J. League
Encyclopedia : J : JL : JLE : J. League
Contents
League History
J. League was created in 1992, and kicked off its inaugural season on May 15, 1993. Initially, the professional football league consisted of 10 teams, taken from the former Japan Soccer League formed in post-war Japan. The success of that inaugural season saw rapid expansion follow, with two teams joining the league nearly every year until 1996, then a single team was added in 1997 and 1998.The years when each team joined are as follows:
- 1993
- Kashima Antlers, Urawa Red Diamonds (also known as Urawa Reds), JEF United Ichihara (later JEF United Ichihara Chiba), Verdy Kawasaki (later Tokyo Verdy 1969), Yokohama Marinos (later merged with Yokohama Flügels to form Yokohama F. Marinos), Yokohama Flügels, Shimizu S-Pulse, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Gamba Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- 1994
- Júbilo Iwata, Bellmare Hiratsuka (later Shonan Bellmare)
In response, the league was divided from the 1999 season. The bottom two teams from J. League were matched with 10 teams from the semi-professional Japan Football League (JFL) to create J2, or J. League Division 2. The requirements for maintaining a J2 franchise were not as stringent for those as the original J. League (now often called J1), thus ensuring smaller cities could successfully maintain a franchise.
- 1999
- With the merger of the two Yokohama franchises, the J-League was reduced to 17 teams. Consadole Sapporo is also dropped from the top division at this time (to make 16) due to losing games against Vissel Kobe and Avispa Fukuoka during the "J1 Qualifying Tournament" and joined 9 new teams in J2.
- Montedio Yamagata, Vegalta Sendai, Omiya Ardija, Kawasaki Frontale, Ventforet Kofu, Sagan Tosu, FC Tokyo, Albirex Niigata, Oita Trinita
- 2000
- Mito HollyHock (J2)
- 2001
- Yokohama FC (J2)
- 2005
- THE SPA Kusatsu (J2), Tokushima VORTIS (J2)
- 2006
- Ehime FC (J2)
League Structure
Promotion and relegation follow a pattern familiar to European club football, where the two bottom clubs of J1 and the top two clubs of J2 are guaranteed to move. However, promotion relies on the J2 clubs meeting the requirements for J1 franchise status, in terms of revenue, player contracts, youth academy, and stadium capacity. This has generally not been a concern, so a 2-team promotion is the norm.Promotion to J2 from the JFL has tended to be more ad-hoc in nature, given the disparity in nature between the two leagues. In 2000, 2001, and 2006 the JFL league champion was promoted to J2; in 2005 two teams were promoted (as explained below). There is no provision as of 2006 for relegation from J2 to the JFL.
In 2005, the J. League expanded to 18 J1 teams once again, promoting the top two J2 teams automatically. A playoff was also held between the 16th place team in the J1 and the 3rd placed J2 team; however Kashiwa Reysol defeated Avispa Fukuoka both home and away to hold on to their place in the upper division. The two teams lost to J1 were replaced by promotion of two teams from the JFL.
For the 2006 season, the top two J2 teams and bottom two J1 teams in 2005 again were automatically promoted/relegated. In the playoff, the third place J2 team Ventforet Kofu defeated Kashiwa Reysol, the third-worst J1 team, sending three J1 teams down to J2 for the first time.
Expansion
At the beginning of the 2006 season the J. League announced its plan to expand J2 from 16 to 18 clubs by 2010, and 22 clubs by 2016. There are no plans to create a third division.The Season
Until 2004 season, the J1 season was divided into two halves, with a separate championship for each half. Each half was 15 games long and each team played each other once, then again in the second half; playing away games against all the teams they had played at home in the first half of the season and vice versa . When a single team won both half seasons (ie. posted the best record over each 15-game half), then that team was declared the overall champion of the J1. If different teams had won each half, then a single playoff game between the half champions was held to determine the overall winner. Due to change in the number of the teams from 16 to 18, J1 moved to a single-season format from 2005 season, with each club playing the other twice.J2 plays a single season of 44 games until 2005, but will be increased to 48 games in 2006 season due to a newly participating club, Ehime FC. All teams playing each other 4 times, much like some other smaller sized leagues such as the Scottish Premier League. Also see Japanese Football League Teams.
