'Different from Korea': Japanese J.League abruptly shifts to autumn-spring format → New season kicks off on the 7th... Avoids both scorching heat and bitter cold

*This content was translated by AI.

• Opens August 7, ends June 6 of the following year § Winter break runs for about two weeks from mid-December

The new Japanese professional soccer J.League season begins on the 7th. It marks the first-ever season to follow the so-called autumn-spring format, starting in autumn and concluding in the spring of the following year.

On the 7th at 7:25 p.m., the J.League will kick off its new season with the Round 1 match between Yokohama F. Marinos and Kashima Antlers at MUFG Stadium (Tokyo National Stadium) in Tokyo, Japan. The schedule opens on August 7 and concludes one season later on June 6 of the following year.

Until now, the J.League followed a spring-autumn format like Korea's, starting in spring and ending in late autumn of the same year. However, after concluding the 2025 season under that system, it transitioned to an autumn-spring format beginning with the 2026–2027 season. The gap between the 2025 season and the 2026–2027 season was filled by a special "Century Vision League" during the first half of the year.

Although the new season begins in August, there will be a winter break. From December 20 to February 12, league matches will pause for approximately two months. The J.League has arranged its inaugural autumn-spring schedule by avoiding matches during the scorching summer months of June and July, as well as the freezing winter period of January and February.

According to Japanese media outlet Daily Sports, there are three main reasons behind the J.League's shift to an autumn-spring format. First, it resolves scheduling conflicts with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), which has already adopted an autumn-spring schedule. Previously, J.League clubs had to carry over their seasons to accommodate ACL matches, but this issue can now be addressed under the new system.

Additionally, discrepancies in scheduling with major European leagues have been resolved. The summer period before the start of the new European season was traditionally the most active time for global transfer markets. During the spring-autumn format era, it was common for key players to move abroad, including to Europe, mid-season. With the transition to an autumn-spring schedule, such disruptions can now be minimized.

There is also the benefit of preventing performance declines during scorching heat. Local explanations state that by avoiding matches in June and July, teams can sidestep the drop in performance caused by playing under extreme heat conditions.

Of course, there are concerns regarding the first season under the new autumn-spring format. Daily Sports noted: "Despite these advantages, challenges have emerged, such as training environment issues for clubs in heavy snowfall regions during the off-season and scheduling conflicts with Japanese society, where April marks the start of both the academic year and the fiscal year." It further added: "With the season opener approaching, there are growing concerns that the overlap between major overseas leagues and transfer markets could increase the risk of losing coaches and players to foreign clubs, as seen when Cerezo Osaka and Gamba Osaka managers recently departed for Middle Eastern clubs."

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*This content was translated by AI.