The 2019 Gamba Osaka season was Gamba Osaka's 26th season in the J1 League and 32nd 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.
Transfers
Prior to the end of 2018, Gamba completed the signing of Kwansei Gakuin University fullback, Ryu Takao, who impressed in his side's shock win over Gamba in the Emperor's Cup in June. He was joined by young midfielder Kohei Okuno, who signed a full-time deal after spending 2 years with Gamba's Under-23 side in J3 League. It was also announced that Kansai University left-back Keisuke Kurokawa would join the club as a designated special player before signing permanently once he concluded his university studies in 2020.
Roasso Kumamoto wide midfielder / wing-back, Tatsuya Tanaka was next to join, having performed well in a team that was relegated from J2 the previous season. Central midfielder Shinya Yajima returned from a loan spell with Vegalta Sendai where he spent the second half of the 2018 campaign while forward Hiroto Goya came back from J2 side Tokushima Vortis having only played 7 games due to injury. Goalkeeper Ken Tajiri also returned to the club following an 18-month loan spell with Zweigen Kanazawa.
In a surprise move, defender Naoyaki Aoyama joined the club following 4 seasons in Thailand with Muangthong United. Aoyama previously played with Shimizu S-Pulse, Yokohama F. Marinos and Ventforet Kofu in Japan. After his country's elimination from the 2019 AFC Asian Cup it was announced that South Korean defender Kim Young-gwon would sign from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. He previously had spells in Japan with FC Tokyo and Omiya Ardija between 2010 and 2012.
At half time of the week 3 J.League fixture at home to Nagoya Grampus, it was announced that Spanish winger David Concha would join the club on loan from Real Sociedad. He was handed the number 11 jersey.
In mid-December, it was announced that defenders Fabio and Takaharu Nishino as well as midfielders Naoya Senoo and Yuto Mori had been released. Fabio played 31 times in J1 League during 2018, however Nishino, Senoo and Mori spent the majority of the season with Gamba U-23 in J3. Later on in December versatile full-back Ryo Hatsuse left for Vissel Kobe, he had filled in at left back during Hiroki Fujiharu's injury during the previous season but saw out the campaign playing J3 football with Gamba U-23. Attacking midfielder Haruya Ide left for J2 outfit, Montedio Yamagata, after 2 indifferent seasons in Osaka while young Korean defender Bae Soo-yong was again loaned out, this time to J3 side Kamatamare Sanuki. Giant forward Shun Nagasawa, who spent the second half of 2018 on loan at Vissel Kobe, left permanently for Vegalta Sendai at the end of December. On the same day, it was also announced that the versatile So Hirao, who had been with Avispa Fukuoka on loan in 2018 had signed a permanent deal with J2 side Machida Zelvia.
The beginning of 2019 brought with it the surprising news that attacking midfielder Jin Izumisawa, who'd spent the second half of 2018 on loan at J2 side Tokyo Verdy, would take the next step in his career in Poland with Pogoń Szczecin. A couple of days later it was announced that 4th choice goalkeeper, Ryota Suzuki, would join J2 side JEF United Chiba on a season-long loan. On the same day, promising forward Kazunari Ichimi, who was top scorer for Gamba U-23 in 2017 and 2018 joined Kyoto Sanga on loan for 2019. Club legend Takahiro Futagawa finally departed the club permanently in mid January. The 38 year-old had spent the previous 2 seasons out on loan in J2 with Tokyo Verdy and Tochigi.
Early on in the season young forward Hiroto Goya, who found himself well down the pecking order for a starting berth, was loaned out to J2 side V-Varen Nagasaki while Gamba U-23 captain Mizuki Ichimaru headed to FC Gifu on loan at the beginning of May. At the end of May another Gamba U-23 stalwart, centre-back Hiroki Noda also left on loan, this time to J2 outfit Montedio Yamagata.
