{"id":27020,"date":"2026-09-10T12:46:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T10:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cagliaricalcio.com\/news\/interview-%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f-yukinari-sugawaras-first-words-in-cagliari\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T12:59:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T10:59:28","slug":"interview-%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f-yukinari-sugawaras-first-words-in-cagliari","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/cagliaricalcio.com\/en\/news\/interview-%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f-yukinari-sugawaras-first-words-in-cagliari\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f INTERVIEW | Yukinari Sugawara opens up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New arrival in the rossobl\u00f9 house, the first Japanese player in the history of Cagliari, Yukinari Sugawara presents himself on the Club’s official channels with an interview that ranges from aspects more strictly related to the pitch to more personal ones and also inherent to the culture of his Japan. Where his career obviously started from, before touching Holland, England and Germany, enriching his baggage on a personal as well as technical level. We get to know “Yuki” better, returning from the World Cup with the “Blue Samurai”, which he talks about in the presentation chat together with the ease and speed with which he chose Cagliari and Sardinia. And now, having completed the last bureaucratic aspects related to the membership, he is ready to join the group also for Serie A, available for Saturday’s away match in Bergamo at Atalanta. <\/p>\n\n

AN INSTANT DECISION<\/strong>“It\u2019s fantastic; I\u2019m very happy to be here. I had to make a decision very quickly\u2014just days before the transfer window closed\u2014but it was an easy choice. When Cagliari came calling, I said yes immediately.” It was a decision rooted in a lifelong dream: “I\u2019ve always wanted to play in Serie A because there have been some truly great Japanese players here\u2014like Nagatomo, Honda, Nakata, and many others.” <\/p>\n\n

CAGLIARI, SYMBOL OF AN ISLAND<\/strong>Even before experiencing the *Rossobl\u00f9* world firsthand, Sugawara had already gathered information about Sardinia and Cagliari: “I know a few things about Sardinia; it\u2019s a truly beautiful place to be, thanks to its history, landscapes, beaches, and food.” Accounts from his former teammate Pantelis Hatzidiakos also helped convince him: “I asked him about Sardinia and Cagliari, and he had nothing but positive things to say. I didn’t have time to speak with the coach before the move because I had very little time to make the decision, but I heard nothing but excellent things about Cagliari, and I really wanted to come here.” The new *Rossobl\u00f9* winger has already sensed the special bond between the club and the region: “Cagliari is truly a symbol of the island. The people absolutely love supporting it. It\u2019s like Sardinia\u2019s national team, without a doubt.” <\/p>\n\n

FIRST APPROACHES<\/strong>\u00abI can see the sun every day\u2014the weather is often nice\u2014and then there are my teammates, the staff, and the fans; everyone is very polite, positive, and kind to me. I\u2019m really happy to be here. As the coach said, I\u2019m a player with attacking attributes, but that\u2019s not all. I believe I\u2019m confident on the ball and capable in the build-up phase. I can play centrally or out wide, but the specific position doesn\u2019t matter. I really enjoy contributing to the attack; it\u2019s one of my strengths. Beyond that, though, what matters most to me is helping the team with my qualities, such as crossing and the final pass. I also really love fighting for the team. I always want to win the match and the duels that are so crucial during a game. I think my ideal role is right-back, as it allows me to participate in both attack and defense. I like being involved in the play and running hard for the team.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n

A DESIRE TO IMPROVE<\/strong>\u00abThere are many things I need to improve, because I am not a perfect player, and if I want to become a stronger player, I have to keep working\u2014hard. In Serie A, there is much more focus on tactical aspects than elsewhere, particularly regarding defense. So, I need to work on specific areas of my game in order to be as useful as possible.\u00bb<\/p>\n\n

FOUR COUNTRIES, A BIGGER WORLD<\/strong>Italy will be the fourth country in Sugawara\u2019s European career\u2014a journey that has allowed him to experience different cultures and approaches to football: “It\u2019s great to have the experience of playing in different countries. I\u2019ve encountered different ways of playing the game, without a doubt, and there have been significant changes along the way. I\u2019ve learned so much. Every nation has left its mark on me. I\u2019ve met and spoken with so many players and people from different backgrounds, and I\u2019ve really learned to understand the cultures they grew up in. Before coming to Europe, I didn\u2019t speak English or Dutch, but now I speak both of those languages \u200b\u200bmuch better, plus a bit of German. Now I\u2019m starting to get to grips with Italian. My world has changed immensely. My life has evolved over time\u2014as happens to everyone\u2014but I\u2019d certainly say my world has become bigger.” <\/p>\n\n

