The 2024-25 season of the UEFA Champions League (CL) will decide the number one club in Europe. Stuttgart defender Chase Henry has been attracting attention by playing in all four games since the start of the season. He made his CL debut as a substitute in the opening match against Real Madrid, the second-earliest Japanese player in history to make his debut (20 years, 5 months and 24 days), and showed a bold performance against last season's champions. WOWOW, which is exclusively broadcasting the CL live, interviewed Chase Henry.
-First of all, you have had many opportunities to play in league games this season, but how did you feel when you first stepped onto the pitch with the top team?
It was an away game against Freiburg, and I knew the stadium was amazing, so I was extremely nervous. Before the game, I was warming up, hoping that it would start early, but once the game started, my tension was immediately relieved. I thought Bundesliga games were really amazing.
-Are you the type of person who gets nervous easily? I get quite nervous before a match. But once the match starts, I feel fine.
--After coming to Germany, you were initially assigned to the second team. What was the most difficult part?
I was anxious to get results quickly. I wasn't called up to the national team, I wasn't playing in matches, and I was often alone in my private life, so I had more time to think and I was stressed. The stress piled up, and I got injured a lot, so it was a pretty tough period (about a year and a half).
--I think that from there, the coach and the team recognized you and you're in your current position, but in what ways do you feel they recognized you?
I think they appreciated your defensive skills, such as your man-to-man play and your ability to not lose in one-on-one situations.
--This season, you suddenly played in a match against Real Madrid in the MD1 of the Champions League (you came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of the second half). Did you ever imagine that you'd be on a stage like that?
I had always dreamed of winning the Champions League since I was in high school, but to be honest, I didn't think my chance would come so soon. I didn't even imagine that I would be playing against Real Madrid in my debut match.
--How did you feel at the stadium, hearing the anthem, and meeting Vinicius?
Seeing Mbappé and Vinicius in front of me, there was nothing I could say. Seeing the players I'd only seen on screen in front of me made me realize how far I'd come, and I talked with my father after the match, and I'll never forget that day.
--What did you think of Vinicius as a player?
He only played for 30 minutes, but he seemed to have a lot of fun and a sense of ease, and I thought he was having a lot of fun playing. I had no idea what direction he was dribbling in, let alone his speed, and I felt that his speed in an instant was incredible.
--Since then, you've played in three Champions League matches. What do you think of top-level European football?
The opponents are looking for a momentary gap, so the game develops quickly. There are many different types of teams, not just Real Madrid, so I felt that I had to think carefully when playing. Even teams that I haven't heard of much about are not weak at all, and many teams come to win with their own tactics, so I realized once again that the Champions League is difficult.
--You said earlier that your goal is to win the Champions League, but has that goal remained the same since you were in high school?
Yes, ever since I was in high school, I have wanted to win the Champions League. I think winning the Champions League is as close as you can get to being the best in the world, so if I can win there, I think I can become the best center back in the world, so my goal is to win the Champions League.
*The interview with Chase Henry will be featured in "Champions League Digest!", a program that will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 11pm on November 8th. Chase Henry, who has both Japanese and American citizenship, will talk in front of the camera about his upbringing from childhood to high school, why he went to Germany and chose to take on the challenge at Stuttgart, who his favorite player is, and other stories that have never been told on Japanese television media before.
