APPIANO GENTILE – Having just returned from Russia where he played against Belarus, the second of Japan’s two friendlies, Yuto Nagatomo gave an interview to Inter Channel following today’s training.
Yuto, you played in the first of Japan’s games in a special stadium for a special occasion: Dejan Stankovic’s farewell match. How did it feel to you as a friend, team-mate and opponent?
"I’m happy for having played with him his final game with his national team. We bowed to each other, which was fantastic."
Were you moved yourself?
"Yes, and I saw all the fans singing his name. I thought he was a great person not just in Serbia, but in the entire world."
What did Stankovic teach you when he was here at Inter?
"He was a very good player, but I really like him as a person too. I’d like to play with him again."
Japan was the first country to qualify for the next World Cup. The entire team must have been very happy.
"Yes, but we lost these last two friendly matches, so we certainly need to work hard to improve things."
How far can Japan go in the 2014 World Cup?
"My dream is always first place, just like I wish for with Inter. We hope things go well."
Starting as soon as Sunday, since the team needs to win against Torino…
"It’s a very important match. We lost against Roma, but we didn’t play badly. We’ll keep it up, although it hasn’t been easy to prepare for this game during an internationals week. However, we’re working our hardest and we’ll see how it goes on Sunday."
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