Gamba Osaka celebrated the first game of their new home ground Suita City Football Stadium with a 3-1 win over Nagoya Grampus on Sunday in front of more than 35,000 spectators.
The 40,000-seater stadium, a 15-minute walk away from their old Expo Stadium across the Expo '70 Commemorative Park, is the first stadium in Japan to be built by a club-initiated move to raise funds through company and individual donations.
Built for ¥14 billion, the stands are only seven meters from the pitch at their closest, and are adorned with the name plates of individual donators.