J.League signs deal with fantasy football game Sorare

Daniel Foley19/08/2020 8:00 am19/08/2020

The J.League has signed a licensing deal with global fantasy game Sorare, allowing for the league, its clubs and players to appear in the game.

Sorare will begin auctioning digital player cards of the 600 players from the 18 clubs in the J. League.

Clubs from a number of leagues including Bundesliga and La Liga feature in the game. Some of those such as Juventus and West Ham United have also signed agreements to allow their club and players to appear in the game.

“Our ambition is to create a global fantasy football game with the top 20 leagues in the world,” Sorare CEO Nicolas Julia said to cryptocurrency news website Decrypt.

“The J.League is one of the best soccer leagues in Asia with great players such as Andres Iniesta, Isaac Cuenca, and legendary Kazuyoshi Mirua. We’re proud to have convinced J League to license their image rights on Ethereum’s blockchain.”

Sorare uses blockchain cards which are digital collectables. Users make a team with five players and then gain points based off the players performances in real life.

With support from Ubisoft there are four different leagues in which users can compete in with different rules and prizes – the All Star League, Under 23 League, Training League, and weekly challenges.

Sorare said that the player cards have value due to a limited number of cards. There are three levels of rareness for cards – unique, rare (100 copies) and super rare (10 copies).

“Sorare is designed to appeal to football fans’ love of showcasing their knowledge and expressing their fandom, globally,” Sorare said in a statement regarding their partnership.

“Japan is notoriously known for its great gaming culture. More so, soccer is now the 2nd biggest sport in Japan thanks to the Japanese Football Association’s ambitious development strategy. Many new promising players are coming from Japan such as Takumi Minamino, Takefusa Kubo,, or Hiroki Sakai.”

The J.League is not the first Asian league to be included in the game. In June, Sorare signed a deal with the K League. Sorare also announced plans for an in-game Champion Asia League with players from the two Asian leagues.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.