Tomoya Ugajin believes the minimum Urawa Reds must target next season is to win the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title, declaring that to be the standard.

The 2017 J.League Kickoff Conference took place on Monday afternoon in downtown Tokyo, with managers and players from all 54 J1, J2, and J3 League clubs participating in streamed presentations and media interviews.

Ugajin was present to represent his club ahead of their season opener against Yokohama F. Marinos, a matter of months after the Reds faltered in their final bid to claim a long-awaited title.

And the winger insists that his side would target no less than wins in all competitions as they pre-pare to take on a youthful F. Marinos side.

“Winning the title isn’t our goal, it’s the standard we have to meet. Nothing less than winning all three domestic titles and the AFC Champions League will be sufficient,” he said.

“Yokohama F. Marinos have entered a generational shift and brought on a lot of young players, so they have a lot of energy. We have to be aware of the atmosphere they’ll create on opening day.”

“It’s an honour to wear the No. 6 for such a legendary club,” F. Marinos star Takahiro Ogihara also said. “I feel a sense of responsibility so I want to work hard this season. 

“Urawa Reds finished in first place last year and they’re absolutely a strong side. We want to win the opening game at home and start the season with momentum.”

The match kicks off between the two at Nissan Stadium on Feb 25, 12:30 JST.