Full Marks for Engels
To
find out what's going on behind the scenes at J-League soccer team
Kyoto Purple Sanga, Soccerphile visited a windswept Sanga Town to see
what manager Gert Engels had to say for himself.
Gert Engels, born in Germany in 1957, was a professional player for 3
years in the lower divisions in Germany, and then studied physical education
at university. His first job as a player/coach was in Ibaraki-ken for
a team that later became Mito Hollyhock.
He became a soccer coach for Takegawa Dai Ni High School in Akashi before
joining Yokohama Flügels coaching staff in 1993. He won the Emperor's
Cup with them in 1999. He had just become the head coach at Yokohama Flügels
when the club folded and was incorporated into a new team: Yokohama F
Marinos, with only the ‘F' remaining from the old team.
Engels was then sacked as coach after a brief stint at JEF Ichihara before
joining Kyoto Purple Sanga. The team were J2 Champions last season, but
have lost their four opening matches in the current edition of the J-League's
top division, J1.
He appears as comfortable in a tracksuit as he does conversing in Japanese
and English.
Soccerphile: What happened at Yokohama?
Gert Engels: The depth of football tradition and support was not
great in Japan at that time. Even so, some of the Flügels fans, not
wishing to see their team absorbed by their rivals, found a new team to
support in the form of FC Yokohama. I'm still in contact with some
of these fans. It would be impossible to imagine such a merger happening
in Europe.
Soccerphile: You didn't last long as the coach of JEF.
GE: If there's no success, you're fired. This lack of
security comes with the job. In Europe the process is even faster. No-one
asks you if you're developing a team for the future.
Soccerphile: Kyoto has a young team…
GE: Yes. This is partly because of the money: younger players are
cheaper. But I also like to see youth come through. I don't want
to buy expensive players just for the name value, especially if their
ability is in decline. You need a really good player to justify the expense
of signing him on; someone who can help the team.
Soccerphile: Is there a youth development scheme at Kyoto Purple
Sanga?
GE: Yes, there is. Young players must be involved as soon as possible.
I believe it's less important to win titles with a youth team than
to develop young players for the first team.
Soccerphile: Kyoto seems to be an attacking team. What is your
philosophy of football?
GE: In American sports they say, ‘Offense wins games, defense
wins championships' but I like attacking football. The game has become
more attacking over the past five or six years and the biggest development
in this period has been the involvement of defenders in the build-up to
the attack. The Dutch style of using skilful defenders has become more
prevalent and the increase in the price of defenders in recent years reflects
this.
Soccerphile: You always play three at the back?
GE: Yes, with four players in front of them – much like the
Japan national team. I don't change: the defence much from week to
week, but I like to use a variety of formations in attack. The important
thing is to retain the ball; if you have it, the other team cannot score.
Kyoto Purple Sanga is not the kind of team that scores one goal and tries
to defend it, though. We have a group of young players who could, all
being well, be still together in five years' time.
Soccerphile: Does Kyoto Purple Sanga have the support to keep
the team in the top division?
GE: Kyoto's not a traditional soccer town, but the best way
to get people interested is to win matches. Though we have lost four out
of four matches so far, we have been playing well. Even the media have
been saying that.
Soccerphile: How has the J-League changed since it's formation
in 1993?
GE: The standard of play is much higher now. In addition, it used
to be unquestioned that the foreign players on a team were considered
the stars. This is not the case today. Japanese players are now able to
distinguish between a foreign player and a good foreign player.
Soccerphile: You must be one of the very few foreign coaches who
can speak Japanese.
GE: It definitely helps to be able to communicate directly with
the players. Japanese find it difficult to give their opinions though,
especially if they feel they are contrary to my own. But I do like to
hear what they think, so I meet key players on a one-to-one basis to facilitate
this. Japanese players also have the tendency to concentrate on the bad
things and be somewhat pessimistic. They like to work on their weak points
at the expense of building on their strengths.
Soccerphile: So how do you motivate your team? Do you shout at
them at half-time if they are not doing well?
GE: No. I try to make it clear that players must be professional
and take responsibility for their actions. I like to encourage self-motivation.
Soccerphile: What's the best thing about the job…and
the worst?
GE: I love the game. I love football and I like working with young
people. The thing I don't like is the player, even gifted, who shows
no enthusiasm for the game.
Soccerphile: If you could have any one player for your team, who
would you choose?
GE: Apart from Figo or Zidane, Laurent Blanc would be good to have
in the defence, or Veron in deep midfield.
Soccerphile: What effect will the World Cup have on football in
Japan?
GE: Japan needs to progress to the second round. Then we'll
see more support for the game. The Japan team needs to realise that the
opposition they have played in friendlies has up to 20% in reserve when
it comes to the seriously competitive matches.
Soccerphile: Is Japan national team manager Philippe Troussier
doing a good job?
GE: I think so, yes. Most coaches here in Japan would agree with
his team selection.
Soccerphile: France and Argentina are the top two favourites to
win the World Cup. Which team do you think will be a ‘dark horse'
team to do well?
GE: Germany! However, it's not really considered a ‘dark
horse' team… I hope! I think the African teams will do well:
Senegal, Cameroon and Nigeria, too.
Gert Engels talks to Soccerphile after his sacking in 2003.
