The Spanish LaLiga and the J.LEAGUE, organizer of the three top divisions of Japanese football, have extended the MOU signed between the two parties in 2017 for a further three years, linking the two competitions until July 2023.
The agreement seeks to continue the close relationship between the two organizations in recent years, which has seen institutional visits from representatives of the J.LEAGUE to LaLiga and its clubs, as well as the exchange of expertise and a friendly match between Kashima Antlers and Sevilla FC in July 2017.
In addition, LaLiga and the J.LEAGUE seek to go a step further in their digital actions, taking advantage of the presence of Japanese players at LaLiga clubs, as well as the Spanish players competing in the Japanese league, and exploring new fields of collaboration in relation to eSports.
The document also covers other areas of collaboration, from the fight against audiovisual piracy and the increase of brand presence to the implementation of BI and Business Analytics strategies, the promotion of initiatives to fight racism and xenophobia, and the strengthening of grassroots football.
“Our MOU with the J.LEAGUE was the first that LaLiga signed in Asia and we are delighted to continue growing with them. Spain and Japan are countries with a long history of friendship and exchanges, and football, as an important part of both cultures, has an important role to play in continuing this relationship,” said Javier Tebas, President of LaLiga.
“We are very pleased to continue our strategic partnership with LaLiga, and continue to deepen our exchanges and challenge our issues. While the world is in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, we will strive to strengthen our partnership and make our way to go through this difficult situation together,” said J.LEAGUE’s CEO Mitsuru Murai.