In 2012, while Levir Culpi resigned and Cerezo Osaka appointed Sérgio Soares as the new manager, he remained a key player for the team, scoring 7 goals in 15 matches.
With such players as Kagawa, Inui, Akihiro Ienaga, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Adriano Ferreira Martins, and Luís Fernando Martinez, the team finished 3rd in 2010 and qualified for the AFC Champions League.