Clubs in 2006 season
J. League Division 1
 Gamba Osaka 2005 J1 Champion |  Urawa Red Diamonds |  Kashima Antlers |  JEF United Ichihara Chiba |  Cerezo Osaka |
 Júbilo Iwata |  Sanfrecce Hiroshima |  Kawasaki Frontale |  Yokohama F. Marinos |  F.C. Tokyo |
 Oita Trinita |  Albirex Niigata |  Omiya Ardija |  Nagoya Grampus Eight |  Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Teams Promoted from J2 |  Kyoto Purple Sanga 2005 J2 Champion |  Avispa Fukuoka |  Ventforet Kofu |
J. League Division 2
| Teams Relegated from J1 |  Kashiwa Reysol |  Tokyo Verdy 1969 |  Vissel Kobe | ||
| 2005 J2 teams (in order of final standings) |  Vegalta Sendai |  Montedio Yamagata |  Consadole Sapporo |  Shonan Bellmare |  Sagan Tosu |
 Tokushima VORTIS |  Mito HollyHock |  Yokohama FC |  The SPA Kusatsu | ||
| Promoted from JFL |
--> | ||||
Championship History
J.League Division 1
| Year | The Season Champion | 1st Stage | 2nd Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Verdy Kawasaki | Kashima Antlers | Verdy Kawasaki |
| 1994 | Verdy Kawasaki | Sanfreece Hiroshima | Verdy Kawasaki |
| 1995 | Yokohama Marinos | Yokohama Marinos | Verdy Kawasaki |
| 1996 | Kashima Antlers (Unified Season) | ||
| 1997 | Jubilo Iwata | Kashima Antlers | Jubilo Iwata |
| 1998 | Kashima Antlers | Jubilo Iwata | Kashima Antlers |
| 1999 | Jubilo Iwata | Jubilo Iwata | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| 2000 | Kashima Antlers | Yokohama F.Marinos | Kashima Antlers |
| 2001 | Kashima Antlers | Jubilo Iwata | Kashima Antlers |
| 2002 | Jubilo Iwata | Jubilo Iwata | Jubilo Iwata |
| 2003 | Yokohama F.Marinos | Yokohama F.Marinos | Yokohama F.Marinos |
| 2004 | Yokohama F.Marinos | Yokohama F.Marinos | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2005 | Gamba Osaka (Unified Season) | ||
J.League Division 2
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kawasaki Frontale | F.C. Tokyo | Oita Trinita |
| 2000 | Consandole Sapporo | Urawa Red Diamonds | Oita Trinita |
| 2001 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | Vegalta Sendai | Montedio Yamagata |
| 2002 | Oita Trinita | Cerezo Osaka | Albirex Niigata |
| 2003 | Albirex Niigata | Sanfreece Hiroshima | Kawasaki Frontale |
| 2004 | Kawasaki Frontale | Omiya Ardija | Avispa Fukuoka |
| 2005 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | Avispa Fukuoka | Ventforet Kofu |
J. League attendance (2005)
Notable players
- Yuki Abe (Chiba)
- Magno Alves (G Osaka)
- Alex (Urawa)
- Bare (Kofu)
- Yoichi Doi (FC Tokyo)
- Yasuhito Endo (G Osaka)
- França (Kashiwa Reysol)
- Toshiya Fujita (Iwata)
- Takashi Fukunishi (Iwata)
- Gral (Omiya)
- Cho Jae-Jin (Shimizu)
- Kim Jin-Kyu (Iwata)
- Akira Kaji (G Osaka)
- Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Iwata)
- Yuichi Komano (Hiroshima)
- Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo)
- Seiichiro Maki (Chiba)
- Teruyuki Moniwa (FC Tokyo)
- Marquinhos (Shimizu)
- Alex Mineiro (Kashima)
- Kazuyoshi Miura (Yokohama FC)
- Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (G Osaka)
- Masashi Nakayama (Iwata)
- Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama FM)
- Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima)
- Shinji Ono (Urawa)
- Santiago "Sa-Sá" Salcedo (FC Tokyo)
- Hisato Sato (Hiroshima)
