The 2018 Gamba Osaka season was Gamba Osaka's 25th season in the J1 League and 31st overall in the Japanese top flight. It saw them compete in the 18 team J1 League as well as the J.League Cup and Emperor's Cup competitions.
Gamba began the season with a new manager in the shape of Brazilian, former Cerezo Osaka boss Levir Culpi who replaced long-standing manager Kenta Hasegawa who moved to FC Tokyo.
Culpi was fired after poor form saw Gamba sit in the J1 relegation zone at the halfway point of the season. He was replaced by Gamba Under-23 manager Tsuneyasu Miyamoto on July 23.
Transfers
Prior to the end of 2017, Gamba announced the capture of young defenders; Tetsuya Yamaguchi and Riku Matsuda as well as midfielder Yuya Fukuda all straight out of high school. Meanwhile, midfielder Ren Shibamoto and attacker Haruto Shirai were promoted to the first team squad after impressing for Gamba's Under-23 side in J3 during 2017.
Shortly before Christmas the signings of attacking midfielder Shinya Yajima and former Gamba youth product, centre-back Shunya Suganuma were announced, with the duo arriving from Urawa Reds and Montedio Yamagata respectively. This news was followed a few days later with the news of the signing of Japan Under-17 midfielder Keito Nakamura from Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Yowa SC as well as the promotion of Under-23 goalkeeper Kosei Tani to the first team squad.
2 league games into the campaign and Gamba secured the signing of former Brazil Under-20 defensive midfielder Matheus Jesus on loan from Portuguese side Estoril. His contracted would run until the end of the year.
Long serving goalkeeper Yosuke Fujigaya, who had made over 250 league appearances for the club announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 season after spending the previous 3 years providing backup to established number 1, Masaaki Higashiguchi. Holding midfielder Tatsuya Uchida turned his loan move to Tokyo Verdy into a permanent one and he would be joined at the Tokyo club by young forward Hiromu Kori who had spent the previous season on loan with Gamba Under-23, scoring 3 goals in 17 appearances.
Additionally experienced Japanese-born but Korean passport holding centre-back Kim Jung-ya moved to Vegalta Sendai, while Kashima Antlers forward Shuhei Akasaki returned to his parent club following a disappointing loan spell which yielded only 2 goals. Another forward with a poor goalscoring record, Hiroto Goya moved to J2 League outfit Tokushima Vortis in an effort to rediscover his scoring touch, he would be joined in J2 by backup goalkeeper Ken Tajiri who extended his loan spell at Zweigen Kanazawa for a further season. Gamba U-23 centre back and sometimes central midfielder made the move to J3 side Grulla Morioka after making close to 50 appearances in J3 but failing to crack Gamba's senior side.
At the beginning of January, a press conference was held confirming that key central midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi would join English EFL Championship side Leeds United. The Japanese international would however join Spanish Segunda División outfit Cultural Leonesa on loan for the remainder of the 2017–18 European club season. In the day's following Ideguchi's departure it was confirmed that young utility player So Hirao had been allowed to join Avispa Fukuoka on loan for 2018 and centre-back / defensive midfielder Shogo Nakahara had completed his loan spell with the club and would return to his parent club, Consadole Sapporo. Veteran midfielder Takahiro Futagawa also announced that he would spend another year on loan with Tokyo Verdy in J2 having spend the previous 18 months in Japan's capital.
The first of February saw the announcement that young South Korean centre-back Bae Soo-yong would join J3 outfit Giravanz Kitakyushu on a season long loan. He spent the 2017 campaign with Gamba's Under-23 side, scoring once in 24 games and earning to red cards in the process.
During the mid-season transfer window, it was announced at the end of June that midfielders Shinya Yajima and Jin Izumisawa would spend the second half of the year on loan at Vegalta Sendai and Tokyo Verdy respectively. Both players had struggled for game time with the top team and had spent large chunks of the season playing with Gamba U-23 in J3. Their departures cleared the way for the arrival of Renofa Yamaguchi midfielder Kosuke Onose at the end of July.
Following the departure of Brazilian coach Levir Culpi in July, Matheus Jesus, who Culpi brought to the club on loan at the start of the season, found game time hard to come by and his loan from Portuguese side Estoril was cancelled by mutual consent. New head coach Tsuneyasu Miyamoto moved further to re-shape the squad by bringing in Vissel Kobe striker Kazuma Watanabe on a permanent deal while the tall Shun Nagasawa moved in the opposite direction on loan until the end of the year.
