I went to watch practice for the first time.

One day in March 2014. I went to Maishima for the first time.
At the time, there was a term called "Cerezo girls". I had heard rumors that Cerezo had many cool players.
But I was not looking for them, I was looking for Diego Forlan.

At the Cerezo training ground, the players walk from the clubhouse to the training area along a path called the "Fanza Zone. I could reach out and high-five them, but there were many supporters there even before practice.
Diego and the other players were saying, "Ichi? Two? in Japanese.

When practice started, more than 100 supporters were watching from the stands.
After about an hour of practice, the players would come up close to the seats in the stands and give fan service. Not all of them.
Sometimes they did not if the conditions were bad or if there was a media interview.

I grabbed a piece of colored paper from my bag and waited to get an autograph, but I couldn't get one that day.
But the player I admire is nearby! I got to see him practice! I enjoyed that day very much.

After that, I went to the practice field several times on my days off.
One day, when I was walking on the way to the practice, there was no one around me, so I gathered my courage and waited to say hello to him.
I was so nervous that I couldn't speak.
But he glanced at me and said, "Good morning."

What was shocking here was that Diego Forlan, whom I had seen many times on TV, had made a spectacular volley shot and made a fierce appeal to the stands the moment he made it, so I was very surprised by his gentle smile that day.

I had the impression that he was a very quiet person. That was my impression.
It was not a negative impression, but rather a selfish one, because he had played so well in the World Cup and had been a member of several club teams. The selfish image of him as a player who played so well in the World Cup and went through several club teams disappeared in an instant.

A few days later, on the day of the practice visit, I finally got an autograph. I couldn't see Diego's face through the wire fence, but a woman said to me, "I'll let you know when Forlan comes. He's here! I stretched out my short arm and got her autograph through the wire fence.
I was so happy to see the first autograph I had ever received that I was very moved.

In April, the team traveled to Thailand for an ACL match.
However, Diego did not accompany the team, perhaps because he was not in good condition.
However, I heard that he was training alone in Maishima.
I went to Maishima to see if that was the case.
There were about 50 supporters watching him practice, and after practice he did fan service through a wire fence.

I was wearing the uniform of the Uruguayan national team that day.
After I got his autograph
He smiled and pointed to the uniform and said, "I'll sign that one, too.
It was the first time I could get him to sign my national team uniform.
It was around this time that I bought my first SLR camera.

At that time it was just for taking pictures, but I myself could not have imagined at that time that six months later my reason for taking pictures would change.

初めての練習見学​

2014年3月某日。私は仕事が休みだったので事前に調べておいた方法で電車を乗り継ぎ舞洲へ行った。
当時「セレ女」と言われる言葉があった。噂では聞いていたがセレッソにはかっこいい選手が沢山いた。
私の目当ては彼らではなく、ディエゴ・フォルラン。

セレッソの練習場はクラブハウスから練習する所までファンサゾーンと呼ばれる道を選手たちは歩いて行く。手を伸ばせばハイタッチもできる距離だったが練習前からそこには沢山のサポーターがいた。
ディエゴは他の選手と「イチ？二？」と日本語で会話をしながら歩いていた。

練習が始まると100人以上のサポーターがスタンドでその様子を見ていた。
1時間ぐらいで練習が終わるとスタンド席の近くまで選手が近づいてきて
ファンサービスを行う。全員が全員ではない。
コンディションが悪かったり取材があればしないこともあった。

私はカバンから色紙を手にしサインをもらおうと待っていたが、その日はもらうことができなかった。
しかし憧れている選手が近くにいる！練習が見れた！と言うだけで、その日はとても楽しめた。

その後も何度か休みを利用し練習場に通った。
ある日練習へ向かう道を歩いてる時、周りには誰もいなかったので勇気を出して私は彼にHelloと声をかけようと思いスマホを持ちながら待っていると
緊張して声が出なかったが彼は私の顔をちらっと見て「おはようございます」と。

ここで衝撃的だったのが私がテレビで見ていたディエゴ・フォルラン選手は、華麗なボレーシュートを決め、決めた瞬間スタンドに向かって猛アピールをする映像を何度も見ていたので、その時の優しい笑顔にとても驚いた。
とても物静かな人なのかな？と言う印象を抱いた。
それはネガティブなものではなく、ワールドカップであれほど活躍し、幾つものクラブチームを渡り歩いた選手だから、もしかしたら我儘なんじゃないか？と言う勝手なイメージは一瞬で消えた。

数日後の練習見学の日、私は漸くサインを手にできた。金網越しでディエゴの顔も確認できずだったが、1人の女性が「フォルランが来たら教えますね」と声を掛けてくれたのだ。「来ましたよ！」との声に私は短い腕をおもいきり伸ばし金網越しにサインを書いてもらった。
初めてもらったサインを見て私は「やっとだぁ.…泣きそう」とその時の気持ちを今でも覚えている。

４月になりチームはACLの試合のためタイへ移動した。
しかしディエゴはコンディション不調だったのか帯同はしなかった。
それを知り「オフなのかな？」と思っていたが、またしても私の予想を裏切り彼は１人で舞洲で自主トレをしていたと聞いた。
それならばと思い私は舞洲へ行った。
そこには５０人ほどのサポーターが彼の練習を見ており練習後金網越しにファンサービスを行った。

私はその日ウルグアイ代表のユニフォームを着ていた。
サインをもらった後に
「それにもサイン書くよ」と笑顔でユニフォームを指さしてきた。
私が初めて代表ユニフォームにサインを書いてもらうことができた。

私はその頃初めて一眼レフカメラを購入した。

大好きな人の写真を撮ると言う理由だったが、半年後その理由が変わることになる。