Gamba kicked off the summer transfer window with the announcement that attacking midfielder Takashi Usami would return for a third spell at the club. The 27-times capped Japanese international had spent the 2018-2019 European season on loan at Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf on loan from Augsburg. Right-sided midfielder Yuto Suzuki also came in on loan from Kawasaki Frontale in mid-July and his arrival was followed by the loan signing of Patric from Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The striker previously enjoyed 4 seasons with Gamba and scored 9 times in their title-winning season in 2014. Continuing the theme of returns, midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi also rejoined the club after an injury plagued 18 months in Europe. The following week, Renofa Yamaguchi attacker, Daisuke Takagi, became the fifth arrival of the summer.
In terms of summer departures, veteran full-back Oh Jae-suk left on loan to once again link up with former Gamba head-coach Kenta Hasegawa at FC Tokyo. Wing back Tatsuya Tanaka also left for fellow J1 side Oita Trinita, a mere 7 months after joining Gamba from Roasso Kumamoto. A few days later Korean forward Hwang Ui-jo departed for Bordeaux in France and he was followed out the exit door the following day by veteran attacking midfielder Jungo Fujimoto who joined J2 promotion chasers Kyoto Sanga on loan until the end of the season. Youngster Keito Nakamura who'd recently broken into the team playing on the left side of midfield earned a 2-year loan move to Dutch side FC Twente in mid July following in the footsteps of Ritsu Doan who joined Groningen in the Netherlands two years previously. The exodus continued when veteran midfielder Yasuyuki Konno, who had fallen out of favour in 2019, moved to J1 rivals Jubilo Iwata on a permanent deal. Young striker Akito Takagi, who bagged 11 goals in just 17 J3 games for Gamba U23 joined former team-mate Hiroki Noda on loan at J2 side Montedio Yamagata. A few days later, right full-back Koki Yonekura returned to his former club, JEF United Chiba, on loan until the end of the season. Young attacker Ryotaro Meshino later made the surprise move to English side Manchester City on a permanent deal and the following week central-midfielder, Takahiro Ko, joined J2 outfit Renofa Yamaguchi on loan until the end of the season.
In
PlayerTransferred FromFeeDateSource 27 Ryu Takao Kwansei Gakuin Universityunknown22 Jun 2018 26 Kohei Okuno Gamba Osaka Youthpromotion18 Oct 2018 24 Keisuke Kurokawa Kansai University5 Dec 2018 6 Tatsuya Tanaka Roasso Kumamotounknown14 Dec 2018 21 Shinya Yajima Vegalta Sendaireturn from loan23 Dec 2018 20 Hiroto Goya Tokushima Vortisreturn from loan27 Dec 2018 31 Ken Tajiri Zweigen Kanazawareturn from loan7 Jan 2019 30 Naoaki Aoyama Muangthong Unitedunknown7 Jan 2019 19 Kim Young-gwon Guangzhou Evergrandeunknown26 Jan 2019 11 David Concha Real Sociedadloan9 Mar 2019 33 Takashi Usami Augsburgunknown24 June 2019 17 Yuto Suzuki Kawasaki Frontaleloan18 July 2019 18 Patric Sanfrecce Hiroshimaloan25 July 2019 15 Yosuke Ideguchi Leeds Unitedunknown5 Aug 2019 20 Daisuke Takagi Renofa Yamaguchiunknown13 Aug 2019 28 Yuki Yamamoto Kwansei Gakuin University6 Sept 2019 14 Markel Susaeta unattachedunknown9 Sept 2019
Out
