Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka (ガンバ大阪, Gamba Ōsaka) is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name Gamba comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese ganbaru (頑張る), meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". The club's home stadium is Suita City Football Stadium.
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| Full name | Gamba Osaka | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Nerazzurri (Black-and-Blues) | ||
| Founded | 1980[1] (as Matsushita Electric SC) | ||
| Ground | Panasonic Stadium Suita | ||
| Capacity | 39,694 | ||
| Owner | Panasonic | ||
| Chairman | Takashi Yamauchi | ||
| Manager | Tsuneyasu Miyamoto | ||
| League | J1 League | ||
| 2020 | J1 League, 2nd of 18 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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| Panasonic Sports | ||||||||||||||||||
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Gamba Osaka is among the most accomplished Japanese clubs, having won several top-tier domestic titles, as well as the 2008 AFC Champions League.
History
Founded in 1980 as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (which was renamed "Panasonic Corporation" on 1 October 2008) soccer club in Nara Prefecture and a member of the Japan Soccer League.[2] It was mostly made of remaining players and staff of the defunct Yanmar Club, the former B-team of Yanmar Diesel F.C., later to be known as Cerezo Osaka. Gamba Osaka was an original member ("Original Ten"[lower-alpha 1]) of the J.League in 1993.[2]
In 2005, the club claimed its first J.League championship on a dramatic final day during which any of five clubs could have claimed the championship. Gamba needed to win, and have cross town rivals Cerezo Osaka draw or lose. Gamba defeated a valiant Kawasaki Frontale 4–2, while victory was snatched from Cerezo by a last-minute FC Tokyo equalizer.[3] In an AFC Champions League match in 2006, Gamba Osaka defeated Vietnamese side Da Nang FC in a record-equaling victory of 15–0.[4] In the 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship final, Gamba Osaka beat MLS club Houston Dynamo 6–1 to win the tournament, in large part because of Bare who scored 4 goals in the final (5 in all at the tournament).[5] After his brilliant display and having just scored 10 goals in 18 games for Gamba in the domestic league, he was sold to UAE club Al-Ahli for 1 billion yen.[6]
In October 2008, Gamba for the first time in their history, reached the final of the AFC Champions League after defeating fellow Japanese league rivals Urawa Red Diamonds 4–2 on aggregate after a 1–1 draw at home in the first leg, Gamba registered one of the most historic comebacks in Champions League history when they came back from being behind 1–0 before half time to win 1–3 with all goals scored in the second half at Saitama. Gamba Osaka went on to win the 2008 AFC Champions League title after winning 5–0 on aggregate against the giant-killing Australian club Adelaide United in the Final. They became the fifth Japanese club to win the maximum Asian title, after Urawa, Júbilo Iwata, then-company-affiliated Yomiuri (now Tokyo Verdy), and Furukawa Electric (now JEF United Ichihara Chiba).[7]
In December 2008, Gamba made it to the semi finals of the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup after beating Australian club Adelaide United 1–0. They were beaten in the semifinals by 2007–08 Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United. On 21 December 2008 they played for third place against Mexican side C.F. Pachuca with Gamba winning the match 1–0.[8]
In December 2012, Gamba were relegated from Division 1 after losing 2–1 to Júbilo Iwata. Gamba finished 17th in the league despite scoring more goals than any other club, including Champion Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Ultimately, although Gamba had a positive goal difference at the end of the season, Gamba could not overcome their poor defense, which allowed the second most goals in Division 1 after Consadole Sapporo. This also made Gamba Osaka the fastest club to suffer relegation from the top division after winning the AFC Champion's League and playing in the FIFA Club World Cup, the relegation being only four years later.[9] However, the club bounced back in the 2013 season, becoming the J2 Champion and directly promoting to Division 1 again after only one season.[10]
In 2014, Gamba won the Division 1 title, a year after winning the second division, becoming the second club in the professional era to achieve this feat (after Kashiwa Reysol in 2011). That same year, Gamba also became the second club to win the domestic treble (after Kashima Antlers in 2000), by winning the J.League Cup and the Emperor's Cup as well.[11]
Year 2015 saw Gamba Osaka return to the AFC Champions League for the first time since 2012, where they advanced to the semi-finals before being eliminated by The Tournament Winner and 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Fourth Place Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 on aggregate. Domestically, Gamba Osaka advanced to the final of both the J.League Cup and the J1 League Championship, losing to Kashima Antlers 0–3 and Club World Cup Third Place Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3–4 respectively.[12] Gamba Osaka successfully defended their status as Emperor's Cup winners, defeating Urawa Red Diamonds 2–1.[13]
Stadium
Gamba Osaka used the Osaka Expo '70 Stadium in the Expo Commemoration Park as its home stadium from 1980 through 2015, which seats around 21,000.
