In the Land of the Rising Sun, he speaks Dutch every day. “Quentin Martinus (formerly SC Heerenveen, Sparta, and Emine FC Emin, editor) is my teammate. I spend most of the time with him. Outside of that I speak English with my translator. The club employs full-time interpreters who can assist four foreign players who assist the club in each Venue,” Woud says in the Over De Grens Special of ELF Voetbal, which was published last month and can be ordered quickly and easily online via this link. Within two to three working days at home.
“During training, one of them stands by the goal to do the translation for the goalkeeper coach. The other translator does it with the football players. With my groceries, I ask one of them for help via FaceTime.” In January, Wood flew from Schiphol via Paris to Osaka. “From there it takes an hour by car. Kyoto does not have an airport. We usually visit outdoor games by train. Its speed is more than three hundred kilometers per hour. You are in Tokyo in two and a half hours. We fly to Sapporo by plane. For two hours by plane from Osaka.” We always leave the day before.”
“The level of football is high. Above Almir City, where I was active before winter. The best Japanese players all play in their own league, as well as foreign stars like Andres Iniesta.” The courses last longer than in the Netherlands, where Woud also kept Willem II. “Often it’s two and a half hours. Always at one hundred percent, and this is ingrained in Japanese sports culture. Every player is in top shape. Essential for Koto, because the coach wants to put high pressure everywhere on the field.”
In the interview, Wood also talked about the city of Kyoto. “I pay 85 cents for a liter of gasoline.” Also about his former hometown Amsterdam, his parents’ background, moving from New Zealand to Holland, his selection for the New Zealand national team, the Olympics in Tokyo and their aftermath, and his late departure from Almere.
The full interview with Michael Woud can be read in ELF Voetbal’s very dense Over De Grens Special, published last month. In it there are at least 46 interviews with our compatriots in almost the same number of foreign competitions. Think Virgil van Dijk, Cresencio Summerville and Joel Perrault in England, Geoffrey Guilio, Mark Demers and Tejmen Goebel in Germany, Denso Cassius in Italy, Xavi Simmons and Branko van den Bomen in France. But also Wout Droste in Iceland, Shayne Pattynama in Norway, Nick Marsman in the US, Wouter Burger and Léon Bergsma in Switzerland. Also consider conversations with Dutch professionals in smaller countries. We spoke to the only Dutch professional in competitions in Andorra, Bangladesh, Estonia, Latvia, Singapore and Kosovo.
The extra thickness Over De Grens Special for ELF Voetbal fell on the subscriber squeegee. Available in well-known bookstores and non-food stores. In addition, in well-known travel destinations such as Schiphol, Eindhoven Airport and NS main stations. Online ordering is easy via this link. quickly and easily. Within two to three working days at home. Having a subscription is quite convenient. Each edition is automatically on the wiper. Subscription is completed quickly via this link. Choose your welcome gift! Enjoy reading!
