Cerezo Osaka 2023 Anniversary Shirt

CEREZO OSAKA - ANNIVERSARY SHIRT 2023

Cerezo Osaka trace their roots to 1957 and the works team Yanmar Diesel SC, before taking the name Cerezo Osaka in 1993 as the club turned professional. "Cerezo" is Spanish for cherry blossom, the official flower of Osaka, which gives the club their nickname Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) and their trademark pink. They play at the Yodoko Sakura Stadium, and their fiercest fixture is the Osaka derby against neighbours Gamba. This is also the club that schooled Shinji Kagawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake, and Takumi Minamino.

The 2023 season carried a milestone feel, marking three decades since the Cerezo Osaka name was born in 1993. Under manager Akio Kogiku and captained by Hiroshi Kiyotake, the Sakura finished 9th in the J1 League, winning 15, drawing 4 and losing 15 of their 34 games for 49 points.

The highlight of the year came in the Osaka derby, where Cerezo completed a clean double over Gamba, winning 1-0 at home and 2-1 away to claim bragging rights across the city. Adding to the feel-good factor was the homecoming of club legend Shinji Kagawa, who returned in February 2023 and marked his comeback with goals in a Cerezo shirt once more.

Up front, Brazilian forward Léo Ceará led the scoring with 11 league goals, enough to place him among the J1 top ten marksmen. Behind him, full-back Seiya Maikuma earned a place in the J1 Best Eleven, while goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon kept 7 clean sheets across the campaign.

Follow the club on X: @crz_official