The club began construction in December 2013 of a new soccer-specific stadium called Suita City Football Stadium in the same park, with a seating capacity of 39,694.[14] The new stadium had its inaugural official match during the Panasonic Cup on February 14, 2016, an exhibition match during which Gamba Osaka hosted fellow J1 club Nagoya Grampus.[15]
Rivalries
Gamba's fiercest rival are fellow locals Cerezo Osaka with whom they contest the Osaka derby.[16] Also have a heavy rivalry with Saitama's Urawa Red Diamonds, which they make the "National Derby" of Japan.
Record as J.League member
Season Div. Tms. Pos. Attendance J.League Cup Emperor's Cup AFC CL FIFA CWC 1993 J1 10 7th 21,571 Semi-final 2nd round – – 1994 12 10th 22,367 Semi-final Semi-final – – 1995 14 14th 13,310 – Semi-final – – 1996 16 12th 8,004 Group Stage Semi-final – – 1997 17 4th 8,443 Group Stage Semi-final – – 1998 18 15th 8,723 Group Stage 3rd round – – 1999 16 11th 7,996 2nd round 4th round – – 2000 16 6th 9,794 2nd round Semi-final – – 2001 16 7th 11,723 2nd round Quarter-final – – 2002 16 3rd 12,762 Semi-final 4th round – – 2003 16 10th 10,222 Quarter-final 4th round – – 2004 16 3rd 12,517 Quarter-final Semi-final – – 2005 18 1st 15,966 Runners-up Semi-final – – 2006 18 3rd 16,259 Quarter-final Runners-up Group Stage – 2007 18 3rd 17,439 Winners Semi-final – – 2008 18 8th 16,128 Semi-final Winners Winners 3rd Place 2009 18 3rd 17,712 Quarter-final Winners Round of 16 – 2010 18 2nd 16,654 Quarter-final Semi-final Round of 16 – 2011 18 3rd 16,411 Semi-final 3rd round Round of 16 – 2012 18 17th 14,778 Quarter-Final Runners-up Group Stage – 2013 J2 22 1st 12,286 – 3rd round – – 2014 J1 18 1st 14,749 Winners Winners – – 2015 18 2nd 15,999 Runners-up Winners Semi-final – 2016 18 4th 25,342 Runners-up Quarter-final Group Stage – 2017 18 10th 24,277 Semi-final Quarter-final Group Stage – 2018 18 9th 23,485 Quarter-final 2nd round – – 2019 18 7th 27,708 Semi-final 3rd round – – 2020 18 2nd 7,597 Group Stage Runners-up – – 2021 20 TBD – - Key
- Tms. = Number of clubs
- Pos. = Position in league
- Attendance = Average league attendance per game
- Source: J. League Data Site
Coaching staff
The Coaching Staff for the 2019 J1 League season;[17]
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| First-team Manager |  Tsuneyasu Miyamoto |
| Head Coach | Satoshi Yamaguchi |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Naoki Matsuyo |
| Coach | Arata Kodama |
| Physical Coach |  Toni Gil Puerto |
Players
Current squad
- As of February 9th, 2021
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
- Greatest ever team
In 2011, as part of the club's official celebration of their 20th anniversary, supporters cast votes to determine the greatest ever team.[18]
- Yōsuke Fujigaya (2005–2013, 2015–2017)
- Akira Kaji (2006–2014)
Sidiclei (2004–2007)- Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (1995–2006)
- Satoshi Yamaguchi (2001–2011)
- Yasuhito Endō (1998– )
- Tomokazu Myojin (2006–2015 )
- Hideo Hashimoto (1998–2011)
- Takahiro Futagawa (1999–2018 )
Patrick M'Boma (1997–1998)- Araújo (2005)
Club captains
- Akihiro Nagashima 1992-1993
- Isogai Yoko 1994-1996
- Hayato Okanaka 1997-1998
- Minoru Tadam 1999
- Miyamoto Tsuneyasu 2000
- Kiba Masao 2001-2003
- Miyamoto Tsuneyasu 2004
- Siji Clay 2005
- Yuta Tadashi 2006-2007
- Naoki Matsushiro 2008-2009
- Tomokazu Myojin 2010-2012
- Yasuhito Endo 2013-
Honours
DomesticGamba Osaka (Professional era)
Matsushita (Amateur era)
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Continental
Worldwide
International
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Managerial history
Managers
| Dates | Name | Honours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–1991 | Yoji Mizuguchi |
Emperor's Cup: 1990 | |
| 1991–1994 | Kunishige Kamamoto |
The competition formed as the J.League in 1993. | |
| 1995 |  Sigfried Held |
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| 1995–1997 |  Josip Kuže |
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| 1997–1998 |  Friedrich Koncilia |
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| 1998–1999 |  Frédéric Antonetti |
J.League Division 2 was launched in 1999. | |
| 1999–2001 | Hiroshi Hayano |
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| 2001 | Kazuhiko Takemoto |
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| 2002–2012 | Akira Nishino |
J.League Division 1: 2005 J.League Cup: 2007 Emperor's Cup: 2008, 2009 AFC Champions League: 2008 J.League Manager of the Year: 2005 AFC Coach of the Year: 2008 |
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| 2012 | José Carlos Serrão |
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| 2012 | Masanobu Matsunami |
Gamba was relegated to the J.League Division 2 2013. | |
| 2013–2017 | Kenta Hasegawa |
