Thank you very much for your warm support for Albirex Niigata Singapore.

From Wednesday, 3 December to Sunday, 7 December, we organised a coaching study tour in Osaka, sending coaches from Singapore to Japan.

This tour was arranged in response to the coaches’ desire to learn about Japan’s player development system. Six highly motivated coaches joined the program to understand not only the technical and tactical reasons behind Japan’s ability to develop world-class players, but also the qualities beyond football that make Japanese players respected by clubs around the world.

During the tour, the group stayed in Osaka and received support from Kokoku High School—one of Japan’s strongest football schools—and Gamba Osaka, a club that has produced many professional players, including Japan national team members.

＜Day 1＞
 

On 3 December, the participants landed at Kansai International Airport at 10:00am and headed straight to Kokoku High School without even stopping for lunch.

In the first half of the visit, Head Coach Takuya Muguruma explained the structure of the Kokoku High School football program, the team’s core values, and its football philosophy.



He especially emphasised the importance of character building as part of school-based club activities. The coaches listened with great interest, asking so many questions that the session ran significantly over time, but Coach Muguruma kindly answered every question until the very end.

Afterwards, the group moved to the pitch to observe a training session of Kokoku High School’s top team. The coaches were allowed to step inside the training area to observe closely and understand the intention behind each drill with the help of interpreters.

They were impressed not only by the players’ high technical level, but also by their autonomy, focus, and the disciplined and rapid transitions between training activities.

＜Day 2＞

Day 2 was dedicated to Gamba Osaka. From 10:00am, Academy Director Takaaki Hoshihara and Head of Football Operations Hiroshi Matsuda provided a detailed explanation of Gamba Osaka’s youth development structure, development policies, and approaches to producing players capable of progressing to the top team. Understanding how Gamba Osaka nurtures players—many of whom become top professionals such as national-team player Ritsu Doan—was extremely valuable for the coaches.

After lunch, the Singapore coaches conducted practical coaching sessions with Gamba Osaka Academy coaches acting as players. The participants organised and delivered training sessions, including warm-ups, and after each drill they received immediate feedback from Mr. Hidetoshi Shibata—who coordinated the program—and the Gamba Academy coaches. They were able to clearly identify strengths and areas for improvement in their training methodology.

Because the Gamba academy coaches had a very high playing level, it was naturally challenging to coach them, causing some initial hesitation. However, all participants actively communicated and embraced the challenge.

After the practical coaching sessions, the group observed Gamba Osaka Academy trainings for various age groups, including U18, U15, and elite elementary school players, which offered many valuable insights.

＜Day 3＞

On Day 3, a stadium tour was held from 11:00am. Panasonic Stadium Suita, Gamba Osaka’s home stadium, is a football-specific stadium completed in 2015. With a 40,000-seat capacity and a design reminiscent of European stadiums, the participants were amazed by the spectacular view and facilities. They were allowed to enter the VIP lounge and team locker rooms, leaving many wishing for a similar stadium to be built in Singapore.

In the afternoon, the group again observed academy trainings across different age categories.

＜Day 4＞

This was the day everyone had been looking forward to: watching Gamba Osaka’s home match. The group attended the 2:00pm kickoff against Tokyo Verdy, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of over 30,000 spectators from the main stand seats generously provided by Gamba Osaka. With Verdy reduced to 10 men in the first half, Gamba Osaka secured a dominant 4–1 victory, earning an exciting win in their final home match of the season.

After the match, the participants headed into central Osaka to enjoy shopping and street food around Dotonbori. The next day was already time to return home, so they made the most of their final night in Osaka.

Although the study tour was only four days including the match day, the coaches were able to learn about youth development philosophies and approaches in two very different environments: Kokoku High School, which has produced many J-Leaguers, and Gamba Osaka, a professional club with a structured pathway. The practical coaching sessions at Gamba Osaka also provided invaluable feedback from top youth-development professionals, offering clear insights into strengths and areas for improvement.

While many aspects cannot be applied directly to Singapore due to different environments, we hope each coach will utilise the knowledge and experience gained throughout this program to further improve their coaching.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Gamba Osaka and Kokoku High School for organising and supporting this valuable program. Thank you very much.