"Why? Because I watched five Cagliari matches from the previous season. They defend with a low block. They counter-attack with three touches or less. There is no maestro there. There is only survival. I did not learn football to play survival. I learned football to play symphonies ."

"And does that work?"

This philosophical approach has driven scouts crazy. Sport directors from FC Basel, Genk, and even Sassuolo have traveled to Japan to watch him, only to be told he doesn't do introductory Zoom calls. "If they want to see me play," he once told his agent, "they should buy a ticket."