The 33rd J. League season gets underway this weekend, and two-time defending champion Vissel Kobe will be hoping three is indeed the magic number as it aims for a third consecutive title.
Vissel won its maiden J1 title in 2023 and then came up on the rails at the end of the previous campaign to pip Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Machida Zelvia to the post, providing it with the opportunity to become only the second club after Kashima Antlers to win three in a row since the move to professionalism in 1993.
With the days of big spending on European stars like Andres Iniesta seemingly behind it, however, reinforcements have been few and far between for Vissel heading into the new season, and speaking after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Hiroshima in last weekend’s Super Cup, manager Takayuki Yoshida cut a measured tone.
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