{
  "id": 11558918,
  "title": "Ex-Japan national soccer team player Kosuke Ota says AI won't replace the need for English",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/ex-japan-national-soccer-team-player-kosuke-ota-says-ai-wont-replace",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T00:00:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20261001/p2a/00m/0sc/012000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Japan national football team player Kosuke Ota, 39, currently residing in Japan, emphasizes the importance of mastering the English language for aspiring soccer players. Ota, who played professionally in the Netherlands and Australia, underscores that this holds true even as artificial intelligence (AI) technology rapidly progresses and enables instant translation of foreign languages into a person's native tongue. Ota's perspective stems from personal experience, as he encountered significant challenges during his time in the Netherlands due to language barriers.\n\nOta's career took a notable turn during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons when he joined Dutch club Vitesse midway through the season. Initially, he managed to make an impact despite limited English proficiency through enthusiasm and passion. However, the dynamics changed when a new head coach took over and assessed Ota's communication skills in English as a weakness. This led to his exclusion from the starting lineup and even the substitutes bench and intra-squad training matches.\n\nDespite the setback, Ota remained determined and sought ways to improve his English. He began arriving at the stadium before training and would greet the head coach and coaching staff, demonstrating his commitment to the team. As he built stronger relationships with teammates and gained the trust of the coaching staff, he regained a regular place in the lineup during the second half of the season.\n\nOta's experiences highlight the crucial role of communication in succeeding in a foreign soccer league. He believes that learning foreign languages will continue to be essential even as AI translation technology advances. He emphasizes that genuine connection and making eye contact with others are uniquely human aspects that cannot be replaced by technology. Ota's story serves as a reminder that while opportunities may be lost without language proficiency, acquiring a language never comes with a cost.",
  "summary": "TOKYO -- With the J.League shifting this season to an autumn-spring calendar that overlaps with Europe's major soccer leagues, overseas transfers are",
  "key_points": [
    "Former Japan national soccer player Kosuke Ota emphasizes English proficiency importance.",
    "AI translation technology won't replace human connection in soccer.",
    "Ota's experience in Netherlands highlights language barriers impact."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kosuke Ota's experience shows that, even with advancing AI translation technology, mastering a foreign language like English remains crucial for soccer players to succeed and build genuine connections with teammates and coaches.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}