The strategic partnership between Ajax and Gamba Osaka has been in place since the start of 2024. Its aim: to promote talent identification and development initiatives in Japan. It also allows Ajax to strengthen its global football network and identify promising young players within the Japanese football landscape. In return, Gamba Osaka gains access to Ajax's training methodologies for their own youth development programme, as well as a direct link to the global football community through the partnership.
Marijn Beuker: "We were pleased to welcome the Gamba Osaka U17 team to Amsterdam and the Olympia Future Cup. The trip offered their young players invaluable international experience. We were impressed by their technical ability, resilience, and the way they carried themselves both on and off the pitch. The partnership with Gamba is important. Not only for the development of Gamba’s future talents, but also for Ajax as we continue to deepen our relationship and understanding of Japanese football. We look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership and learning from one another along the way."
Friendly match with Future Cup rules
Gamba Osaka arrived in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening and stayed at the same hotel as the other five teams participating in the Olympia Future Cup. Training sessions were held in the mornings at the AFC training grounds, and on Wednesday evening, a friendly match was played against that very same club. On the artificial turf at the De Toekomst sports complex, Gamba Osaka faced AFC U19 in preparation for the start of the Olympia Future Cup, under the new rules and with a victory.
Interesting exchange of knowledge
Shortly before that, a special gathering took place at the School of the Future. In the room, the Ajax Coaching Academy came together with Gamba Osaka and a number of Dutch partner clubs. First, the representatives from Amsterdam spoke about the partnership with the Japanese side and the club's international ambitions. Then it was Gamba Osaka’s turn.
With great enthusiasm, the guests spoke for around an hour about the club's structure, the philosophy that's visible on the pitch, their journey to Amsterdam, and the preparations leading up to the Olympia Future Cup.
After all the hard work, it was time to relax on Thursday. The Japanese delegation visited the Johan Cruijff ArenA and explored the city, taking in some of Amsterdam’s tourist attractions.
Head Coach speaking
On Friday, the day before the tournament kicked off, we spoke to the Japanese team’s head coach: Shigeru Yokotani. He was very positive about the collaboration with Ajax so far. "Ajax has excellent facilities at its disposal, and we are receiving a lot of information and gaining extensive knowledge about how to run training sessions. That’s very useful for us."
"Data," said Yokotani when asked to name the one thing he's learned most since the partnership began. "The use of data at Ajax is much more advanced than with us. The methodology Ajax uses with data has now been introduced at our club as well. It's more structured. We're gradually learning how to use it effectively and we’re following Ajax’s example in this."
As mentioned, Gamba Osaka has been in Amsterdam since Tuesday evening. In addition to meetings, tests, and matches, there was also time for relaxation. On Thursday, the squad went into the city. "The cityscape was wonderful." Afterward, it was time for a visit to the Johan Cruijff ArenA. Yokotani smiled. "It was amazing, and the stadium tour was impressive. The players enjoyed the stands and all the Ajax Legends on the walls."
After that, the focus went to the Olympia Future Cup: "We're looking forward to all the matches at the Future Cup. We believe players improve from opportunities like this, from these kinds of tournaments, and from the chance to play here. In addition, we want to find out where we currently stand in the world of football."
"I want my players to think positively and to adapt to the rules and the environment here. They need to experience things and build on them. New elements will make them better, but they have to do that themselves," the coach continued. "Everything here is a wonderful experience, and this tournament is fantastic for us," he concluded.
Physical tests
During the week, the Gamba U17 team also underwent cognitive and physical testing following Ajax protocols. This provided a valuable benchmark for both Gamba Osaka and Ajax, enabling comparison of players from distinct environments. The testing results also offer both clubs with deeper and more objective insights into player evaluation and development.
Olympia Future Cup
Gamba Osaka faced Ajax during the Olympia Future Cup's opening match. The Japanese side were beaten 3-1 and also lost their second group match against Paris Saint-Germain: 0-2.
After the match against the French side, we spoke to Gamba Osaka's goalkeeper and captain, Yuma Nobata. "The level is high, and in general, the technical ability and physical condition of the players here is better than in Japan. The players are very quick here, we've noticed."
Nobata enjoyed the attention surrounding the tournament. "In Japan, there's no media coverage at our matches, so this is really cool. We also like the new rules. Even though they were sometimes confusing, we found it very refreshing to play with them."
On the second day, the Japanese team achieved a fantastic result against Anderlecht in the battle for fifth place. Thanks to a 4-1 victory, Ajax's partner club returned to Japan in fifth place, with a wealth of knowledge and experiences.
