Throughout last year's battles, the keyword for the team was "passion."
The battles that fueled them were expressed as a desire to win, creating excitement in the stadium.
This season, WE ARE GAMBA OSAKA will focus on the spirit that each player has behind their "passion." What kind of power will their soul, enthusiasm, courage, and determination give to the team this season?

After finishing his first "real match" in about half a year in a practice match, Ryotaro MESHINO appeared in the interview room with a cheerful voice.
"It's been so long since I last ran, I couldn't run at all, but soccer is the best part! It was so much fun!"
It has been about three months since he re-injured himself during training camp in January, just before he was due to return to the lineup. He says he has been working on his rehabilitation with two spirits in mind: a "rebellious spirit" and "the ability to think."
"Not everything in this world goes well. There are more negative things than positives, like not being able to play in a match, not doing as well as you'd like, and injuries. How to deal with those situations and turn frustration into positive energy and use it to grow has been something I've been conscious of throughout my career and during my rehabilitation. Because I had that mindset, I was able to recover quickly from my second injury, and I was able to suppress my impatience and focus on what I needed to do in the moment. That's why I believe there will be moments in the future when I can turn frustration into joy."
In fact, while I continued to have a rebellious spirit of "I'm going to get stronger and get back on the pitch!", the days when I calmly confronted my body turned into the strength that propelled me forward.
"For example, starting from where your body is tired, thinking about which parts you should stretch and which parts you should focus on training is very important in rehabilitation. Also, even if you are in good health and able to play, there are times when you can't play in a match, so instead of just feeling frustrated, I think it's essential to face what you are lacking and how you can play in a match in order to change the current situation. Having said that, when I was around 20 years old, I would blame others, and when I couldn't point the finger at myself, I would let my irritated feelings show on my face and attitude. Since I was a child, my parents always told me to "think and act," and I tried to do that in my private life, but when it came to soccer, there were times when I couldn't stay calm. But now that I've grown up and made those kinds of mistakes, gotten married, and had children, I realize that that's not good enough. I feel like I've grown up a little in that respect."
This is because the more I progress in my career, the more I realize that "soccer is a mental sport." In particular, last season was the "hardest season" since I returned to Gamba in the summer of 2022, as I was unable to play in games and had to take a long break due to injury. However, this mindset was very meaningful to me.
"To be honest, there were times when I was depressed, when I completely lost confidence, and when I couldn't play the way I wanted to. But instead of running away from that reality, I faced it head on and thought, "Now is my chance to change myself," so I was able to switch gears and think, "I can start from scratch and work my way up again." Thanks to that, I was able to face my rehabilitation with a positive attitude, and now that I'm back in the lineup, I think I'm still enjoying soccer with a straight face. However, I don't think that this is about "mellowing out." Of course, I think it's important to accept the good plays of the players around me and learn from them, but that doesn't mean I want to lose my Ryotaro MESHINO's show begins."
MESHINO counterattack.


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Text by Takamura Misa

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