Socceroos star’s surprise switch, biggest shake-up in comp’s 33-year history
Jackson Irvine will headline Australia’s contingent in the J.League this season after the Socceroos star’s surprise transfer to Cerezo Osaka.
The 33-year-old midfielder spent five years at FC St. Pauli, who were relegated from Germany’s Bundesliga last season.
Jackson Irvine of Australia controls the ball against Omar Marmoush of Egypt. Getty Images
“When he came back from the World Cup, Jackson approached us with the request to make a move to Japan possible,” St Pauli’s sporting director Andreas Bornemann said.
“We’d like to thank Jacko for his commitment over the last few years and wish him and his family all the best for the future.”
Irvine has won 86 caps for Australia since making his debut in 2013.
“I’m incredibly excited to be coming to the hottest football nation in the world and joining a new league and a club with huge potential,” Irvine said.
“I hope I can use my experience and quality to help the team become even better. I’m also looking forward to experiencing a new culture and a new way of life. Let’s achieve success together!”
Irvine joins fellow Aussies Mitch Duke, Tete Yengi, Jason Geria, Thomas Deng and Eli Adams in the J.League, which kicks off on Friday night.
Stan Sport has live and exclusive coverage of the season opener between Steve Corica’s Yokohama FM and Kashima Antlers from 8.20pm AEST.
It will be ex-Socceroos midfielder Corica’s first game in charge of Yokohama - Ange Postecoglou’s former club - after leading Auckland FC to A-League glory last season.
Former Newcastle United winger Adams is then in line to make his debut for Gamba Osaka against Uruwa Red Diamonds from 8.25pm AEST on Friday.
Irvine’s new club kick off their campaign against Fagiano Okayama on Stan Sport from 7.55pm AEST on Saturday.
Officials are confident that the J.League’s biggest shake-up in its 33-year history will provide a career boost for the country’s best young talent as it begins the process of realigning its calendar with the game’s leading nations.
The season has largely been played from February to November since the J.League’s inception in 1993, but that will change when the next edition kicks off in August and runs until May, mirroring the calendar in countries like England and Spain.
It is a long-mooted move that J.League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura believes can enhance the prospects of individual players and Japanese football in general.
“Previously, our competitors were neighbouring clubs or domestic rivals,” Nonomura told Reuters.
“But now, our clubs’ rivals are Europe’s top clubs, and, for example, for a 20-year-old centre forward at a J.League club, his rivals are 20-year-old centre forwards excelling in Europe.
“That’s the kind of world it should be, yet focusing solely on domestic football inevitably hinders growth. This is clear from the data, so we’re trying to fundamentally change things.
“It also matters for transfers and for people whose jobs are related to football, whether they work under global standards or only within a domestic industry framework.
“By changing the season calendar, competitors naturally change, awareness changes too, and various benefits should emerge.”
Kaishu Sano of Japan celebrates after scoring against Brazil. Getty Images
Japanese players have been moving in ever larger numbers to Europe’s leading leagues, with the majority of the Hajime Moriyasu-coached Japan national team now playing in nations like England, Germany or Belgium.
Under the previous calendar, Japanese clubs’ domestic performances were often impacted by the departure of players mid-season to Europe during the summer transfer window.
Nonomura believes the switch can ensure Japan closes the gap on the sport’s leaders.
“We spent about 30 years establishing ourselves as an industry in Japan, with considerable success, but we have also fallen quite far behind the global football market’s expansion over those same 30 years,” he said.
“The idea that the season calendar should change has existed for about 20 years, and I think there are many advantages to it.”
Extreme summer heat has long affected football in Japan, impacting match quality and spectator turnout, while mid-season player transfers have posed further challenges for clubs.
The revised schedule is also expected to provide better preparation for major international tournaments.
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