- Makoto Tanaka (Iwata)
- Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa)
- Keiji Tamada (Nagoya)
- Makoto Tanaka (Iwata)
- Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa)
- Washington (Urawa)
- Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima)
- Frode Johnsen (Nagoya)
Notable former players
- Ahn Jung-Hwan - Shimizu S-Pulse (2002-2003), Yokohama F. Marinos (2004-2005)
- Márcio Amoroso - Verdy Kawasaki (1992-1993)
- Clemerson De Araujo - Gamba Osaka (2005)
- Bebeto - Kashima Antlers (2000)
- Bismarck - Verdy Kawasaki (1993-1996), Kashima Antlers (1997-2001), Vissel Kobe (2003)
- Aitor Beguiristain - Urawa Reds (1997-1999)
- Uwe Bein - Urawa Reds (1994-1997)
- David Bisconti - Yokohama Marinos (1993-1997), Avispa Fukuoka (2000-2002), Sagan Tosu (2002)
- Guido Buchwald - Urawa Reds (1994-1997)
- Careca - Kashiwa Reysol (1993-1996)
- Choi Yong-Soo - JEF United Ichihara (2001-2003), Kyoto Purple Sanga(2004), Júbilo Iwata (2005)
- Ramón Díaz - Yokohama Marinos (1993-1994)
- Dunga - Jubilo Iwata (1995-1998)
- Edmundo - Tokyo Verdy 1969 (2001-2002), Urawa Reds (2003)
- Emerson - Consadole Sapporo (2000), Kawasaki Frontale (2001), Urawa Reds (2001-2005)
- Fábio Júnior - Kashima Antlers (2004)
- Ivan Hašek - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (1994-1995), JEF United Ichihara (1996-1997)
- Hong Myung-Bo - Bellmare Hiratsuka (1997-1998), Kashiwa Reysol (1999-2002)
- Hwang Sun Hong - Cerezo Osaka (1998-1999), Kashiwa Reysol (2000-2002)
- Jorginho - Kashima Antlers (1995-1998)
- Michael Laudrup - Vissel Kobe (1996-1997)
- Leonardo - Kashima Antlers (1994-1996)
- Gary Lineker - Nagoya Grampus Eight (1993-1994)
- Pierre Littbarski - JEF United Ichihara (1993-1995)
- İlhan Mansız - Vissel Kobe (2004)
- Hugo Maradona - Avispa Fukuoka (1995-1996), Consadole Sapporo (1997-1998)
- Edu Marangon - Yokohama Flügels (1993-1994)
- Patrick Mboma - Gamba Osaka (1997-1998), Tokyo Verdy 1969 (2003-2004), Vissel Kobe (2004-2005)
- Fernando Daniel Moner - Yokohama Flügels (1993-1995), Yokohama FC (2002-2003)
- Shunsuke Nakamura - Yokohama F. Marinos (1997-2002)
- Hidetoshi Nakata - Bellmare Hiratsuka (1995-1998)
- Koji Nakata - Kashima Antlers (1998-2004)
- Noh Jung-Yoon - Cerezo Osaka (1999-2000), Avispa Fukuoka (2001-2002)
- Frank Ordenewitz - JEF United Ichihara (1993-1994), Vegalta Sendai (1996)
- Masashi Oguro - Gamba Osaka (1999-2000, 2002-2005), Consadole Sapporo (2001)
- Alpay Özalan - Urawa Reds (2004-2005)
- Park Ji-Sung - Kyoto Purple Sanga (2000-2002)
- Oleg Protasov - Gamba Osaka (1994-1995)
- Uwe Rahn - Urawa Reds (1993-1994)
- Ruy Ramos - Verdy Kawasaki (1993-1996, 1997-1998), Kyoto Purple Sanga (1996-1997)
- Michael Rummenigge - Urawa Reds (1993-1995)
- César Sampaio - Yokohama Flügels (1995-1998), Kashiwa Reysol (2002), Sanfrecce Hiroshima (2003-2004)
- Alcindo Sartori - Kashima Antlers (1993-1994), Verdy Kawasaki (1995, 1997), Consadole Sapporo (1996)
- Salvatore Schillaci - Jubilo Iwata (1994-1997)
- Lorenzo Staelens - Oita Trinita (2001)
- Hristo Stoichkov - Kashiwa Reysol (1998-1999)
- Dragan Stojkovic - Nagoya Grampus Eight (1994-2001)
- Naohiro Takahara - Jubilo Iwata (1998-2001, 2002)
- Pedro Troglio - Avispa Fukuoka (1994-1997)
- Jorge Dely Valdés - Cerezo Osaka (1995), Consadole Sapporo (1997-1998)
