From March 29th (Sun) to April 8th (Wed), seven players from GAMBA OSAKA Youth went on a training trip to the Netherlands. During the trip, they participated in the 14th "Olympia Future Cup," hosted by AFC Ajax (hereinafter referred to as Ajax), with whom Gamba Osaka has a football strategic partnership, as part of the newly established "Future United" team.
This tour was conducted based on a football strategic partnership with Ajax, with the aim of allowing academy players to learn about world standards through overseas match experience, understand their current position, broaden their knowledge by being exposed to different football perspectives and cultures, and use this to further their growth.

The following players from GAMBA OSAKA Youth participated:
[Participating players]
1. Okamoto Uta(2nd year student)
2. Okamoto Arata(2nd year student)
3. Shirosaka Koki(2nd year student)
4. Kawano Sho(2nd year student)
5. Kagano Subaru(1st year student)
6. Fujii Hideto(1st year student)
7. Oya Saku (1st year student)

◆About Future United
"Future United" is an all-star team composed of players selected from Ajax's affiliated clubs. For this tournament, players were selected from the following clubs. In addition, the team was led primarily by Head Coach and coaches of Dutch nationality.
FC Volendam (Netherlands)
Real Oviedo (Spain)
Como 1997 (Italy)
LASK Linz (Austria)
CF Pachuca (Mexico)
- Club Leon (Mexico)
Barranquilla FC (Colombia)

Training camp in the Netherlands (in preparation for the main tournament)

Leading up to the tournament, the players were active as members of "Future United." All activities, both on and off the pitch, including training and team meetings, were conducted in English. At the beginning of the tour, they seemed to struggle with communication with players, Head Coach, and managers from each country, but as the activities progressed, they were seen actively communicating. In particular, during daily training, there were more and more instances of communication using simple English and gestures, and teamwork deepened. The players realized the challenges of language, but at the same time, they gained new insights by being exposed to different football cultures as teammates, making it a valuable experience that would be difficult to obtain in Japan.

Furthermore, during the tour, opportunities were provided for club staff to exchange information, sharing knowledge on a wide range of topics related to academy-level players, including development methods, training methods, and data utilization know-how.

Results of the 14th "Olympia Future Cup"

"Future United" advanced to the semi-finals after finishing second in their group with one win and two draws. In the semi-finals, they lost to RSC Anderlecht, the eventual tournament champions, but faced Ajax again in the third-place playoff and won after a penalty shootout. They finished in third place overall. The seven players from GAMBA OSAKA Youth also made their presence felt throughout the tournament. Center back Okamoto played the full 90 minutes in every match and displayed stable defense. Okamoto and Kawano each scored two goals, making a big impact in the tournament. In addition, Shirosaka, Fujii, and Kagano contributed to the team's success with assists and chance creation. Furthermore, goalkeeper GK also got more playing time as the tournament progressed and supported the team. In front of a large crowd, they displayed confident play against top European clubs alongside players from all over the world. Through playing against top-level European opponents, they realized the challenges and strengths in playing intensity, decision-making speed, and both offensive and defensive aspects, and it was an opportunity for them to understand their current level.

◆Match Results◆
[Day 1]
☆ 1st Leg: Future United 1-1 PSG
https://youtu.be/CkVvS_JwyQA?si=MYL9xj5Fq_p4B1lu

☆ 2nd Leg: Future United 2-1 Ajax
https://youtu.be/vgw88q87TSA?si=QxPTf1lrnaSv6cM9

[Day 2]
☆ 3rd Leg: Future United 1-1 Sporting Portugal Goalscorer: Okamoto Arata
https://youtu.be/Etg8CYyjXIU?si=pDbuIve_ta_tcwy8

[Day 3]
☆Semifinal Future United 1-4 RSC Anderlecht Goalscorer: Kawano Sho
https://youtu.be/7e2VkMl2eyk?si=gjYjSMxl8CwlyfIb

☆3rd Place Playoff Future United 3-3 (PK 3-1) Ajax Goalscorers: Okamoto Arata, Kawano Sho
https://youtu.be/rsu-DVjmolw?si=5AFxQAWWGnhLlljj

Furthermore, during the tournament, Japan national team Head Coach Hajime MORIYASU , who was visiting the Netherlands on a European scouting trip, had the opportunity to speak directly to the players. The players listened attentively, receiving great inspiration and finding it a valuable time that will contribute to their future growth.

Comment from Hiroshi Ashitaka
This time, I had the opportunity to accompany the GAMBA OSAKA Youth players participating in the "Olympia Future Cup" from the preparation period onwards.
In an environment with foreign staff and players from seven different countries, the youth players faced many communication challenges, struggling with things like not getting the ball, lacking coordination, and not getting playing time. It was certainly not an easy start. Although the program was limited to one week, the youth players gradually took steps to connect with those around them both on and off the pitch, and showed a change in their approach by showcasing their abilities on the field. Ultimately, they earned their own opportunities to play, and their performance on the final day showed significant growth. Experiencing an environment that many Japanese players face after moving overseas was an invaluable opportunity not only for the players but also for us staff members. In the tournament, they competed against world-class clubs of the same age group, but we didn't feel that the Japanese players were inferior. On the other hand, every team had strong players who could change the game with their individual skills, which reinforced the importance of developing individual talent. In line with the academy's philosophy of "developing creative players who can compete on the world stage," we intend to use this experience to support the players' growth as a club, not only through on-field coaching but also by improving their language skills.
Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Ajax who worked so hard to make our participation in this tournament possible, everyone who helped us on-site, and everyone who supported us through live streaming and other means. We would appreciate your continued support and encouragement for the activities of the GAMBA OSAKA Academy.

Summary
This tour, conducted as part of our football strategic partnership with Ajax, provided academy players with the opportunity to experience world standards through overseas matches, understand their current standing, and gain insights into challenges and achievements for improving their global competitiveness by being exposed to different football cultures and competitive environments. Furthermore, it facilitated the sharing of knowledge regarding world-class development and training methods among staff. We will utilize the results gained from this tour to develop young players and strengthen the club as a whole, contributing to the club's continued growth.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Ajax for their tremendous support in allowing us to participate in this tournament.
We will continue to work towards further development for both clubs through our partnership activities.

■ About the GAMBA OSAKA x AFC Ajax Football Strategic Partnership
https://www.gamba-osaka.net/english/news/index/no/16236/

■Click here for an overview of the 14th "Olympia Future Cup"
https://www.gamba-osaka.net/english/news/index/no/19885/c/9/year/2026/month/04/