J.League Division 2: 2013 J.League Division 1: 2014 J.League Cup: 2014 Emperor's Cup: 2014, 2015 J.League Manager of the Year: 2014 |
Gamba was promoted to the J.League Division 1 2014. J3 League was launched in 2014. |
| 2018 | Levir Culpi |
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| 2018– | Tsuneyasu Miyamoto |
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Player statistics
Top scorers by seasons
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Award winners
The following players have won the awards while at Gamba Osaka:
Domestic
- J.League Player of the Year
- Araújo (2005)
- Yasuhito Endō (2014)
- J.League Top Scorer
- Patrick M'Boma (1997)
- Araújo (2005)
- Magno Alves (2006)
- J.League Best Eleven
- Patrick M'Boma (1997)
- Junichi Inamoto (2000)
- Yasuhito Endō (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)
- Masashi Oguro (2004)
- Araújo (2005)
- Fernandinho (2005)
- Satoshi Yamaguchi (2006, 2007, 2008)
- Ryōta Tsuzuki (2006)
- Magno Alves (2006)
- Baré (2007)
- Patric (2014)
- Takashi Usami (2014, 2015)
- Yosuke Ideguchi (2017)
- J.League Rookie of the Year
- Takashi Usami (2010)
- J.League Cup MVP
- Michihiro Yasuda (2007)
- Patric (2014)
- J.League Cup New Hero Award
- Michihiro Yasuda (2007)
- Takashi Usami (2014)
International
- Asian Footballer of the Year
- Yasuhito Endō (2009)
- AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player
- Yasuhito Endō (2008)
- AFC Champions League Top Scorer
- Magno Alves (2006)
- Leandro (2009)
World Cup players
The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup, while playing for Gamba Osaka:
Olympic players
The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Gamba Osaka:
International results
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In popular culture
In the Captain Tsubasa manga series, two characters are from Gamba Osaka: the defender Makoto Soda and the forward Takashi Sugimoto.
Notes
- The Original Ten of the J.League in 1992 were Kashima Antlers, Urawa Red Diamonds, JEF United Ichihara, Verdy Kawasaki, Yokohama Marinos, Yokohama Flügels, Shimizu S-Pulse, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Gamba Osaka and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
References
- Gamba Osaka Profile at J.League Official Website
- "Gamba Osaka: Club Introduction". J.League. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Top 10 derby title races: 6. Gamba Osaka & Cerezo Osaka (2005)". Goal.com. 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Gamba hammer Da Nang 15–0 to pick up first ACL points". Japan Times. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Bare, Gamba Osaka roll over Dynamo 6–1: Brazilian striker nets four in Pan-Pacific final". Houston Dynamo. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Bare set to leave Gamba for Al Ahli". ESPN soccernet. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Origins and History: Ninety Years of the JFA". JFA. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2008 – Overview". FIFA.com. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Niigata's great escape". J.League. 1 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka in the last J.League title race for some time". theguardian.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- "Gamba Osaka complete domestic treble". FIFA.com. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- "Hiroshima hold off Gamba to win 3rd J-League title in 4 years". The Mainich. The Mainichi Newspapers. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- "Gamba gives Urawa Reds the blues with Emperor's Cup win". AFP. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- Kaz Nagatsuka (28 December 2013). "Gamba wait for new site". Japan Times. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- "Gamba open new stadium with preseason victory". japantimes. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- "The story behind the Osaka derby". goal.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- "Gamba Osaka 2019 Squad". Gamba Osaka (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2019.
- ガンバ大阪歴代ベストイレブン 遠藤、宮本らが選出. Ameba news (in Japanese). 2 October 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- "Results". Gamba Osaka Official Web Site. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- "History of Gamba Osaka". Gamba Osaka Official Site. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- "Japan Football Hall of Fame". JFA. Japan Football Association.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese and English)
- Schedule on ESPN
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gamba Osaka. |
| Achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Urawa Red Diamonds |
Champions of Asia 2008 |
Succeeded by Pohang Steelers  |
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