Jose Mourinho, manager of AS Roma, believes Japan defeated Germany 2-1 in Wednesday’s World Cup match because they played as a unit.
Japan came back from a goal down to defeat Germany in their Group E World Cup opener.
Germany’s first goal came from Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, but Japan won thanks to goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano in the second half.
Mourinho was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying, “Of course, it was a fantastic achievement, but to be honest, it [the result] was not a crazy surprise.”
“Japan is a good team and has good players, and is getting a good accumulation of experience at these events. The majority of the players play in Europe, where they develop a lot faster and understand better what is the high level.
“And I think the mentality of the players and the team can also make a difference. I think at this moment in European football, there is a big focus on the individual, a big focus on egos.”
He added: “The team is the most important thing and they play for the team. They don’t play for themselves.”