Japan J2 League soccer team Avispa Fukuoka has run into financial difficulty. The team faces a shortfall of ¥50 million, and given the lack of progress that fundraising efforts have made, it could run out of cash as early as November. The team recently received its J1 League license for next year, but the league said it may have to consider revoking the license if the team fails to pay salaries on time. Unable to secure enough advertising revenues, including a main sponsor on the back of the players’ uniforms, the team failed to meet its revenue projections. The team requested the support of the Fukuoka Prefectural Soccer Association, which sent a letter to its 700 member teams; however, only a few million yen has been raised so far. The team is expected to post losses in excess of ¥100 million for fiscal 2013, most likely resulting in insolvency. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, 10/16
