KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): Yokohama F Marinos coach Ange Postecoglou is itching to return to competitive action as the countdown to the J.League’s resumption from its enforced coronavirus break ticks ever closer.
The J.League will make its long-awaited return on July 4 having shut down due to the pandemic in late February, meaning Marinos had only played one game in defence of the title they won so impressively last year under the Australian coach.
Marinos lost their J.League opener to Gamba Osaka having also tasted defeat against Vissel Kobe in a penalty shootout in the Super Cup in the season’s curtain raiser, but the 54-year-old is delighted to be making a return to competitive action having seen leagues resume elsewhere.
“It’s been six months where football has been a secondary concern with what’s been going on around the world,” Postecoglou told the-AFC.com. “For all of us it’s been a period of time where we’ve really had to face some challenges as a society and, inevitably, it’s been impacting on our own little world and football’s been part of that.
“We’re starting off again and it’s been great to see the Korean league and the Bundesliga and others starting already and you can see the relief that football’s being played again. I’m grateful that we’ve got a start date now because that gives players focus.”
