After 20 months of navigating the coronavirus pandemic with drastically reduced attendances and strict limits on active support, the J. League is optimistic that a path to normality is in sight.
Saturday’s Levain Cup final served as one of the biggest tests yet for Japan’s professional soccer league, which has seen clubs struggle financially due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
With a state of emergency in place over much of Japan during 2021, average per-game attendance in the first division stood at 5,862 at the end of October — an increase of 1.1% over 2020’s final average but still well below 2019’s record 20,751.