At first, when it became off-season, I used to return to my hometown Tokyo, which took about 2 hours one way. However, when I started to feel the coldness of the snowy region and thought "This is Niigata, right?", I had come to love that city.
In 2014, Kei KOIZUMI joined Albirex Niigata from Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School. He had two options, either to go to university or to challenge himself as a professional player, and he decided to pursue the latter.
"It was my first time living away from home, so at first I felt homesick. Niigata and Tokyo are two hours apart by bullet train. I would go back home every time I had a day off to hang out with my friends from my hometown and high school. But as time went on, I started to like the city of Niigata more and more. Even the cold weather, towards the end, I started to feel like this is what Niigata is like. I lived in the dormitory for two years, and then lived alone for another two years, but the food was delicious and I liked the city of Niigata."
At the age of 18, I left my parents' home for the first time and started my career in a place where I didn't know right from left. When I look back on the four years I spent in Niigata, I can only laugh at how it all began.
"Aren't you full of energy? Although I've become much rounder now, when I see young people these days, I think to myself that I was pretty wild back then."
Returning the favor, he asked, "In what way?" Koizumi scratched his head and continued, "Well..."
"Every time he played a match, he was a player who would fight with the opponents. Even off the pitch, he seemed young. He would swing his fists."
If I had not returned, I would have been sent somewhere else, probably not Niigata. At that time, I really think I was blessed with really good seniors and coaches.
I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the story of such a "remarkable player's remarkable debut match". It was the J1 League Sec. 5 match against Cerezo Osaka on March 29, 2014. Just 10 days before that, in the Sec. 1 match of the Nabisco Cup group stage against Tokushima Vortis, he made his first start in an official match and played the full game. Koizumi, who started on the bench, watched the game thinking, "It doesn't seem like I'll have a chance to play today," even after entering in the second half and the score remaining unchanged.
When I was feeling so confident, suddenly my name was called. I stood on the pitch as a right-side midfielder, replacing Adumu Tanaka in the 15th minute. A few minutes later, a Niigata player was fouled on the left side and got into an argument with the opponent. I was too excited and lost control. By the time I realized it, I had bitten every player I saw running to the opposite side.
"After that, I was scolded by the Cerezo players. It was such an intense debut match (laughs). I still remember it, and now I can't believe it. I was biting back at players at the level of the national team, saying 'Who do you think you are?' It was such a debut match. It's the complete opposite now, I was just a clueless idiot. The current Tokyo team also has many young players, but I think they are better than me."
Even though he was a somewhat dangerous player, Niigata's teammates, staff, and supporters warmly accepted him. He was cherished by Kenji Kawamata, who said, "He was reckless, but I was taken care of," and he lived in the dormitory with players of the same generation such as Musashi Suzuki, Ken Matsubara, Kazuki Kozuka, and Michael James Fitzgerald. "I am truly grateful." He made a smooth start by playing in 26 league matches in his first year. However, at that time, he was scolded by coach Masaaki Yanagishita almost every day.
"It may have been good that I played with my instincts without thinking about anything after graduating from high school. However, I was scolded every day. He was the person who taught me that if I couldn't fight first, I couldn't play in the game. I was told a lot of technical things, but it was about the ball and the base of the fight, and the coach said, 'If you can't do the fundamental things, you won't play in the game.' I think there are parts that are connected to my current self."
Koizumi, who had just started climbing the professional ladder, learned the strict etiquette of the competitive world from Coach Yanagishita. He also had the opportunity to meet players who would shape his future in Niigata. He was amazed when he saw Leo Silva play for the first time. He described the impression he had at that time as being so shocking.
"It was quite amazing. They often say 'monster' but playing next to him made me realize that he truly is a monster player."
I admired number 8, who approached both offense and defense with a cool face and full effort. With that in mind, I gritted my teeth multiple times during the game, thinking "I can't show a tough face like an 18 or 19-year-old."
"He was a very serious person with a Japanese-like personality, a Brazilian player. If there is someone like this in the same position, you can't miss this opportunity."
Thinking so, I followed behind him anyway. Every day, I caught a Portuguese interpreter and asked him everything I wanted to know. When talking about Koizumi's present, Leo Silva became an indispensable player. He had such a big influence.
"His way of stealing the ball is very unique, even in places where ordinary Japanese people wouldn't stick their feet out, he sticks his feet out and steals the ball. I was taught his way of doing it and his mindset. After that, I was repeatedly told to use my hands more. If I didn't win the ball or pick up the second ball, I would get scolded every time."
Although he is a bit mischievous, Leo Silva willingly took care of Koizumi, who is serious about soccer, without making a fuss.