In
PlayerTransferred FromFeeDateSource 34 Yuya Fukuda Higashi Fukuoka High SchoolUnknown11 Oct 2017 35 Tatsuya Yamaguchi Sagami Senior High SchoolUnknown18 Oct 2017 36 Riku Matsuda Maebashi Ikuei High SchoolUnknown28 Nov 2017 32 Ren Shibamoto Gamba Osaka U-23Promotion28 Nov 2017 37 Haruto Shirai Gamba Osaka U-23Promotion28 Nov 2017 13 Shunya Suganuma Montedio YamagataUnknown21 Dec 2017 21 Shinya Yajima Urawa Red DiamondsUnknown21 Dec 2017 38 Keito Nakamura Mitsubishi YowaUnknown26 Dec 2017 41 Kosei Tani Gamba Osaka U-23Promotion26 Dec 2017 8 Matheus Jesus EstorilLoan7 Mar 2018 50 Kosuke Onose Renofa YamaguchiUnknown31 July 2018 39 Kazuma Watanabe Vissel KobeUnknown13 Aug 2018
Out
PlayerTransferred ToFeeDateSource 18 Yōsuke Fujigaya retiredN/A28 Nov 2017 29 Hiromu Kori Tokyo VerdyEnd of Loan18 Dec 2017 6 Kim Jung-ya Vegalta SendaiUnknown21 Dec 2017 N/A Tatsuya Uchida Tokyo VerdyUnknown21 Dec 2017 28 Shota Yomesaka Grulla MoriokaUnknown25 Dec 2017 53 Shuhei Akasaki Kashima AntlersLoan Return26 Dec 2017 16 Ken Tajiri Zweigen KanazawaLoan Extension27 Dec 2017 13 Hiroto Goya Tokushima VortisLoan 28 Dec 2017 8 Yosuke Ideguchi Leeds UnitedUnknown4 Jan 2018 30 So Hirao Avispa FukuokaLoan5 Jan 2018 23 Shogo Nakahara Consadole SapporoLoan Return6 Jan 2018 N/A Takahiro Futagawa Tokyo VerdyLoan Extension11 Jan 2018 42 Bae Soo-yong Giravanz KitakyushuLoan1 Feb 2018 21 Shinya Yajima Vegalta SendaiLoan25 June 2018 39 Jin Izumisawa Tokyo VerdyLoan25 June 2018 8 Matheus Jesus EstorilLoan End11 Aug 2018 20 Shun Nagasawa Vissel KobeLoan13 Aug 2018
Coaching staff
The Coaching Staff for the 2018 J1 League season;
PositionStaffFirst-team Manager Tsuneyasu MiyamotoHead Coach Sanjiyoshi NoritadaGoalkeeper Coach Naoki MatsuyoPhysical Coach Yi Chang-yeobCoach Arata KodamaCoach Satoshi Yamaguchi
First team squad Appearances and goals as of the beginning of the 2018 season. No. Name Nationality Position(s) Date of birth (age) Height (cm) Weight (kg) Since Previous Club Games played Goals scored Goalkeepers 1 GK 184 78 2014 187 0 23 Mizuki Hayashi GK 182 74 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 31 Ryota Suzuki GK 191 85 2017 Tokyo Verdy 1 0 41 Kosei Tani GK 187 78 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 Defenders 2 Takaharu Nishino CB 187 73 2017 JEF United* 69 6 3 Fábio CB 186 78 2017 Yokohama F. Marinos 32 2 4 Hiroki Fujiharu LB 175 60 2011 281 12 5 Genta Miura (captain) CB / RB 183 77 2017 Shimizu S-Pulse 45 3 6 Ryo Hatsuse RB / LB / RM 175 64 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 36 1 13 Shunya Suganuma CB 182 78 2018 Montedio Yamagata 1 0 14 Koki Yonekura RB / RW 176 68 2014 JEF United 133 8 16 Hiroki Noda CB 181 73 2016 Otsu High School 1 0 22 Oh Jae-suk RB / LB 178 74 2013 Gangwon FC 128 0 35 Tatsuya Yamaguchi LB 171 70 2018 Sagami Senior High School 0 0 36 Riku Matsuda RB / CB 175 60 2018 Maebashi Ikuei High School 0 0 Midfielders 7 Yasuhito Endō CM / AM 178 75 2001 Kyoto Purple Sanga 702 123 10 Shu Kurata 172 68 2012 Cerezo Osaka* 294 46 15 Yasuyuki Konno CB / DM 178 73 2012 FC Tokyo 252 23 17 Mizuki Ichimaru DM / CM 174 66 2016 Gamba Osaka Youth 4 0 24 Haruya Ide RB / RW / LW 171 66 2017 JEF United 5 1 25 Jungo Fujimoto RW / LW / AM 173 69 2016 Yokohama F. Marinos 43 1 26 Naoya Senoo LM / AM 172 60 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 1 0 27 Yuto Mori RB / AM / RM 173 68 2017 Nagoya Grampus 0 0 28 Takahiro Ko CM / DM 172 67 2017 Funabashi High School 0 0 29 Leo Takae CM / LM 171 60 2017 0 0 32 Ren Shibamoto CM 172 59 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 34 Yuya Fukuda CM / LM 176 70 2018 Higashi Fukuoka High School 0 0 50 Kosuke Onose RW / LW / AM 176 65 2018 Renofa Yamaguchi 0 0 Strikers9 Ademilson AM / CF 176 74 2016 São Paulo 72 1911 Hwang Ui-jo AM / CF 184 73 2017 Seongnam FC 15 3 18 Akito Takagi CF / RW 175 68 2016 Gamba Osaka Youth 10 0 19 Kazunari Ichimi CF 183 74 2016 Otsu High School 0 0 37 Haruto Shirai CF 170 60 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 38 Keito Nakamura AM / CF 180 75 2018 Mitsubishi Yowa 0 0 39 Kazuma Watanabe CF 182 79 2018 Vissel Kobe 0 0 40 Ryotaro Meshino AM / CF 171 68 2017 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 * indicates player returned to Gamba Osaka from a loan spell with this club.
J1 League
On 13 January, Gamba's first 2 fixtures for the season were announced, at home to Nagoya Grampus and away to Kashima Antlers. The dates for the remaining games were made public on January 24.
Gamba endured something of a roller coaster ride during the 2018 season, a disastrous start under Brazilian coach Levir Culpi, including 5 losses in their first 6 games, saw Gamba spend most of the year facing the very real prospect of relegation to J2. Fortunately after Culpi was replaced by Gamba U-23 coach and club legend Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, their fortunes began to change. Miyamoto's arrival initially brought better performances if not results, but along with returning injured players, midfield general Yasuyuki Konno and Brazilian attacker Ademilson as well as the arrival of the experienced forward Kazuma Watanabe from Vissel Kobe and winger Kosuke Onose from Renofa Yamaguchi, Gamba started to build a head of steam culminating in a 9-game winning streak which propelled them to the top half of the standings and a final position of 9th.