Kawasaki Frontale head coach Toru Oniki speaks to KEEPUP’s Sacha Pisani about the success of former J1 League boss Ange Postecoglou, and former star Reo Hatate.
For those not up to speed with Japanese or Asian football, Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as Celtic manager in June last year raised eyebrows.
But followers of the J1 League knew of his work and how his high-octane football transformed the competition in Japan.
In his second season in 2019, Postecoglou ended Yokohama F.Marinos’ 14-year drought, snapping two-time defending champions Kawasaki Frontale’s stranglehold on the J1 League.
It remains a remarkable achievement when you consider Frontale have won four of the last five league titles – Postecoglou’s F.Marinos the only team to crack an incredible period of dominance from the Kawasaki club.
Since then, Postecoglou has gone on to enjoy a memorable and historic first season in Glasgow, where the Australian boss delivered the league and cup double to Celtic.
Toru Oniki shared the touchline with Postecoglou in the J1 League, the two coaches going head-to-head as their Frontale and F.Marinos sides went into battle.
With more eyes firmly set on Japanese football on the back of Postecoglou’s success, Frontale head coach Oniki spoke to KEEPUP about his impact.
“As a leader, I think he is one of the coaches who is a goal and a guideline to aim for,” Oniki, who has guided Frontale to four league titles in five seasons since taking charge in 2017, told KEEPUP.
“I think he is a successful coach who has achieved results in the J.League and has been attracting attention overseas.
“He is playing attractive football overseas.”
Postecoglou wasn’t the only big name to leave the J1 League for Celtic.
The former Socceroos boss turned to the competition to bolster his title-chasing Celtic side, utilising his knowledge of Japanese football to lure Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi to Parkhead.
After the red-hot success of Kyogo from Vissel Kobe, Postecoglou turned to Frontale star Hatate, F.Marinos’ joint-Golden Boot winner Maeda and Gamba Osaka’s Ideguchi.
Hatate made the seamless transition from Japan to Scotland, scoring an unforgettable brace in February’s derby demolition of Rangers that endeared himself to the Celtic faithful.
The 24-year-old ended the season with four goals and two trophies, having won back-to-back J1 League crowns in Kawasaki.
“I think it’s a team that suits his playing style and he can grow,” Oniki reflected on Hatate’s debut season at Celtic Park.
Oniki worked closely with Hatate at Frontale. After all, he was in charge when the club signed the Japan international in 2018.
Although, Hatate only arrived once he finished his university studies, but he caught the eye very early on.
“He participated in a pre-season training when he was a junior and senior university student,” Oniki said.
“I heard from a team scout that there is good player and asked him to participate in team training. I felt that he was a very talented player.”
A versatile and powerful midfielder who has made the position his own in Postecoglou’s XI – Hatate actually linked up with Frontale in a different position.
“He joined as striker,” Oniki, 48, recalled. “At the time, I had him working on playing as a midfielder as well.
“He was a player who is very powerful and can do hard work.”
During his time at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, Hatate won the J1 League twice, to go with Emperor’s Cup (2020) and Japanese Super Cup (2021) glory before his big move abroad.
Hatate scored five league goals in each of his two full seasons as a Kawasaki player. In that period, Oniki believes the one-time Samurai Blue’s understanding of team tactics, hard work and individual play grew.
As Hatate prepares to take his exploits onto the Champions League stage with Celtic, Oniki – who always felt the Juntendo University graduate would play overseas – said: “I think he will continue to grow.
“From the manager’s point of view, he is a very valuable and dependable player who can play in multiple positions.”