THE WORLD CUP DREAM<\/strong>One of the highlights of his career was his experience with the Japanese national team at the last World Cup: “It\u2019s every child\u2019s dream, because it is the most important competition of all. I had always wanted to play in it, ever since I started out. Stepping onto the pitch for the first time against the Netherlands was the most important moment of my footballing career. I was playing in the World Cup and it felt like a dream\u2014I\u2019ll never forget it.”<\/p>\n\n

ONLY JAPANESE IN SERIE A<\/strong>The arrival in Italy takes on an even more particular meaning for Sugawara, also due to the difficulties linked to the registration of non-European players: \u00abIt is not easy to arrive in Serie A from outside Europe. I’m really grateful to Cagliari because they signed me and used one of those two slots for me. I am truly grateful to the president, the coach and the sporting director, to the entire Club. I am the only Japanese player playing in Serie A. I didn’t know it, when the hypothesis arose, I really thought there was someone else and instead here I am, the only Japanese player in Serie A at the moment. Perhaps this is also why I have to give everything and do my best to leave an important mark in Italy. If I play badly, maybe they will think the Japanese aren’t good enough. But if I do well, on the contrary, even more people will understand that we Japanese have quality. And, perhaps, the players of my nationality in Italy will increase again like a few years ago. I simply want to do well in every single training session and in every match, giving everything every day.”<\/p>\n\n

NAKATA MODEL<\/strong>Among the compatriots who have made the history of Italian football, Hidetoshi Nakata occupies a special place: \u00abHe is one of the most important names in Japan because he won the Scudetto with Roma by scoring a decisive goal against Juventus in that match that everyone still remembers, in 2001. When we talk about Nakata and Serie A, in Japan, everyone lights up. He is certainly an example, he is someone who made it and represented us in the world with his activity as a footballer at the highest levels. Become like him? Maybe it would be the best, but everything depends on work and the ambition to always achieve something more.”<\/p>\n\n

A GROWING BOND<\/strong>His arrival has already sparked interest in Cagliari among the Japanese media and fans: “I am truly very happy to see this interest. It\u2019s great, but I must point out that I haven\u2019t played for Cagliari yet and need to prove I\u2019m up to the task; then, those watching can decide and evaluate how I\u2019m doing.” However, this attention is helping to raise the profile of the *Rossobl\u00f9* in Japan: “Japanese media and social media are also interested in Cagliari. Perhaps some people are hearing about Cagliari and Sardinia for the first time. Cagliari\u2019s name and reputation are becoming increasingly well-known in Japan. It\u2019s a really positive thing for me and for the Club, too.” Yet, the priority remains the pitch: “I\u2019m happy to see all this, but first and foremost, I want to help the team as a player, because I am, above all, a footballer.” <\/p>\n\n

TWO CULTURES, MANY SHARED TRAITS<\/strong>There is also a curious point of connection between Italy and Japan that Sugawara discovered firsthand in Cagliari: *Captain Tsubasa* (known in Italy as *Holly e Benji*), the famous soccer-themed manga and anime. “I used to watch and read it when I was a kid because it\u2019s the most famous soccer anime. But, to be honest, I didn\u2019t realize it was so well-known in Italy and Europe, too.” He was actually surprised by the *Rossobl\u00f9* staff members: “They asked me about *Captain Tsubasa* right away; I didn\u2019t expect them to know it so well. It took me by surprise, but it\u2019s always nice when someone from the staff at your new club talks to you about Japanese things in general\u2014whether it\u2019s anime, food, culture as a whole, or cities.” It is further evidence of a bond that extends beyond soccer: “Italy, Sardinia, and Japan share several remarkable connections, both in the world of soccer and outside of it. *Captain Tsubasa* is one example\u2014though not the only one\u2014and it\u2019s great that things are this way.” <\/p>\n\n

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