18 Jan 2007(Thu)

Tokyo, January 17, 2006: You have to take your hat off to Gamba Osaka, even though they could not quite defend their league crown last season.

Looking at all the transfers flying around at the moment, it seems that Gamba have perfected their policy in the risky and expensive business of signing overseas players.

Quite simply, they let other clubs bring them to Japan, monitor their form and, if they think they are good enough, just offer them more money to move to Suita City!

Well, this may be over-simplifying their policy, but their three foreign players for 2007 are all established in Japan, and, to use some English soccer slang, can do the business.

The latest addition to the Gamba fold is the big and powerful forward Bare, who impressed for Kofu in J1 last season. Bare is not a risk at all. He is a good pro with a good attitude and plays hard for the team – I will never forget how overcome he was with emotion after scoring all six Kofu goals at Kashiwa in the promotion/relegation play-off in 2005. (Unless he was crying because he should have scored 10, but missed so many other chances!)

Bare will join Magno Alves and Sidiclei in the blue and black stripes of Gamba, replacing Fernandinho, who has joined S-Pulse to replace Marquinhos, who has joined Antlers!

Magno Alves was not a risk, either, when signed from Oita to replace the prolific Araujo, and neither was Sidiclei, who had been around for several seasons. In fact I remember watching him play for Yamagata at Tochigi Green Stadium in an Emperor’s Cup tie against Nagoya Grampus Eight – and, I am sure, missing a penalty (sincere apologies to Sidiclei if my memory escapes me!). It was 1998 and Philippe Troussier was there, too, watching Kenji Fukuda play for Grampus as he assembled his team for the Sydney Olympics.

Sidiclei, Magno Alves and Bare…this is sensible business by Gamba, who, of course, have the money and the prestige to attract good players who have made their mark in Japan with other, less fashionable teams (Oita, Kofu, Vissel, for example).

Gamba know exactly what they are getting on and off the field, while other clubs often have no idea as they search in the dark for instant superstars from Brazil.

ends