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text by Yoichi Igawa ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ PART 1 I asked a question to Chanathip in Japanese, which his interpreter then translated into Thai. The Thailand superstar smiled and thought about the question for a while, before staring into my eyes and replying. Just like his gaze, I’m sure he must have trained and played football uprightly si…

This year’s MEIJI YASUDA J1 League is being on hold since late February because of COVID19. While teams are forced to limit their activities, players are training at home, preparing for the restart. Meanwhile, “J.LEAGUE CHAT,” an online talk between J.League international players was held on YouTube: "J.LEAGUE International"! …

“It was one of the best decisions of my career.” This is what Jay Bothroyd said of his move to Japan in 2015. As usual, the tone of his voice was clear and slightly high. The Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo striker then smiled, raised his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth, and shrugged softly - habits of his when he answers questions - as if t…

Starting on May 9, the J.League official SNS will stream 2019 season's full matches. (*Unavailable in some regions including Japan) These 20 best matches will be rerun. Watch them here! J.League Official YouTube account (International) https://www.youtube.com/jleagueinternational J.League Official facebook account (English) https://www.f…

J.LEAGUE announced to suspend matches below on account of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and to prevent cluster of the coronavirus from expanding further. The resume of matches scheduled on and beyond 13 June has not yet been determined and further announcement will be made as soon as the decision is made. ■Matches Suspended …

1994 FIFA World Cup champion Leonardo joined the J.League in the summer of the same year. As the successor of Zico at Kashima Antlers, the Brazilian international midfielder did not disappoint the Japanese fans. The most memorable individual moment of his experience in J.League came when he scored an amazing goal against Yokohama Flügels on November…

In 1994, the J.League was divided into two stages. Suntory Series (First Stage) winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Nicos Series (Second Stage) winners and defending champions Verdy Kawasaki faced each other in two Championship finals. Verdy Kawasaki won the first leg 1-0 away from home but struggled in the second leg. While Hiroshima aggressively tried to p…

The 2015 season was the first campaign since 2004 in which clubs competed over two stages. At the end of the season, the "Championship Stage” was played among winners of half-season and highly ranked teams on overall standings. The qualified clubs were Urawa Reds who won the First Stage and came in second on the overall standings, Sanfrecce Hi…

It was the most important game in the history of Cerezo Osaka. On the final day of the 2005 J1 League, after climbing to the top of the table, they hosted FC Tokyo at Nagai—their home stadium. Three points would have secured them their first league title. With Gamba Osaka only a point behind in second place, a draw could mean a good chance that Cerezo…

J.LEAGUE announced the format details of the 2020 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE after the extraordinary board of directors held today. ■2020 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE League Format 【Promotion/Relegation Rule】 1. Clubs finishing in first and second place of the J2 LEAGUE will be automatically promoted to the J1 LEAGUE and J1/J2 Play-Offs will not be held. 2. Clubs…

The Second Stage of the 2003 J1 League was another very close contest. Ahead of the final match-day, league leaders Júbilo Iwata, Kashima Antlers who were in the second place, Yokohama F.Marinos in third and JEF Chiba in fourth all had a chance to clinch the stage’s victory. And on that final day, Iwata and Yokohama FM faced each other! To c…

In the 2001 J.League Division 1 Championship finals, the two contenders were Júbilo Iwata, who had won the 1st Stage with only one defeat; and Kashima Antlers, who had won the 2nd Stage and were determined to defend the title won the previous season. Iwata were the dominant side in the 1st leg at home. After taking the lead from the spot, in the 1…

In 1999 when the J1 League season was divided into 2 Stages, the 1st Stage winners Júbilo Iwata and the 2nd Stage winners Shimizu S-Pulse met in the Championship final to decide the overall winners of the J1 League. Iwata took the lead in the first leg at home when Masashi Nakayama scored in the 30th minute. 4 minutes later, Shimizu equalized thro…

　J.LEAGUE announced to suspend matches below on account of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and to prevent cluster of the coronavirus from expanding further. 　The resume of matches scheduled from 30 May has not yet been determined and further announcement will be made as soon as the decision is made. ■Matches Suspended   …

Comment by J.LEAGUE Chairman Mitsuru Murai: “To our fans and supporters,  　Today, the government has declared a state of emergency for seven prefectures. I believe the tension among fans and supporters increased, but I hope everyone stay calm and take necessary measures to prevent infection. 　J.LEAGUE will need to hold profound discussio…

Comment by J.LEAGUE Chairman Mitsuru Murai :  　“Today, we received a report from Vissel Kobe that one of its players, Gotoku Sakai, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  　It is reported that he is losing his sense of smell and taste but is in a stable condition. First and foremost, we convey our wishes for his speedy r…

After scoring several goals in European top leagues and for the German national team, the world-class striker Lukas Podolski joined Vissel Kobe in the summer of 2017. He made an immediate impact by scoring a brace in his J.League debut, against Omiya Ardija. Powerful yet accurate shots blasted from his left foot into the back of the net were a constant t…

World-famous striker Fernando Torres played for Sagan Tosu for a year. He arrived in Japan in the summer of 2018, after scoring an impressive number of goals that helped his teams to win two UEFA European Championships, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and a UEFA Champions League. In Europe, he often beat defenders with his quick movements, but the attribute tha…

Diego Forlan was the 2010 FIFA World Cup top scorer, and had played for top clubs in England, Spain and Italy before becoming one of the most prestigious strikers in the history of the J.League. The Uruguayan superstar joined Cerezo in 2014 and as a result the club’s home stadium in Osaka was immediately packed with many fans hoping to see Forlan&r…

Former English international striker Gary Lineker’s move to Nagoya Grampus was big news for Japanese football back in the day. The top scorer of the 1986 FIFA World Cup came to Japan in 1993, and the arrival of the international star made the opening of the J.League that year even more appealing. His yearly salary of 300 million yen was the high…