FC Tokyo. While I aim for a better result than the Cerezo Osaka match, the result alone is not the most important thing. Tomorrow's match is about seeking a strong team performance.
Comment from Player Maximilian Beyer
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for tomorrow's match.
A, I am very grateful for the warm welcome from everyone in Japan. I have grown to like Japan even more. I am really looking forward to tomorrow's match.
Q. Bayer and Muroya both played together in Germany. Is there anything you are particularly conscious of in this match after a long time?
A. I played with Muroya for two seasons in Germany. He is an excellent right-back, and if we match up in tomorrow’s game, I want to take the initiative and dribble past him. I believe I can get past him (laughs). I heard that quite a few tickets for tomorrow’s match have been sold. I want to show a good performance to everyone who comes to watch and secure a solid win.
FC Tokyo
Comments from Manager Rikizo Matsuhashi
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for tomorrow's match.
A, I am looking forward to tomorrow’s match against Borussia Dortmund. This is not an opponent we get to face often. For us, this will be the last official match before the start of the 2026/27 season. We want to deliver a solid performance and make it a good game.
Q. Please tell us your impression of the opponent’s country and club, and what kind of football you want to show in tomorrow’s match against them.
A、ボルシア ドルトムントは世界でも本当に有数の素晴らしいクラブの一つであるという認識は当然ありますし、こういう場で戦えるということは、先ほども申し上げた通り本当になかなかあるわけではないので、とはいえこれをただ経験という感じで捉えているわけではありません。やはりピッチで戦う選手はしっかりそこを肌で感じるものがきっとあると思いますし、しっかりと準備して出していければというふうに思っています。
My impression is that it is very much about Coach Kovac's style, which shows a highly comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. Defensively, the intensity of their high press is extremely strong, and offensively, they demonstrate great tactical flexibility in responding to the opponent's press, with many switches in strategy. Both in attack and defense, I believe they are a wonderful club equipped with very advanced levels of intensity and tactical tasks. We want to carefully consider how to apply what we have against them and aim to have a good game as we take on tomorrow's match.
Comments from Player Naruki Muroya
Q: Please share your enthusiasm for tomorrow's match.
A, Opportunities to play against such a big club are rare, so I want to enjoy this valuable time. Also, the 2026/27 season kicks off next week. We want to make it a good game for ourselves as well.
Q. You played together with Bayer when you were in Germany. Is there anything you will be particularly conscious of in this match after a long time?
A. When I played with him back then, he was a teenager, but even among young players, he was very talented. I am not at all surprised that he is now playing for Borussia Dortmund. He is that kind of talented player. Also, I am truly happy that he is playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 as a member of the German national team. If we end up matching up against each other, I am really looking forward to it and eager to see how much he has grown. I want to mark him tightly. I myself have played in Germany and know how wonderful a club Dortmund is. Even so, I want to play to win firmly.
Q. I believe tomorrow’s match will be the unveiling of the 2026/27 season for FC Tokyo’s fans and supporters. If there are any points you want them to pay attention to, please tell us.
A. I don’t think we need to change our style of play just because Dortmund is the opponent. We are also looking forward to seeing how well the team we have built under Coach Rikizo Matsuhashi can compete against such a strong team. Since this is a valuable international friendly match, we want to give it 100% effort.