PlayerTransferred ToFeeDateSource 2 Takaharu Nishino Kamatamare Sanukifree11 Dec 2018 3 Fábio releasedN/A11 Dec 2018 26 Naoya Senoo Nagano Parceirofree11 Dec 2018 27 Yuto Mori Mito HollyHockfree11 Dec 2018 6 Ryo Hatsuse Vissel Kobeunknown17 Dec 2018 24 Haruya Ide Montedio Yamagataunknown27 Dec 2018 42 Bae Soo-yong Kamatamare Sanukiloan27 Dec 2018 20 Shun Nagasawa Vegalta Sendaiunknown29 Dec 2018 30 So Hirao FC Machida Zelviaunknown29 Dec 2018 39 Jin Izumisawa Pogoń Szczecinfree5 Jan 2019 31 Ryota Suzuki JEF United Chibaloan7 Jan 2019 19 Kazunari Ichimi Kyoto Sanga FCloan7 Jan 2019 N/A Takahiro Futagawa FC TIAMO Hirakataunknown18 Jan 2019 20 Hiroto Goya V-Varen Nagasakiloan22 Mar 2019 17 Mizuki Ichimaru FC Gifuloan1 May 2019 2 Hiroki Noda Montedio Yamagataloan30 May 2019 22 Oh Jae-suk FC Tokyoloan8 July 2019 6 Tatsuya Tanaka Oita Trinitaunknown10 July 2019 16 Hwang Ui-jo Bordeauxunknown14 July 2019 25 Jungo Fujimoto Kyoto Sanga FCloan15 July 2019 38 Keito Nakamura FC Twenteloan16 July 2019 15 Yasuyuki Konno Júbilo Iwataunknown17 July 2019 18 Akito Takagi Montedio Yamagataloan25 July 2019 14 Koki Yonekura JEF United Chibaloan29 July 2019 40 Ryotaro Meshino Manchester Cityunknown9 August 2019 28 Takahiro Ko Renofa Yamaguchiloan15 Aug 2019
Coaching staff
The Coaching Staff for the 2019 J1 League season;
PositionStaffFirst-team Manager Tsuneyasu MiyamotoHead Coach Satoshi YamaguchiGoalkeeper Coach Naoki MatsuyoCoach Arata KodamaPhysical Coach Toni Gil Puerto
First team squad Appearances and goals as of the beginning of the 2019 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 219 0 23 Mizuki Hayashi GK 182 74 2015 Gamba Osaka Youth 13 0 31 Ken Tajiri GK 182 76 2019 Zweigen Kanazawa* 1 0 41 Kosei Tani GK 187 78 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 1 0 Defenders 4 Hiroki Fujiharu LB 175 60 2011 312 12 5 Genta Miura (captain) CB / RB 183 77 2017 Shimizu S-Pulse 86 4 13 Shunya Suganuma CB 182 78 2018 Montedio Yamagata 17 0 19 Kim Young-gwon CB 186 74 2019 Guangzhou Evergrande 0 0 24 Keisuke Kurokawa LB 173 70 2019 Kansai University 0 0 27 Ryu Takao RB / CB 181 67 2019 Kwansei Gakuin University 0 0 30 Naoaki Aoyama CB 182 75 2019 Muangthong United 0 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 742 124 8 Kosuke Onose RW / LW 176 65 2018 Renofa Yamaguchi FC 16 3 10 Shu Kurata 172 68 2012 Cerezo Osaka* 332 50 11 David Concha 178 70 2019 Real Sociedad 0 0 14 Markel Susaeta 179 68 2019 Athletic Bilbao 0 0 15 Yosuke Ideguchi CM 171 69 2019 Leeds United 95 9 17 Yuto Suzuki 182 76 2019 Kawasaki Frontale 0 0 21 Shinya Yajima DM / CM 171 67 2019 Vegalta Sendai* 4 0 26 Kohei Okuno CM 174 63 2019 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 28 Yuki Yamamoto AM 173 64 2019 Kwansei Gakuin University 0 0 29 Leo Takae CM 171 60 2017 16 0 32 Ren Shibamoto CM / DM 172 59 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 34 Yuya Fukuda RM / LM 176 70 2018 Higashi Fukuoka High School 5 0 Strikers9 Ademilson AM / CF 176 74 2016 São Paulo 93 24 18 Patric CF 189 82 2019 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 111 38 20 Daisuke Takagi RW / LW / CF 170 64 2019 Renofa Yamaguchi 0 0 33 Takashi Usami LW / CF 178 69 2019 Augsburg 195 92 37 Haruto Shirai CF / RW 170 60 2018 Gamba Osaka Youth 0 0 39 Kazuma Watanabe CF 182 79 2018 Vissel Kobe 12 3 * indicates player returned to Gamba Osaka from a loan spell with this club.
J1 League
On 11 January, Gamba's first 2 fixtures for the season were announced, at home to Yokohama F. Marinos and away to Shimizu S-Pulse. The dates for the remaining games were revealed on 23 January.