Osaka derby

In the 1970s, Yanmar Diesel, co-founder of the Japan Soccer League in 1965, had its reserve squad, Yanmar Club, play in the JSL's Second Division. At the end of 1979, the reserve club was closed by the parent company. Most of its players and staff found refuge when Matsushita Electric Industrial took them in with the aim of forming a new club to compete in the JSL. The new Matsushita SC was formed initially playing in Nara and over the years began moving into Osaka for games.[1]

The two clubs met in the 1982 and 1984 Emperor's Cups – both won by Yanmar – before their first league meeting during the 1986–87 season. At the time, newcomers Matsushita struggled and ended up being relegated; they did not return until 1988–89. At the end of 1990–91, Yanmar Diesel lost top division status for the first time. Matsushita, who had already applied with the Japan Football Association to take part in the new J.League implemented in 1992, was chosen instead to be the representative of Osaka in the new league, taking the name Gamba Osaka.

After competing for three seasons in the old Japan Football League, Yanmar Diesel, which had taken the name Cerezo Osaka in 1994, was promoted to the J. League.

• Tomoo Kudaka (G: 1981–1993, C: 1994–1995)
• Daisuke Saito (G: 1997–1999, C: 2000–2002)
• Yuji Hironaga (G: 1998–1999, C: 2003–2004)
• Hiroshige Yanagimoto (G: 1999–2002, C: 2003–2006)
• Motohiro Yoshida (G: 2003–2004, C: 2005–2007)
• Akira Kaji (C: 1998–1999, G: 2006–)
• Ryūji Bando (G: 1998–1999, 2006–2009, C: 2010–)
• Akihiro Ienaga (G: 2004–2007, 2012–, C: 2010)
• Shu Kurata (G: 2007–2009, 2012–, C: 2011)
• Adriano Ferreira Martins (C: 2010, G: 2011–)
• Arata Kodama (G: 2001–2005, C: 2012)
• Yohei Takeda (G: 2012, C: 2013)
• Toru Araiba (G: 1998–2003, C: 2013–2014)
• Sota Nakazawa (G: 2007–2012, C: 2015–2016)
• Hideo Hashimoto (G: 1998–2011, C: 2015–2016)