SOCCER/ More J.League teams pushing to start season in summer
Japan’s professional soccer league is leaning toward starting its season in summer instead of winter as early as 2026, mainly to put it more in line with schedules in Europe. Japan's professional soccer league is considering a change to its season starting in summer instead of winter as early as 2026, to put it more in line with schedules in Europe. The JLeague's stance was made clear at an executive committee meeting attended by representatives from 60 clubs on Oct. 18. Currently, the JLeague season begins in February and ends in December, and the proposed change would start around the first week of August and finish around late May. A final decision is expected by the end of the year after all teams further discuss the issue. The change is also expected to reduce the number of matches played during the summer months from June to September. However, strong opposition was voiced against the change, especially from clubs in snowy areas that cannot use their home stadiums during winter.
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Japan’s professional soccer league is leaning toward starting its season in summer instead of winter as early as 2026, mainly to put it more in line with schedules in Europe.
The J.League’s stance was made clear at an executive committee meeting attended by representatives from 60 clubs on Oct. 18.
A final decision is expected by the end of the year after all teams further discuss the issue.
Currently, the J.League season begins in February and ends in December.
Under the proposed change, the season would start around the first week of August and finish around late May.
“We as a league are positive about the season change,” said Shinji Kubota, corporate executive officer of the J.League. “We would like to accelerate discussions to clarify and resolve issues.”
The season change had previously been considered several times, but a consensus could not be reached.
This time, however, many teams were strongly in favor of the transition or conditionally supported the idea, increasing the likelihood of the change, several sources said.
The J.League has been considering the transition since the beginning of this year, conducting surveys among all clubs and gathering opinions from various coaches.
One key goal is to synchronize the J.League schedule with the seasons in major European leagues, as well as the Asian Champions League, which has also moved its season kick-off to summer.
The J.League shift is also expected to reduce the number of matches played during the summer months from June to September.
J.League Chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura emphasized the potential benefits of the transition at the executive committee meeting.
He said players’ performances could gradually improve, and clubs could secure substantial transfer fees by aligning with the European market.
In past discussions, strong opposition was voiced against the change, especially from clubs in snowy areas that cannot use their home stadiums during winter.
The current proposal addresses this concern by including a “winter break,” mainly in January, when no matches will be held.
However, some remain opposed, saying fundamental improvements, such as building facilities that can be used during winter, have not been carried out. Others said they do “not see the benefits of the transition.”
Another issue is that school graduations are usually held in March, meaning that recruits may have to wait for months before they can play in the shifted season.
Konular: Soccer, Japan