On the evening of Sunday, February 5, at the Chonburi UTA Stadium, Chonburi FC announced a partnership agreement with Gamba Osaka, one of the Japanese J-League top team. For the goal of elevating and developing the club to become a leading team in Asia
with Mr. Tadashi Ono, President of Gamba Osaka, Mr. Masahiro Wada, General Manager of Gamba Osaka and Mr. Hidekazu Sasaki, Vice President of the Panasonic Sport Company along with Khun Vidaya Khun Pluem, President of Chonburi FC, Khun Witthaya Laohakul, President of Technical Development, Chonburi FC and Khun Jeerasak Chomthong, Director of Marketing and Media, Chonburi FC. Represented by both clubs at the signing ceremony of this contract.
“We GAMBA OSAKA announced a partnership with CHONBURI FC. As our direction 「JAPAN‘S BEST SPORTS EXPERIENCE BRAND」not only in Japan but also overseas, we are grateful to have a partnership with the prestigious club CHONBURI FC as a club activity aiming to be global.” GAMBA OSAKA Co.,Ltd. President Mr.Onoda comment.
“Mr.Witthaya Chonburi FC TD is a well known football coach who once played and coached with MATSUSHITA(former GAMBA) era and not only understands Japanese football but also developed many Thai national team players.”
“Also in 2014, Mr,Wada our director, used to conduct CHONBURI FC as head coach with outstanding results in league and cup.”
“Since 2007 league champion of CHONBURI FC history, always been in one of the top clubs in the league and most of the players are from their own academy which has similarity of GAMBA as home grown player development club form academy.”
“We wish both signatures of development can grow more together. This summer we are planning to hold Junior Youth team camp as the first step of partnership interaction activity.”
In addition, Witthaya Khunpluem, President of Chonburi FC commented.
“On behalf of the Chonburi FC club, we are very honored. After becoming a joint partner of Gamba Osaka, one of the leading clubs in Japan. Both teams shared a long history and story without us knowing.”
“In addition to the unique blue of both teams, the landscape is an important port city of Thailand-Japan. In football, both teams shared the same core philosophies of building youth and nurturing them to develop into first teams to become the core players, Gamba and Chonburi have proven that such a direction, although not remarkable, has a leap forward, but it’s the direction that can still stand and be successful through the top nation-league and other trophies that both clubs have won (Gamba Osaka: J-League Champion 2005, 2014, Chonburi FC: Thai League Champion 2007)
“Signing as an alliance of Gamba Osaka and Chonburi FC this time, in addition to the cooperation of the first team. Public relations for the Thai League-J League football through tourism, marketing that creates a more connected football fan base between the two football teams, and the important part that will benefit in full is the structure of the youth system and football personnel. That will support the exchange of knowledge in modern Japanese-Thai football as an important foundation in moving forward together with Gamba Osaka and Chonburi FC in agreeing to form an alliance.”
In the past, ‘Coach Heng’ Witthaya Laohakul – Masahiro Wada, who played together at Gamba Osaka from 1986-1987 (the name was then Matsushita) and worked together again at Chonburi FC in 2014, are 2 people who connect the relationship of the 2 clubs until developing into football alliances this time. In the future, a good relationship between both teams will be consolidated through the exchange of player representatives from both clubs, whether it’s the first team – the youth team, or other personal events that will happen through this cooperation
From Adul Lasoh (2008 Tottori), Sittichok Paso (2017 Kagoshima, 2021/22 Ryukyu), the hope is that we will see our youth from Chonburi FC Academy stepping up to play football in the Japanese league again, and this time in the Gamba Osaka’s jersey, there are more possibilities in the near future.
In which the meeting of both teams this time is actually not the first time, in the past, the two teams were related through competitions on the continental stage. Our first time meeting with Gamba was a wonderful meeting. After winning the Thai League title in 2007, we represented the country in the 2008 AFC Champions League and played our first Asian football match in Osaka against Gamba with ‘Akira Nishino’. Chonburi grabbed the history of the club back out. Even Chonburi ended the route only in the group stages, but that year Gamba Osaka had a great form until it reached the finals. and won the AFC Champions League that year. The reunion this time is believed to be a good occasion for both teams as in the past.
From now on, we are about to start a new history together with Gamba Osaka and look forward to elevating our relationship to grow together in a sustainable future.”
Credit Photo : Chonburi FC
