On the eve of the upcoming friendly match between Cerezo Osaka and Borussia Dortmund, Shinji Kagawa, star player of Cerezo Osaka, attended a press conference to express his anticipation and determination for the match.
Shinji Kagawa began by expressing his joy at the success of the match, recognizing that it is not just an ordinary friendly, but the meeting point of two important phases of his career - Cerezo Osaka, the starting point of his career, and Borussia Dortmund, the stage on which he made his mark in European football. He admits, "Tomorrow's game (July 24) means a lot to me, it's between the club I grew up with and the club I grew up with in Europe, and I'm looking forward to what will be a great matchup."
Talking about the goal of this match, Shinji Kagawa showed the indomitable fighting spirit of Osaka Cherry team. He emphasized that even though Dortmund is a strong team at the Champions League final level, Cerezo Osaka's team will not back down as well, and they will go all out for the victory. "As the coach said, we will fight for victory." Shinji Kagawa said firmly, "We will prove to Dortmund's fans through the result that our Osaka Curacao team is in the same great form and we are capable of competing with them."
For Dortmund as a club, Kagawa Shinji's emotions are deep and complex. He confessed that Dortmund has an importance in his heart that cannot be expressed in words. To be able to play with the former hosts again in Japan, he feels both excited and emotional. "Dortmund is not just a club for me, it is an integral part of my soccer career." Shinji Kagawa said fondly, "I feel very honored to be able to play against such a strong team on Japanese soil."
In addition, Shinji Kagawa made special mention of his reunion with his old teammate Shaheen in the Dortmund team. He recalled that when he first arrived at Dortmund, it was Shaheen who was the first to accept him and took the initiative to talk to him, which made him feel the warmth and care from his teammate. Today, Shaheen has transformed into a coach, while Shinji Kagawa is on the opposite side as a player. But this former friendship has not diminished, but rather deeper. "To be able to reunite with Shaheen on the field, both as a player and a coach, I feel incredibly honored." Shinji Kagawa said emotionally.
