With GAMBA OSAKA 's pride in their hearts, they head to the final.

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The day before the final. On their third day in Riyadh, the team spent the morning activating in the hotel pool, followed by a team meeting, before departing the hotel after 5 PM. They traveled about 20 minutes by bus to the match venue, King Saud University Stadium, where they held a pre-match press conference and official practice.
Captain Shinnosuke NAKATANI attended the pre-match press conference along with Head Coach Jens Wiszing. After speaking to reporters at the press conference, which was packed with local media, they headed to the official training session. As only the first 15 minutes were open to the public, not much information was obtained, but all the members who had traveled to Riyadh trained together, checking out the feel of the turf and the atmosphere of the stadium.
"The lighting was quite strong, and I was a little concerned about the direct light shining into my eyes. Also, the grass on the pitch was long, so there seemed to be a lot of irregular bounces. They're going to cut it shorter on the day of the match and water it, so the feel might change a bit, but I think we have to be prepared for that as well ( Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI)."
"The stadium was wrapped in a special design befitting a final, which added to the atmosphere, and I could somehow imagine what an incredible atmosphere it would be when the spectators were inside. Unlike the previous practices, I felt like my motivation was really boosted for the final, and now all that's left is to perfectly align my mind and body for tomorrow's match (Shuto ABE)."
"The pitch...it looks nice, but because the grass is long, the ball doesn't roll straight. If you kick it with your usual feel, it rolls irregularly. I think we need to be careful about the strength of our passes, and also pay attention to things like slightly off-center traps when we play (Shinya NAKANO)."

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The road to the finals was not easy.
The league stage, which began with the match against Dongbang on September 17th last year, saw them advance with a perfect 6-0 record. However, in the knockout stage this year, they struggled in the Round of 16 against Pohang, the quarter-final against Ratchaburi, and the semi-final against Bangkok United, but managed to secure victories through combined efforts over two matches. In the Round of 16 against Pohang, Ryoya YAMASHITA showed his presence with two consecutive goals, while in the quarter-final against Ratchaburi, a spirited "swing"from Gaku NAWATA and WELTON saved the team.
The semi-final match against Bangkok United is still fresh in our memories. In their first home game, the team suffered their first defeat of the tournament, and in the 2nd Leg, they were without captain Shinnosuke NAKATANI due to suspension. They took to the pitch, shaking off the fear that "it was the first time I was scared to play a match (Yamashita)" and the pressure that "if we lose, the path to the title will be closed (Abe)." In that situation, Ginjiro IKEGAYA, making his first start, formed an impenetrable defense with Masaaki HIGASHIGUCHI , Ryo HATSUSE Genta MIURA , Takeru KISHIMOTO, and Takeru Kishimoto, who also made up the backline. On offense, Yamashita, the team's top scorer in the tournament and known as the "ACL man," opened the scoring, followed by goals from Issam JEBALI and Ryotaro MESHINO.

Moreover, it's noteworthy that these results were achieved amidst a grueling series of matches played concurrently in the J1 League. Even when faced with difficulties such as Takashi USAMI, Shota FUKUOKA, and Shogo SASAKI suffering long-term injuries early in the season, and then in April, the team's unwavering right-back, Riku HANDA, also being sidelined for extended periods, and even when facing increasing fatigue as the matches progressed, the players rallied their spirits, uniting their determination with the words, "We'll play for the injured players," and "For our teammates who have kept us on this path to the final," and they demonstrated that determination through their results.
That remains unchanged even before the final match against Al Nasr.

"I myself was suspended for the second leg against Bangkok, so I truly believe that everyone brought me to this final, and that we were able to reach this final together. In fact, it has been a very long journey to get here. If we hadn't finished 4th in 2024, we wouldn't be here today. This final is the result of the efforts and feelings of many people who have been involved since then, including the players and staff, as well as Shota (Fukuoka) and Riku (Handa), who fought alongside us from the league stage, and Keisuke (Kurokawa), Alano (Huang), Issai (Sakamoto), and Dani (Daniel Poyatos, the Head Coach), and so many other players who left the team at the end of last year. I want to win this final for them as well. We want to fight carrying the hopes of many people, including our supporters, and we will definitely win this last one with the members who are here today (Nakaya)."

"We've all come this far in ACL2, including the teammates who fought alongside us in the past. The feelings of everyone involved in this tournament give us the strength to believe that they will definitely support us in the final, and I have taken to heart the disappointment and feelings of our teammates, including Riku (Handa), who couldn't come here due to injury, and that's what has brought us to Riyadh. In tomorrow's match, I will fight with that responsibility firmly in mind, and I want to do everything I can to turn everyone's feelings into a title. For that to happen, I'm the only one who can do it. I believe that I'm the one who will make it happen in a situation like this (Yamashita)."

