NEWS

After winning the AFC Champions League, Gamba Osaka Manager Akira Nishino is looking forward to his team’s next challenge in December’s FIFA Club World Cup 2008 presented by Toyota.

Gamba celebrated their first-ever Asian success on Wednesday night in Australia after beating Adelaide United 5-0 on aggregate in the final. Gamba were unbeaten in their entire Asian campaign.
“We developed our game match by match and built up our own brand of football, which enabled us to win the Asian title. We’ve grown up as a team and a club,” Nishino said at a press conference at his club’s headquarters in north Osaka on Friday. “Now we must move forward for a new challenge at the next level.”
As Asian champions, Gamba will become the second J. League team to compete in the Club World Cup following Urawa Reds, who finished third in the FIFA tournament last year.
Gamba will play either Oceania champions Waitakere United of New Zealand or ACL runners-up Adelaide in the quarterfinals on December 14 at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture.
If Gamba win their quarterfinal match, they will then meet European champions Manchester United in the semifinals.
 “I couldn’t really imagine that we would be there playing in the tournament,” said Nishino, who is now in his seventh season at Gamba, “We now have the possibility of facing Manchester United, and we’d like to make that happen by winning our first game.”
Nishino, who coached Japan’s Olympic team at the 1996 Atlanta Games – where they upset Brazil in the group stage – recognizes there is a gap between his side and the English Premiership giants, but he is determined to take on the challenge with Gamba’s own brand of football.
“There is quite a difference in the level of play between us and Manchester United,” Nishino admitted. “But I don’t think we can change our football style. I know you have to put in a lot of effort to win a game at this stage of the Club World Cup, but I think it would be good to show our own game there, rather than focusing on our final position in the tournament.”
Gamba midfielder Yasuhito Endo, who was named MVP of this year’s ACL, said: “You can’t get an opportunity to play against a big team like Manchester United anywhere but in the Club World Cup, and I’d like to really enjoy the game.”
The 28-year-old Japan international continued: “To do so, we have to make sure we get the right result in our first game so we can move on to play Manchester United. I’d like to confidently show our own brand of football in the tournament.”
Brazilian forward Lucas, who scored three goals in the two-leg final against Adelaide, is eager to show off his skills in the FIFA tournament.
“When I was little, the tournament was known as the Toyota Cup and played between the champions of South America and Europe, and I always dreamed of playing in it, but I never thought it would be realized like this,” Lucas said.
The 29-year-old Brazilian joined Gamba from FC Tokyo this season. He formerly played at some Brazilian clubs like as Corinthians, as well as French side Rennais FC.
“I am looking forward to seeing how well I can do in the intense battles there,” Lucas added. “You never know what’s going to happen in football, but I will play in my usual way.”