Kyoto Sanga held a closed-door training session at Sanga Town in Joyo City on Tuesday. The day before, they lost to Nagoya, suffering their third consecutive defeat and completely extinguishing their hopes for the league title. With only three matches remaining—including the upcoming league game against Kobe at Noevir Stadium on Thursday—Coach Cho Kwi-jae urged his players to demonstrate their worth as professionals.
As a concrete example, he brought up his experience with Shonan Bellmare in 2016. After relegation to J2 was confirmed, the team won their final two matches. “Even though relegation was already decided, the players gave incredible energy. I still can’t forget that moment. It stays with me more than winning the J2 title with 101 points in 2014 or finishing third in J1 last year. I told the players today that this is what team value really means,” he recalled, visibly moved by the spirit shown by those players.
With an eye on next season’s AFC Champions League Elite, Kyoto could shift focus to giving young players experience and development opportunities. But the coach refuses to take that path.
“We set the goal of ‘Take the Crown’ and pushed forward. Now we have to accept that the reality has slipped away, but we must keep charging ahead. The ability to give energy to those around you is a crucial part of being a professional.” Cho wants his team to show a rebound mentality and aim for the highest possible finish.