Kokoro Harada, at 19 years old, has become the first Japanese player to don the FC Barcelona shirt in any of its sections. The ‘typhoon,’ as he was baptized during his debut in the IV CD Salesianos Tenerife tournament at the age of 14. Recently gave an interview to the official media of the Barça club. In this interview, he analyzes his current situation with respect to the first team. Harada expresses his happiness, stating, “Lately, I participate more in matches; before, I played less. It is clear that I enjoy it more the more I play.”
He admits that he has a great time “in training. These are times when I have a good time.”
Harada recounts his experiences on the day of his debut, saying, “Before the game, I was very nervous, but my first-team teammates, laughing, told me not to tell the coach.”
Speaking of the first team, all his words are positive: “The players on the team are the best in the world. I admire all of them, but Dyego and Pito are exceptional. Catela and Matheus are very skilled players. They are all the perfect examples to learn from.”
And it is these players that make the team the best in the world: “In futsal, there are four positions, and here in Barcelona, there are the best players in each one.” Harada sets a goal: “My goal at Barcelona explains why I am here. I am going to work hard to become one of the best players in the world”. Ari Santos, Jordi Torras’s right-hand man in coordinating Barça’s training teams, explains what led them to sign Kokoro Harada:
“We saw him in the first tournament when he was 14 years old in Tenerife. In attack, he is a spectacular player, but to play at the highest level in a team like Barça, defense is also crucial, and that is what we are working on with him.”
Assuming that the physical aspect is key, he adds, “In the two years he has been with us, on a physical level, he has improved significantly. When his defensive skills improve, he will be with the first team.