To Lawrence, the anime (based on the light novel series by Rifujin na Magonote and illustrator Shirotaka) resonated with his own experience aspiring to become a professional football player.

This means every player in Esperion is required ... it tries to condense all the scenes where they play football. Another factor in Ao Ashi's anime downfall was its portrayal of Ashito's vision.

Carsten Cramer, Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund, stated the following: “Many of our players are big ONE PIECE fans, so Borussia Dortmund has had already a natural connection to the anime ...