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WE League

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Women Empowerment League
Founded3 June 2020; 4 years ago (2020-06-03)
First season2021–22
CountryJapan
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams8–10
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Empress's Cup
International cup(s)AFC Club Championship
Current: 2021–22 WE League season

The WE League (WEリーグ［うぃーりーぐ］), officially Women Empowerment League (日本女子サッカーリーグ), will be the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It will be the first professional women's football league in Japan.

History

On 3 June 2020, the Japan Football Association announced the formation of the WE League to become Japan's new top-flight, professional women's football league.[1] The semi-professional Nadeshiko League will become the second level on the women's football pyramid in Japan once the WE League begins play in the autumn of 2021. Each team in the WE League must have at least five players signed to fully professional contracts that are not subject to a salary cap.[2]

17 clubs applied to be inaugural members of the WE League; eight to 10 of them would be admitted and the results to be announced in October 2020.[3]

Competition format

The WE League's inaugural season in 2021–22 will feature 6 to 10 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.[4]

Similar to the American National Women's Soccer League, 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.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "Soccer: New Japan women's pro competition dubbed 'WE League'". The Mainichi. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ^ Orlowitz, Dan (1 August 2020). "WE League receives unexpectedly high number of applicants for inaugural season". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Football: New women's pro competition dubbed "WE League"". Kyodo News. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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