Gamba change coach to stop the rot

Gamba Osaka have sacked Brazilian coach Jose Carlos Serrao amid a number of high-profile changes following the club's worst-ever start to a season. Gamba are pointless in both the J.League and AFC Champions League after crashing to a fifth successive defeat in all competitions at home to Jubilo Iwata yesterday. The club has reacted by making sweeping changes with Serrao's coaching staff of Wagner Lopes and Wellington also moved on. General manager Hiroyasu Yamamoto has been replaced with club legend Masanobu Matsunami taking over. Katsushi Kajii will take over as coach with fellow former Gamba player Noritada Saneyoshi joining his back-room staff. "The team just didn't take to Serrao's game style, and began the season with this five loss record," Gamba president Kikuo Kanamori said in a statement. "We also took into account that the kind of football that represents Gamba Osaka is football with movement, and we were not seeing this."