"I tried to steal everything I could from Leo. So, I often had meals with him and when I played next to him, I was often scolded. Leo undoubtedly raised me. If Leo was a player who only excelled in games without practicing properly, he might have thought that he only needed to play games. It was because I saw Leo working hard in practice that I realized the importance of practicing and how it leads to performing well in games. That's why I was taught once again that practice is important."
Leo Silva, who spent three years together since his debut, left the team. From the 2017 season, the player who learned everything took over the number 8. Kei Koizumi, who said he had "no particular attachment" to the jersey number, thought so only at that time, neither before nor after.
"I always wanted to wear the number 8 next. I don't usually think about things like that, but Leo's presence made me feel that way. He was such a significant presence for me."
In the 2017 season, wearing the number 8, Niigata struggled from the beginning and was relegated to J2 League for the first time since their promotion to J1 League in 2004, without waiting for the final match. For Koizumi, who had also served as vice captain since that year, he said, "There were various conflicts," and continued as follows.
"I have a desire to aim higher, and seeing players of my generation who are already in the national team or playing overseas made me hesitate and struggle. That's why I decided to transfer to Kashiwa Reysol."
Even after leaving Niigata, there was a lingering feeling in my heart. Before I knew it, Koizumi was naturally checking the results of every match.
"I struggled to recover after I made a mistake. At that time, there were also teammates who were doing it together, so it was complicated or rather, I felt sorry... I also had the opportunity to play in the matches as a vice captain. There were also several matches where I wore the captain's armband. There were many times when I thought I could have done better, could have done more."
Kashiwa, where he also transferred, was relegated to the J2 League the following season, and he keenly felt that "life is not so sweet." After some time, Niigata won the J2 League in the 2022 season and achieved promotion to the J1 League for the first time in six years.
"I had been playing in J2 after being dropped, so I felt a burden of playing in J1 somewhere. Therefore, the feeling of relief was bigger than being happy."
Kei has built up his career and continues to play in Tokyo, which is his fifth team since Niigata. And on the 29th, he is preparing for his first match against his former team. There are only a few players left who played together at that time. However, they still know that unchanged passion.
"I still remember the impression of the Niigata supporters, and I also remember that they supported me when I was injured. The Niigata region is supporting Albirex. The players also felt their presence nearby, and I think the supporters will surely remember. I'm looking forward to showing them how hard I've been working when we meet again there. It's my responsibility to show that I'm playing properly because it's the team that gave me my debut. The members who were together at that time also often mentioned the importance of the supporters when talking about Niigata. I feel the same way."
The joy of creating my own chant for the first time, and the gratitude for the support I received, remains the same as that day. That's why the words continue.
"I honestly don't know if it's booing or applause. Since I have moved on, I understand that there are people who don't think highly of me in this world. However, even if there were various feelings, I believe that when I step onto the pitch, I have no choice but to play for Tokyo now. Still, I think there are supporters who are personally cheering for me in Niigata, so I want to express my gratitude to those people through my performance. I have no choice but to step onto the pitch. I have no choice but to do my best."
This season marks the 10th year as a professional. "Looking back, it feels like it went by quickly," but "I also experienced relegation to J2 twice. There were times when I couldn't even make it to the bench or play in matches, and when you calculate the number of appearances, there were significantly more losses. Looking back on those things, it may not have turned out exactly as I had envisioned." Moving forward, there aren't many things I hope for.
"(Nagatomo) Yuto-san and players like Mori-kun (Masato Morishige) can play at the top level until they are 36 or 37 years old, but I am not that kind of player. After turning 30, I can't run anymore and have to change my playing style to maintain balance. I don't like that. I think it would be better to quit if that's the case. When you face reality like that, your active career ends in no time. In that case, I'd rather win the championship than achieve personal goals. If we win, I can clearly say that the period when I couldn't play in previous matches or when we were relegated was also a good experience. Right now, it's too half-hearted. I can't say it was a good experience clearly. I think I can only say those words after winning the championship."
That's why there is no obsession with winning. The words that Koizumi often says, "Honestly, I think it's okay to win," resonate with that.
"What surprised me at first was the passion of the supporters and how closely connected they are to the local community. It made me realize once again how amazing being a professional is. Niigata was the place that laid the foundation for me when I had just graduated from high school and didn't know anything."
The "dangerous player" who used to bite on the pitch is now called "Aniki" who is suited to not speaking. However, there is something that hasn't changed and cannot be compromised. He himself, more than anyone else, refuses to admit that he can no longer do what he has cultivated as his specialty throughout his career. "Kei KOIZUMI who can't run", they say. The place where he learned all of that was Niigata.
The reason he runs, which he has accumulated, still moves him. Unchanging trends. Firmly discerning what can be changed and what should not be changed. It is in this way of life that Kei Koizumi's masculinity seeps through.
Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)
