The J. League rejected a plan to return to a two-stage format for the 2014 season, the league’s business director said Tuesday.

“If you try to force something on people, you’re going to lose something in the process,” said Daisuke Nakanishi, the director of the J. League’s business operations department, told a news conference after the league’s format was discussed at a board of directors meeting.

“It is extremely difficult.”

Despite that, the league will investigate how to adopt a different format from the 2015 season or later.