- Geraldo Vanenburg - Jubilo Iwata (1993-1996)
- Richard Witschge - Oita Trinita (2004)
- Yoo Sang-Chul - Yokohama F Marinos (1999-2000), Kashiwa Reysol (2001-2002)
- Zico - Kashima Antlers (1993-1994)
- Patrick Zwaanswijk - Oita Trinita (2004-2005)
Famous Coaches
- Paulo Autuori -Kashima Antlers
- Stuart Baxter -Vissel Kobe
- *Former coach of Vissel Kobe for 1995-97, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima for 1992-93
- Guido Buchwald -Urawa Red Diamonds
- Pericles Chamusca -Oita Trinita
- Alexandre Tadeu Gallo -FC Tokyo
- Akira Nishino -Gamba Osaka
- *Former coach of Kashiwa Reysol for 1998-2001, and U-23 Japan national football team for Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Takeshi Okada -Yokohama F. Marinos
- *Former coach of Consadole Sapporo for 1999-2001, and Japan national football team for 1997-98
- Ivica Osim -JEF United Ichihara Chiba
- Ruy Ramos -Tokyo Verdy 1969
- Joel Santana -Vegalta Sendai
- Sef Vergoossen -Nagoya Grampus Eight
- Masakuni Yamamoto -Júbilo Iwata
- *Former coach of U-23 Japan national football team for Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Former coaches
- Osvaldo Ardiles - Shimizu S-Pulse (1996-1998), Yokohama F. Marinos (2000-2001), Tokyo Verdy 1969 (2003-2005)
- Nelsinho Baptista - Verdy Kawasaki (1994-1995), Nagoya Grampus Eight (2003-2005)
- João Carlos - Kashima Antlers (1996-1998), Nagoya Grampus Eight (1999-2001), Cerezo Osaka (2001), Consadole Sapporo (2003)
- Toninho Cerezo - Kashima Antlers (2000-2005)
- Levir Culpi - Cerezo Osaka (1997)
- Hugo Fernandez - Consadole Sapporo (1997-1998)
- Ivan Hašek - Vissel Kobe (2004)
- Wim Jansen - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (1995-1996)
- Kunishige Kamamoto - Gamba Osaka (1991-1994)
- Horst Köppel - Urawa Red Diamonds (1997)
- Josip Kuže - Gamba Osaka (1996-1997)
- Émerson Leão - Shimizu S-Pulse (1992-1994), Verdy Kawasaki (1996), Vissel Kobe (2005)
- Pierre Littbarski - Yokohama FC (1998-1999, 2003-2004)
- Marius Johan Ooft - Júbilo Iwata (1994-1996), Kyoto Purple Sanga (1998), Urawa Red Diamonds (2002-2003)
- Holger Osieck - Urawa Red Diamonds (1995-1996)
- Pavel Řehák - Vissel Kobe (2005)
- Rivelino - Shimizu S-Pulse (1994)
- Steve Perryman - Shimizu S-Pulse (1998-2000), Kashiwa Reysol (2001-2002)
- Carles Rexach - Yokohama Flügels (1998)
- Luiz Felipe Scolari - Júbilo Iwata (1997)
- Eddie Thompson - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (1997-2000)
- Jozef Vengloš - JEF United Ichihara (2002)
- Pim Verbeek - Omiya Ardija (1998-1999), Kyoto Purple Sanga (2003)
- Zdenko Verdenik - JEF United Ichihara (2001), Nagoya Grampus Eight (2002-2003), Vegalta Sendai (2003-2004)
- Arsène Wenger - Nagoya Grampus Eight (1995-1996)
See also
- Winning Eleven - the official video game of J-League.
- Sports league attendances
External links
| Japan Professional Football League Members in 2006 season |
|
| Division 1 (J1) | |
| Niigata | Kashima | Chiba | Omiya | Urawa | FC Tokyo | Kawasaki | Yokohama FM | |
| Kofu | Shimizu | Iwata | Nagoya | Kyoto | G.Osaka | C.Osaka | Hiroshima | Fukuoka | Oita | |
| Division 2 (J2) | |
| Sapporo | Sendai | Yamagata | Mito | Kusatsu | Kashiwa Tokyo V. | Yokohama FC | Shonan | Kobe | Tokushima | Ehime | Tosu | |
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