Football Australia (FA) has today inked a landmark deal with telecommunications heavyweight Superloop (ASX: SLC) in a massive boost for the prestigious Hahn Australia Cup competition.

The telco challenger has secured naming rights as the official category partner for the Cup and also committed to revolutionising the sports broadcast capabilities through cutting-edge AI technology.

Superloop founded in 2014, is an Australian telecommunications company and internet service provider (ISP) that offers high speed connectivity to consumers with NBN deals and new AI connectivity.

The Hahn Australia Cup will benefit enormously from Superloop's involvement as the telco giant looks to bolster its brand presence among the football market.

The multi-faceted deal will see Superloop deliver bespoke connectivity solutions, including business-grade NBN internet and mobile data services and AI technology cameras distributed to fields around the country.

This will support not just live broadcasts but also real-time collection of match and player statistics.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson described the collaboration as a pivotal moment in FA’s digital transformation.

"In today's connected world, high-speed, reliable internet infrastructure is paramount. Superloop's expertise and technology will allow us to deliver a more dynamic and engaging live streaming experience to fans nationwide, while unlocking cost efficiencies and new revenue streams for the sport," Johnson said via FA official press release.

Already, Darwin Football Stadium has been kitted out with Superloop's dedicated high-speed NBN connectivity, powering 4K resolution streams of all Men's and Women's Premier League fixtures.

The agreement blends well for Football Australia's recent centralisation of live production and distribution for over 3,500 matches annually, spanning state leagues to flagship national competitions.

Superloop Group Executive for Business & Wholesale, Daisy Stampfer, highlighted the company's commitment to Australian sport.

"We recognise the transformative power of connectivity in sports broadcasting and are committed to delivering the high-performance network solutions that will power FA's vision for the future of football streaming."

"Our exclusive sponsorship of the Hahn Australia Cup and our connectivity partnership with Football Australia underscores our dedication to supporting the growth and innovation of Australian grassroots sport," Stampfer said via official FA press release.

This is a huge new step for Australian Football at all levels giving all clubs in the country and competitions support with the streamlined viewership nationally to enhance the game at little cost for the clubs.

For businesses such as Superloop, the football community is an untapped industry for them to help develop, market and stand out.

The footballing environment creates great publicity for the company and enduring respect in the community for future endeavours.

The strategic relationship promises a new era of digital engagement with the beautiful game, from suburban pitches to national showcases.

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Football Australia has announced the launch of the #FootballUnites campaign highlighting the role football plays in bringing the community together.

The campaign begins with the first in a series of short films, sharing real stories of belonging, resilience, and connection told by the people who’ve lived them, including grassroots players, pro athletes, coaches, referees, and community leaders from all over Australia.

Created in partnership with multicultural marketing agency CulturalPulse, the #FootballUnites campaign tells powerful, people-focused stories that show how football can bring communities together.

At a time when our social fabric feels stretched, #FootballUnites highlights how the game crosses boundaries and connects people.

For many new migrants, football has been more than just a sport—it’s been a common language, a way to feel at home, and a source of connection in unfamiliar surroundings.

Across Australia, football continues to break down walls of race, language, gender, and religion.

The campaign will also feature voices from federal politicians who understand and support football’s important role in building unity.

The first video tells the story of Nahom Legesse from Brunswick City SC and includes reflections from Peter Khalil MP, Federal Member for Wills and Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, who speaks to the sport’s impact on multicultural communities.

Football Australia will roll out the campaign across digital platforms, aiming to reach not only fans of the game but also community organisations, decision-makers, and leaders highlighting football’s broader role in strengthening social bonds.

More videos in the #FootballUnites series are on the way, continuing to showcase how football helps build inclusive communities, with further contributions from federal leaders who advocate for unity and social cohesion.

Football Australia Chair Anter Isaac highlighted the significance of the campaign.

“Football has always been more than a sport—it’s a powerful social connector," Mr Isaac said in a press release.

