A 2021 that promised much for the Gamba Osaka had already begun their AFC Champions League campaign before heading south - a return to the highest level of Asian club football in four years.
Now that they have failed to advance to the Round of 16 after less than a fortnight in Tashkent, the Japanese outfit - one of the continent's traditional powerhouses - is facing a season that could become a complete Disappointment.
Admittedly, the situation in which Gamba currently finds herself is not entirely her own business.
They were badly hit by a high number of positive coronavirus cases among players and staff back in March, which put them out of action for an entire month to play just one game of the new season.
All the momentum they had gathered in the pre-season was suddenly stopped and proved disruptive, even though they are fine now and are really back in the thick of things.
With the J1 League continuing, while the Japanese representatives in the ACL are away from their continental commitments, the Gamba will find themselves second from the bottom, returning home, although six games will be in the relegation zone with the teams around them.
Nevertheless, the ACL campaign was not only a tournament that provided a good opportunity to regain some momentum, but also one that they should have excelled at given the draw in Group H.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was always going to be his toughest test, but his four matches against Chiangrai United and Tampines Rovers should have scored a maximum of 12 points, which would have proved enough to advance to the knockout rounds.
Instead, two consecutive draws against Chiangrai proved costly when they ended the deal against Tampines and even managed to come down with two goals in their first meeting.
Those results can equally be attributed to Chiangrai's spirit, as it may be due to a lack of gamba itself.
Even in Saturday's final Group H match, where they were already in dire need of a win against the Jeonbuk side until the next stage, it was their opponents who showed more will and eventually claimed a 2–1 victory.
With six goals from a series of battling performances, Brazilian striker Patrick is one of the few Gamba players to head back to Osaka with his head held high.
Centre-back General Shoji, trying to regain his best form after a disappointing spell in France and some injury problems, was also positive, as was the emergence of 20-year-old livewire Shuhei Kawasaki, who took a stunning hat-trick. 8-1 loss to the Tampines.
The condensed nature of the coronavirus-hit campaign, which forced teams to play six matches in just 16 days, meant that coaches always had to turn around, but Masanobu Matsunami's accusations have been subject to more changes and changes than other teams. seemed to struggle with. .
Strong performances could also be expected from a key player like Takashi Usami, who boasts experience in Germany's Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim, Augsburg and Fortuna Düsseldorf, yet barely made a wave in the competition.
The Gamba is now under pressure to put this recent disappointment aside and focus on maintaining its top-flight status for the rest of 2021.
Still, even if they do, it may not be enough to save this season from a complete failure, given that they were runners-up in the J1 League last season.