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Ventforet Kofu have confirmed that they had parted ways with manager Yasuhiro Higuchi by mutual consent on Wednesday. General Manager Satoru Sakuma will take over as the new head coach of relegation-threatened Ventforet, returning to the role he vacated at the end of 2011. “I apologise to our supporters, sponsors, and those involved with the clu…

Takashi Usami has been crowned April’s Coca Cola J.League Player of the Month, his fourth time receiving the award. The 23-year-old Gamba talisman’s nine goals this campaign so far have kept the champions in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title reckoning, and taken him top of the scoring charts. Usami’s feats have almost been matched by …

The J.League on Wednesday released a list of players who will be suspended from taking part in their respective clubs’ upcoming fixtures. Shonan Bellmare had to make do without Masataka Kani against Kashiwa Reysol on Thursday, after the midfielder reached the yellow card limit in last weekend’s win at Ventforet Kofu. Dejan Jakovic will mea…

Kawasaki Frontale confirmed on Tuesday confirmed that the operation to Yu Kobayashi’s right knee meniscus was successful. The winger will now continue his recovery from the injury he picked up during warmup ahead of the matchday 10 fixture against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, set over a period of 6 weeks. Japan international Kobayashi has managed two go…

Shonan Bellmare have confirmed they will host a Salaryman Night event when they welcome Matsumoto Yamaga in the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup in round 5 of the group stage. Next Wednesday’s match at BMW Stadium will feature a number of events encouraging office workers to attend the weeknight fixture, which kicks off at 19:00 local time. In addition to a…

Gamba Osaka have opened applications for a fan bus tour to their upcoming AFC Champions League round of 16 match at FC Seoul. The tour includes a round bus trip from within Seoul to Seoul World Cup Stadium, as well as a ticket to the match against the 2014 ACL semi-finalists. Applications for the tour, packaged at the cost of 7,000 yen, will be open u…

Tokushima Vortis goalkeeper Toru Hasegawa will require up to a month to recover after tearing his right quadriceps, the club confirmed on Monday. The 26-year-old’s injury came during his side’s MEIJI YASUDA J2 League matchday 12 stalemate against Zweigen Kanazawa last Wednesday. asegawa had played in every game for Vortis prior to his knoc…

FC Tokyo have become the sixth J.League club to welcome six million fans to home games in their history. The capital club reached the milestone last Sunday thanks to the 42,070 fans who attended the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League matchday 11 clash against Kashima Antlers. “We have accomplished this thanks to our fans, supporters, and everyone who is ass…

Matsumoto Yamaga have announced the continuation of their Field Dream Project. The initiative by the club is intended to grant fans with physical disabilities their dreams of visiting a stadium. Up to 20 applicants and their chaperones will be invited to the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League matchday 12 encounter with Vissel Kobe this Saturday, as well as the fo…

Shimizu S-Pulse announced on Monday that utility player Taisuke Muramatsu will require three weeks to recover from a fractured vertebrae. Muramatsu sustained his injury during S-Pulse’s 2-2 draw against Sagan Tosu last Wednesday on matchday 10. The 25-year-old has made four appearances for Katsumi Oenoki’s side this term, with his team-mat…

Urawa Reds somehow managed to emerge from matchday 11 with their lead at the top of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League intact, despite being fought to a 4-4 standstill at Vegalta Sendai. Sunday’s helter-skelter match at Yurtec Stadium would start ordinarily enough, Kim Min Tae opening the scoring before Yuki Abe pegged the Reds back right before half time.…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima have unveiled the first jersey in a series of limited edition merchandise commemorating striker Hisato Sato’s 350th league appearance. 2012’s Most Valuable Player achieved the milestone on 29th April, when he started in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League matchday 8 tie at Yokohama F. Marinos. The club made the announcement last…

MEIJI YASUDA J3 League outfit YSCC Yokohama called for donations to support post-earthquake reconstruction in Nepal on Sunday. Fundraising stations were set up in front of Yokohama Mitsuzawa Athletic Stadium before the team’s matchday 11 game against Fujieda MYFC. Relief funds collected at the match will be combined with the amount raised during…

FC Tokyo announced the signing of former Tunisia international Lassad Nouioui on Friday, as they turn to his international credentials to strengthen their title charge. The well-travelled striker enjoyed a notable spell playing for Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna between 2009 and 2012, where he scored 10 times in 66 La Liga appearances. A move to Sc…

Ventforet Kofu announced that Brazilian midfielder Bruno Dybal had been released early from his loan at the club on Thursday. The 21-year-old, who joined the club in January, managed one MEIJI YASUDA J1 League appearance as well as one in the Yamasaki Nabisco Cup. Bruno had been unable to make an impact on Ventforet’s attack this season, with th…

Third-tier outfit Renofa Yamaguchi on Thursday announced a stipend to assist fans attending games at the club’s secondary home ground of Shimonoseki Athletic Stadium. Fans staying at participating hotels for any of the three eligible matches (versus the J.League Under-22s on 31st May, Machida Zelvia on 14th June, or SC Sagamihara on 4th October) wi…

The Japan Football Association on Thursday announced its list of 28 players called to take part in the national team training camp. Amongst Vahid Halilhodzic’s call-ups to take participate on 12th and 13th May in Chiba Prefecture are the J.League’s top four scorers. Takashi Usami (Gamba Osaka, 9 goals), Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo, 8 goals), …

  Shonan Bellmare revealed the 2015 Tanabata Uniform which the team will wear in their July fixtures on Wednesday. Outfield players will wear kits sporting a green nebula design on a navy background, while the goalkeeper kits boast a cyan and navy blue colourway on cool grey. Bellmare began taking pre-orders for the limited edition kit on Frid…

Gamba Osaka have learnt that FC Seoul will be their next opponents in the AFC Champions League’s round of 16. After winning Group F through an tournament-first three-way tiebreaker, the defending Japanese champions are set to face the Group H runners’ up. Seoul have been prominent on the continental scene recently, after finishing ACL runn…

Urawa Reds on Wednesday announced the results of their fundraising efforts to support relief efforts in Nepal following the country’s deadly earthquake. The club raised 403,713 yen, the equivalent of nearly USD$4,000, from fund-raising activities before their MEIJI YASUDA J1 League matchday 9 fixture against Gamba Osaka. Funds that were raised a…