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Roma World No. 14: Japan

Roma World

In the latest edition of Roma World, we travel to Tokyo to speak to a Japanese fan who still has vivid memories of the day Roma won their third Scudetto...

Name: Genzo Okabe
Age: 37
City: Tokyo
Country: Japan

Where did you grow up?

“I was born and grew up in Tokyo.”

Why did you choose Roma?

“I lived in Rome between 1999 and 2008, where I went to university and then attended a music school. As soon as I arrived in Rome, I went to get a season ticket for the Stadio Olimpico. I was in the Distinti Sud for three years, so I had the chance to enjoy the club’s third Scudetto win at the Olimpico.”

What is your first memory of Roma?

“In the 1990s Serie A was the most competitive championship in European football, and I already knew the main stars of the league. The first time I saw my idols - Totti, Cafu, Aldair, Montella, the rest - at the stadium, it was like a dream come true.”

Roma World

Who was your first Roma hero and why?

“Apart from Francesco Totti, Gabriel Batistuta is the player that made the biggest impression on me in those seasons at the stadium, thanks to his strength and determination. A true champion, at least for the 2000/2001 season.”

Who has been your favorite Roma manager and why?

“Fabio Capello. As a coach he is undoubtedly a winner, and that’s how he brought the third scudetto to Roma - a club that is not used to winning.”

What has been your lowest point supporting Roma?

“There have been several dark periods, like the year when we went through four coaches in a season - but for me the lowest moment came early in that campaign, and Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev that was suspended by the referee Anders Frisk. The suspended derby, because of the false reports, was another low point. If you lose a game on the pitch you can always accept it in the end, but in football there should never be external intrusion during the match.”

What is your memory of your first game?

“I saw a lot of games when I was in Rome, and to be honest I don’t remember my first game at the stadium that well any more - probably it was not very good! That first season with Capello did not end up so well, and we finished sixth in the league.”

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Where were you when Roma last won the Scudetto?

“I was in the stadium! The match kicked off at three, and around 12 o’clock I was watching the news when they showed that the Stadio Olimpico was already packed with supporters. During that time I lived in Casetta Mattei, so I quickly got my stuff together, got on my moped and rushed to get to the stadium. When I arrived at the stadium there was no seat available, so I had to watch the whole game standing up!

“It was an impressive and memorable day, and I remember that when the referee blew the final whistle there was a pitch invasion – yet the stands were still packed! Who knows how all those supporters got in, and how they stayed in place during the game!”

Do Roma have a passionate fan base in Japan?

“As I told you before, in Japan they started to show the biggest foreign leagues on cable television in the 1990s. Obviously the fact that Hidetoshi Nakata played in Italy helped a lot with that. In the Scudetto season I was in Rome, but I’m sure from that year on a lot of Japanese football lovers follow Roma.”

Which team do you most enjoy seeing Roma beat?

“Ha, that’s a no-brainer. When we win the derby, after the match I love to listen to the commentators and pundits from Lazio talk about what happened...”

What makes Roma so special to you?

“Football is a mirror of society, and I have so many Roman and Roma-supporting friends. The warmth/passion of the people for Roma is something that influences their everyday life, and you can see that from the coverage and attention in newspapers, radio, the chat in the bars etc.”

Roma World

What does Totti mean to you?

“I don’t know a Roma without Totti, having started to follow the team in 1999. He has always shown himself to be a champion, and always gave you the feeling that he could change the game at any moment with his skills. I would love to see him play in the Giallorossi shirt for another season.

Who is your favourite current player and why?

“I love all the players that represent Roma but I would say Pjanic. When he is on song, he always plays like a champion.”

If you could meet anyone connected to Roma - past or present - who would it be and why?

“Daniele De Rossi or Morgan De Sanctis, because when they do interviews they are never banal, they never use cliches.”

What makes you most proud to be a Roma supporter?

“It is 17 years since I arrived in Rome, and 17 years since I started supporting the team. In that time my enthusiasm for the club has never stopped growing. Roma is a part of my life and it will continue to be until the end!”

Finally, what would be your perfect day as a Roma fan?

“Dreaming is important, but for now I wish Roma could win the scudetto more often.”