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WE League

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WE League
Organising bodyWE League
JFA
Founded3 June 2020; 4 years ago (2020-06-03)
First season2021–22
CountryJapan
ConfederationAFC
Divisions1
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Empress's Cup
League cup(s)WE League Cup
International cup(s)AFC Women's Champions League
Current championsUrawa Red Diamonds (2nd title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsUrawa Red Diamonds (2 titles)
TV partnersDAZN
YouTube
WebsiteOfficial website
Current: 2024–25 WE League season

The WE League (WEリーグ), officially the Japan Women's Empowerment Professional Football League (Japanese: 日本女子プロサッカーリーグ, Hepburn: Nihon Joshi Puro Sakkā Rīgu, "Japan Women Pro Football League"),[1] also known as the SOMPO WE League (Japanese: SOMPO WEリーグ) for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's football league in Japan.

History

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On 3 June 2020, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the formation of the WE League to become Japan's new top-flight, professional women's football league.[2] The semi-professional Nadeshiko League would become the second level on the women's football pyramid in Japan once the WE League began play in the autumn of 2021. United States–based business executive and former Japan international footballer Kikuko Okajima was announced as the WE League's inaugural chairwoman.[3]

17 clubs applied to join the WE League.[4] On 15 October 2020, 11 clubs were announced as founding members of the WE League, including seven with J. League affiliations.[5]

In the 2023–24 season, Cerezo Osaka Ladies from the Nadeshiko League entered the WE League as an expansion team.[citation needed]

Competition format

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The WE League's 2023–24 season features 12 teams playing a double round-robin, home-and-away competition. Unlike the Nadeshiko League, the WE League will play a winter season that conforms with most European leagues.[6] There will be no relegation from the WE League to the Nadeshiko League, but teams may be promoted from the latter in the first several seasons for the WE League to reach a desired number of teams.[6]

Each team in the WE League must have at least 15 players signed to fully professional contracts, which are not subject to a salary cap.[7] In addition to bringing professionalism to Japanese women's football, the WE League also implemented measures to bringing in international players. The JFA subsidizes salaries for players from Southeast Asian member federations, while the league itself subsidizes players from top-ranked FIFA countries.[8] The league actively recruits players from top-ranked federations such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, and it also provides additional subsidies to encourage internationalization for expenses such as interpreters.[9]

Clubs

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2023–24 season

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The following 12 clubs competed in the WE League in the 2023–24 season.[5]

Club Position in the
2022–23 season 		First season in
top division 		First season in
WE League 		First season of
current spell in
top division 		Top
division
titles 		Most
recent top
division title
AC Nagano Parceiro 7th 2003 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Albirex Niigata 10th 2007 2021–22 2007 0 —
AS Elfen Saitama 11th 2002 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Cerezo Osaka Yanmar — 2018 2023–24 2023–24 0 —
INAC Kobe Leonessa 2nd 2006 2021–22 2006 4 2021–22
JEF United Chiba 8th 2000 2021–22 2009 0 —
Mynavi Sendai 4th 2013 2021–22 2013 0 —
Nojima Stella Kanagawa 9th 2017 2021–22 2017 0 —
Omiya Ardija Ventus 6th 2021–22 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina 5th 2021–22 2021–22 2021–22 — —
Tokyo Verdy Beleza 3rd 1989 2021–22 1989 17 2019
Urawa Red Diamonds 1st 1999 2021–22 1999 5 2022–23
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Locations of WE League clubs
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Locations of WE League clubs in and near Tokyo

List of winners

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Season Champions Runners-up
2021–22 INAC Kobe Leonessa Urawa Red Diamonds
2022–23 Urawa Red Diamonds INAC Kobe Leonessa
2023–24 Urawa Red Diamonds INAC Kobe Leonessa

Sponsorship

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Title Partner

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Company Period
Yogibo Japan (Webshark) 2021–2023
SOMPO Holdings 2024–present

Cup Title Partner

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Company Period
Kracie 2024–present

Gold Partner/Grassroots Partner

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Company Period
Daihatsu 2021–present

Silver Partners

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Company Period
Plenus 2021–2023
Asahi Kasei 2021–present
MediQttO 2021–2022
x-girl 2021–present
Persol 2021–present
TRE Holdings 2022–2023
Kracie 2023–present

Social Impact Partner

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Provider Period
KPMG 2023–present

Official Broadcasting Partner

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Provider Period
DAZN 2021–present

Official Media Partners

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Provider Period
Yomiuri Shimbun 2024–present

Official Equipment Partner

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Provider Period
Molten 2021–present

Official Ticketing Partner

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Provider Period
Pia 2021–present

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ABOUT WE | Women Empowerment League | 2021年9月開幕。WEリーグは日本初の女子プロサッカーリーグです。". WE LEAGUE | Women Empowerment League.
  2. ^ "Japan's first ever Women's Professional Football League, [WE League] to kick off in autumn 2021". JFA. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  3. ^ Orlowitz, Dan (28 July 2020). "WE League chair plots ambitious, progressive path for women's game". The Japan Times. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ^ Orlowitz, Dan (1 August 2020). "WE League receives unexpectedly high number of applicants for inaugural season". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b Orlowitz, Dan (15 October 2020). "Japan women's pro soccer WE League reveals 11 clubs for first season". Japan Times. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Football: New women's pro competition dubbed "WE League"". Kyodo News. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. ^ "WE League start brings Japan its 1st pro women's football competition". Kyodo News. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  8. ^ Orlowitz, Dan (10 September 2021). "Japan's ambitious WE League aims to empower in historic first season". The Japan Times. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  9. ^ Mahmud, Shahnaz. "Japan's new women's pro soccer league aims to attract players from U.S., France and more". The Athletic.
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