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Of course, Al-Nassr, whom Gamba Osaka will face in the final, is by no means an easy opponent. They are a star-studded team with well-known European players such as Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix, Senegal's Sadio Mané, France's Kingsley Coman who scored a hat-trick in the ACL 2 semi-final, and Croatia's Marcelo Brozović. Even within Saudi Arabia, although they were unable to secure the championship in their most recent Saudi Professional League title match against Al-Hilal, which ended in a draw, they are currently leading the league by a wide margin. How will Gamba Osaka fare against such a formidable opponent?

"Considering the individual quality of our opponents, I believe the key to increasing our chances of winning this match will be how well we can fight as a team. Even if we assume that our opponents possess both strengths and weaknesses in their individual abilities, we want to fight as a team, as an organization, while not being outplayed individually is a prerequisite. I believe that the more time we can properly express the style of football we have been playing under Jens (Visking, the Head Coach) this season, the higher our chances of winning will become. On the other hand, even while pressing hard from the front and playing compactly, considering the precision of their counter-attacks and the quality of their individual players, our defensive line's risk management will be more thorough than ever before." It's essential. I also felt this during the practice session the day before the official match, but I'm going to keep in mind the unique characteristics of the stadium—like how the grass is a bit long, how it's dry and the ball stops quickly, how the lights are strong and get in my eyes every time I try to deal with a cross, and how there's a strange breeze inside the stadium that makes the ball travel further in certain areas—and I'll try to adapt to those things. I was already too excited when I left Japan, so since coming here I've deliberately tried to keep it in check, relax, and gradually build up my excitement. As a result, I'm in a state where I can bring my maximum potential to the match, and now all that's left is to approach it with confidence (Genta MIURA)

"This will be a historic match for Gamba and for me. I believe that mentality is the most important thing in a big match like this. I want to show a strong attitude, not shrinking back, not being intimidated, and going up against the opponent with the attitude that so what if I make a mistake? If I can spread that to the team and express the importance of playing proactively through my play, I'm sure everyone will be able to connect with that and play more positively. That's what I want to focus on first. Also, tactically, it's essential to defend by minimizing space from the front line, and after that, I think the play after winning the ball, including the changes in pace of play in how we aim to score, will be a big key to changing the flow of the game. If we lose the ball there, we'll be drawn in by the opponent and spend a long time defending, but if we can calmly move the ball after winning it and finish it there, we can definitely seize the momentum. I want to play while thinking about the range of plays I will choose. I'll cast aside any unnecessary pressure and go into the match with the feeling that we're going to give it our all in this big away stadium (Ryoya YAMASHITA)."

"Looking at the analysis videos from our meetings, we see that in many matches the opponent's offense and defense are stretched out, so I think the best way to get closer to winning is to first clearly express our own style of football. After that, if we can stay calm, connect passes properly, and have the players in the back also show their faces and move forward, we should be able to get closer to the goal. Considering the high quality of Al Nassr's ability to finish every single chance, we also need to make sure we finish the chances we create. No matter how the game unfolds, I think it's important to stay calm and keep striving for that for 90 minutes. On the other hand, even when Al Nassr is defending, Cristiano Ronaldo and Feh are always on the attacking side. With players like Ricks and Mané always staying up front and looking for an opportunity to score, we need to be thorough with risk management. Otherwise, they could easily kick the ball all the way to our goal. We need to make sure we make the right decisions, including whether a center back or a defensive midfielder should cover them. Last May, the biggest reason I returned to Japan from Belgium and joined Gamba was to win this ACL2. That's why I'm confident that my desire to win this tournament was stronger than anyone else's. I've been fighting with that feeling all along, and now, to bring one last title to Gamba, I'm going to give it my all (Abe)

To engrave the tenth star on our hearts. To build a new chapter in GAMBA OSAKA's history.

"No matter what happens, we just need to stay calm and play our usual style of football. That's all. The players here have experienced and overcome tough away games up to this point. Since arriving in Riyadh, I've tried to stay calm, including the environment, and try to be as normal as possible, bringing my best on match day. That doesn't change in the game. I think we just need to go into the game thinking about expressing our usual style of football on this stage. It's not about doing something special because it's the final, but rather, because it's the final, we should give it our all and do our best with what we've always been able to do." "What we do is what's important. The Asian title is the only title I haven't won in my career at Gamba, so I absolutely want to win it. More than anything, winning this one title will increase the value of the club. Not only the players and staff, but also the people who work at the club, those involved, and the fans and supporters will surely change their values ​​and gain more depth. That is the universal weight and power that a "title" possesses, and in order to equip this club with that, we will do everything we can to reach the top. Right now, that's all I have on my mind." (Takashi USAMI)

Let's combine all the strength we've woven together and go forth, everyone!