J.League has announced it has renewed its contract with Mr. Roger Schmidt as the Global Football Advisor. The new contract with Mr. Schmidt is scheduled for 12 months from July, 2026 to June, 2027.
Last October, J.League appointed Mr. Schmidt—who has extensive coaching experience at top European clubs—as its Football Advisor, and has been sharing his world-class approach and training methods with J.League and J.Clubs.
Starting with the 2026/27 season, J.League will change its schedule to align the start and end dates of the season with those in Europe. We see it as a new opportunity to further develop Japanese football and compete on the global stage, and we are committed to the continuous evolution of our competitive foundation—including players, coaches, sporting directors, youth development environments, and football philosophy.
To fulfill our commitment, we will continue to work with Mr. Schmidt to consistently improve competitiveness across all levels—from the academy to the top team—and advance initiatives to embed world-class football philosophies and development methods into the Japanese football environment.
During this phase, we will continue to hold Academy sessions and strive to standardize the development environment and enhance competitiveness through training design, coach education, and the sharing of best practices.
In addition, we will organize European tours for the U-16 through U-21. Through matches against European clubs, training sessions, and data analysis, we will identify gaps between our standards and global benchmarks and apply the insights gained to youth development programs in Japan.
Regarding the contract renewal, Mr. Schmidt commented,
“In the first year of this project, I had the opportunity to spend time with many J.League clubs and coaches, and I strongly felt the potential of J.League as well as the passion that is deeply rooted in Japanese football.
In the second year, I would like to build on that experience and work to embed world-class approaches and training methods more deeply into J.League's football environment.
What is truly important is not only to acquire new knowledge, but to continue applying it in everyday practice and develop it into their own style.
Japanese football has its own strengths and great potential. Bringing in world-class standards does not mean simply replicating European football. I believe that by combining Japan's strengths with global standards, J.League can create new value.
J.League is entering a new era with its transition to a new season calendar. This change represents a major opportunity to shape the future of Japanese football. Through this project, I hope to help create a better environment for future generations and continue to share new value with the football world, not only in Japan but globally.“
For further information, please contact:
Public Relations Dept., Japan Professional Football League
Email: [email protected]
Place of Birth: Germany
Date of Birth: March 13, 1967 (59 years old)
Qualifications: UEFA Pro License
Carrer:
In 2004, at age 37, became player-head coach for a German fifth-division club.
From the following season, focused on coaching, leading SC Paderborn in the second division during the 2011/12 season.
In 2012, been invited to FC Red Bull Salzburg by Ralf Rangnick, the Red Bull Group's chief sporting director and renowned as a tactician. In the second year, led the team to an overwhelming domestic double in Austria.
In 2014, became a head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
After a stint with Beijing Guoan and PSV Eindhoven, became a head coach of SL Benfica from summer 2022, led the team to win the title and guided the club to the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
In June 2025, tactical and practical training methodology was released globally by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Head Coach Career:
