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?

For GAMBA OSAKA, for his teammates and staff, for the people who work at the club, and for all their families. The desire to give back to the people who have supported and cheered him on is the spirit that is always at the heart of ISSAM JEBALI. This naturally translates into his passion and motivation on the pitch.
"Thanks to the history that has been connected by so many people, we are now given the opportunity to wear the uniform as members of GAMBA OSAKA and fight as representatives of the club. Thanks to the efforts, support, and encouragement of so many people, we are able to play in a wonderful atmosphere. Our supporters travel hours to the stadium not only for home games, but also for away games to fight alongside us. I believe that it is my mission as a professional soccer player to deliver love to all of those people through my performance."
To achieve this, he never forgets to place high demands on himself, because he believes that this is the responsibility of calling himself a professional athlete.
"Of course, as a FW, I think it is my job to score goals, but I think the most important thing is to make sure I'm prepared to perform at my best on the pitch. In that respect, I've been able to get into good condition through the preseason, including the training camp, and I've been making good progress since the start of the season. Of course, even with all that preparation, it's possible to suffer from injuries, like in the year before last and last year, but this season I've been able to find my own rhythm without any injuries. That fact has also led to me being able to express my true self more through my play."
In addition, he is now in his third season playing in Japan, and his body has begun to adapt to soccer and life there, which is probably a factor supporting his current performance. He also feels that "things are starting to go well."
"There is an eight-hour time difference between my home country of Tunisia and Japan. Naturally, this causes changes in the body, and changing the food also affects physical training. At first, it took some time to adapt to the difference in the quality of the grass on the pitch and the hardness of the ground. Also, just when I was finally starting to get used to it, I hurt my knee like last year, and everything I had built up was back to square one. Having overcome that period, I feel like my body and play have adapted this year, using the experience from the past two seasons. Above all, I have really come to love the club called Gamba, my life in my hometown, and the city. I truly feel like this is my "home". I also love the atmosphere that the supporters create at the stadium. I also really love the respect that you all show me through social media...I love your sense of humor and the "teasing" that we call it in Japanese (laughs). I think that feeling everyone's presence close to me through these interactions is what makes my feelings for Gamba even stronger."
According to JEBALI, life in Japan has many similarities to everyday life in his home country of Tunisia. The warmth of the people, the way time passes, and the casual conversations he has at the local bakery, fishmonger, and supermarket make his emotionally rich days very calming. At the same time, the cheers he feels from his hometown through these interactions further ignite the fire in his spirit.


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Text by Takamura Misa

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