Today, when I went to the Adidas shop in Shibuya, Aston Villa jerseys were naturally in a prime spot, and the staff were wearing them as a fashion statement. I felt the change of the times.
I often hear people say "XX isn't popular" lately, and if I were to jump on that, European football isn't popular. However, European football as apparel is definitely trending.
(I am well aware that the influence of Zion Suzuki joining Aston Villa this summer is significant.)
I feel that this expansion of football culture starting from apparel is something to be greatly welcomed.
On the other hand, recently, I often see influencers who aren't fans of specific European clubs wearing jerseys for brand projects. I also see posts from traditional European football fans who feel a sense of discomfort with that situation.
I understand the feeling. To us, the jersey is something special. However, if you've read this post to the end, I'd like you to look at it from a long-term perspective.
● The Current State of European Football and Apparel in Japan
To begin with, the Japanese market is seen as small by European football clubs. The reason is that there are fewer fans compared to China, India, and Southeast Asia. As a result, it's hard to get Japanese corporate sponsors, and the frequency of visits to Japan is low. There's a reality where not much budget is allocated to content development in Japanese.
Personally, I feel it's difficult to change this drastically. Japan has too much entertainment. Even looking at sports alone, there are competitors like baseball and sumo. If you look at entertainment broadly, there are countless contents. It's hard to become number one.
However, in the world of apparel, there is still a possibility to break through. In fact, at this stage, using sportswear for daily use has become a trend. The rising summer temperatures in recent years are also providing a boost. After all, soccer jerseys with high sweat-wicking and quick-drying properties are practical for modern Japan.
Also, Japanese soccer fans have a culture of buying official goods compared to other countries. I've heard from people in the industry that "EC sales are good relative to the number of fans." Right now, it's "relative to the number of fans," but what if that perception shifted to "apparel sales in Japan are amazing"?
European clubs might invest more in content development for Japan and increase the frequency of visits. That would be a huge benefit for traditional European football fans as well. New fans would increase. If fans increase, Japanese sponsors might also sign on. If that happens, clubs won't be able to ignore the Japanese market.
● Chronic Issues and Solutions in the European Football Community
As I've said repeatedly, the current European football community is like pouring water into a bucket with a hole. People become fans in their teens and early 20s, but in their late 20s and 30s, their lifestyles change, staying up late becomes difficult, and there's a structure where they gradually drift away. The time difference is a bigger problem than one might imagine, and it's something that cannot be changed.
Of course, some people can enjoy matches on delay. You might be one of them. But that's not everyone. You enjoy it on delay because you love that team too much; that's not necessarily true for everyone. Even for those who can enjoy it on delay, I'm sure you'd agree that live is more fun.
If the fan base continues to shrink significantly due to this structure, in the worst-case scenario, Japanese streaming companies might decide they can't expect a profit and stop buying the broadcasting rights for the leagues, and we might lose the ability to watch our favorite teams in Japan. Even without that, there are headwinds like the weak yen and the rising cost of broadcasting rights. It wouldn't be surprising if that happened at any time.
I believe apparel can be the entity that plugs the hole in this bucket. If you're wearing something, you can have a sense of belonging as a fan. It serves as a reminder to "at least follow the highlights every week" or "let's try watching full-time this week."
Also, by wearing it, it becomes easier to find comrades. If you have comrades and someone to talk to, you can lower the attrition rate. Community is important.
In any case, from various perspectives, apparel can be the savior of the European football community.
Moreover, unlike the Super League concept or hydration breaks, it can develop football and be a turning point in Japan without damaging the essence or history of football.
If I had to mention a risk, it's that the crest (club logo) might become too "apparel-ized," but as a recent trend, a coexistence plan is being adopted where the traditional crest is kept while creating a fashionable crest for apparel.
In any case, I'm not telling everyone to ignore the discomfort caused by the apparel trend.
However, for those who read this text, empathize, and want to stay involved with football for a long time, I want you to think long-term and overlook the small changes.
And I also want you to go out and buy a ton of apparel to show the purchasing power of Japanese geeks to European clubs.
Now, I'm wondering whether to get this season's away jersey in short sleeves or long sleeves.
Since I've written all this, I guess I have no choice but to buy both.
I've gone and written too much. Oh well.
