“It’ll be a really tough game” | OneFootball

An interview with Ritsu Doan on his feelings ahead of facing former club Freiburg, as well as his new role on the pitch and his impressive success rate in duels.

Ritsu, on Sunday Eintracht meet your former club SC Freiburg. What are your feelings going into the game?“It’s always nice to meet past colleagues, whether they’re players or coaches. The teams are really close together in the table, just like they were last season, so it’s exciting. But now I’m playing for Eintracht and I’m determined to win the game. We want all three points.”

What do we need to be wary of when playing Freiburg? “It’ll be a really tough game, 100 percent. I know their mentality and know how they’ll approach this match. Julian Schuster is really good at motivating his players. We need to be ready for that. We need to give it our all and do the dirty work if we want to get all three points. We’re training intensively and are preparing as best we can to be able to produce a good performance on Sunday.” 

Having played as a second striker, as a winger, as wing-back and recently in central attacking midfield, you’ve had to be very flexible so far in Frankfurt and absorb a lot of information. How do you cope with that?“It’s a new position for me, so I don’t yet feel as comfortable there as I do on the wing, which is largely where I’ve played until now. It’s a mix of being a No.8 and a No.10, so compared to being on the wing, there are new things I need to do and different runs I need to make in order to create chances. But I’m closer to the opposition’s goal in this position, so that’s good for my finishing ability when opportunities arise. It always depends on the situation. As a right-winger, I can cut inside and shoot with my stronger left foot. Now I’m already in the centre and try to create shooting chances there. It’s interesting as well.”

You’ve won more challenges than anyone else at Eintracht this season, and have the sixth-highest total in the Bundesliga with 237. Did you know that and what do you make of it?“No, I didn’t know that. It’s part of my game that my former coach Christian Streich taught me (laughs).”What would you like to improve in the second half of the season?“Right now I want to get used to my new position as quickly as possible so that I can help the team as much I can.”

What did the coach say to you with regard to your new role?“He said that I’m a clever player and that I can do it.”

In Keita Kosugi, another Japanese player joined the club over the winter. What do you make of his development?“He’s quick and very agile, usually takes short strides, makes smart decisions and is very tidy on the ball. He’s on the right track and will get his minutes, especially if you watch him in training.”The 2026 World Cup is fast approaching. What are your expectations going into the tournament? And how is it working with Makoto Hasebe in the national team?“I’m confident we’ll give a good account of ourselves. We have a lot of confidence and we’re improving as a team and as individuals. It’s very important for us that Makoto is on the coaching staff because he’s got so much experience. We ask him a lot of questions and he really helps us players with the mental side of the game, especially the youngsters. It’s great to have him with us.”