“The stories shared in #FootballUnites are raw, authentic and deeply moving.

"They reflect football’s unique ability to bring people together across differences and give individuals—no matter their background—a place to feel seen, heard, and valued.

"These aren’t just football stories; they are stories of Australia.”

Football Australia CEO James Johnson spoke about the importance of #FootballUnites.

"As the most played team sport in the country, football reaches deep into every community,” Mr Johnson said in a press release.

“It’s a game that connects people—whether they’ve just arrived in Australia or have lived here for generations.

"Through #FootballUnites, we’re shining a light on the inspiring individuals and communities who show us how football fosters belonging, breaks down prejudice, and strengthens the social bonds that make us stronger as a nation.”

To learn more about the campaign or watch Legesse's story, you can visit Football Australia's website HERE.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) to continue to develop and strengthen the football network in the country.

To sign the MoU, AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John and SAFF General Secretary Ibrahim Alkassim marked the deal at the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah Hotel before the AFC Champions League Elite™ Finals Jeddah 2025.

The MoU highlighted several programmes designed to enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's football infrastructure, operational procedure and employees before the nation hosts the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

In particular, the MoU seeks to establish a new framework which focuses on education and research via the AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE) to upskill participants' ability to manage and operate footballing institutions.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John outlined the AFC's dedication to assisting Member Associations.

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La Liga has reported its highest revenue since the pandemic, pushing through the €5bn barrier ($8.76bn AUD).

Across the 2023/24 season, La Liga recorded a total standardized revenue of €5.049bn ($8.84bn AUD), a 3.2% increase upon the 2022/23 season. However, the 23/24 season is still shy of the pre-pandemic 2019/20 season record revenue of €5.065bn ($8.87bn AUD).

Of La Liga's revenue streams, broadcast income was the most influential - totaling $2.64bn AUD. The second largest source of revenue was commercial income, surpassing the organisation's goal of over one billion euros for the second year in a row - totaling $2.25bn AUD. La Liga contributed its strong commercial growth to flourishing new sponsorships and licensing agreements, as well as the continuing popularity of the league overseas.

However, La Liga has credited the post-pandemic high total revenue due to the increase in matchday income from record attendances.

Throughout the 2023/24 season, 16 million fans lined stadium seats across Spain, contributing to an average stadium occupancy rate of 75.4%. An increase upon the previous season's 72.5% average occupancy rate.

Due to this, matchday revenue grew 5% year-on-year to $1.25bn AUD in the 2023/24 season, culminating in a 25% increase over the past five seasons.

La Liga signified the effect of affordable ticket prices, stadium expansions and projects which improved facilities and amenities as crucial in inspiring more fans to come to games.

Furthermore, the league predicts that the 2024/25 season will welcome even more spectators, projecting 78% average occupancy across stadiums and nearly 18 million in attendance.

Among the clubs, members reduced their losses by approximately $493m AUD in 2023/24 from 2022/23, recording aggregate losses of $388m in 2023/24 and $881m in the prior season.

La Liga also projected that aggregate losses would fall even further in 2024/25, to $303m.

Interestingly, senior corporate net debt rose in 2023/24 to $2.34bn however, net equity remained healthy at $3.9bn - highlighting the stability of the league's long-economic model, which continues to abide by Financial Fair Play.

Due to its positive year, continuing upwards revenue trends across matchday and commercial sectors and the successes of the Boost LaLiga strategy , La Liga projects that the organisation is on its way to breaking even under its Financial Fair Play criteria later in the year.

The Spanish competition's record revenue raising 2023/24 season echoes that of the Bundesliga, announced earlier in the year.

Like LaLiga, the Bundesliga achieved soaring ticket sales, accruing 20.74 million tickets across the top two divisions of German football in 2023/24 - an increase of almost one million tickets from the 2022/23 season. These impressive results contribute to the Bundesliga's highest average number of tickets sold, averaging 33,885 tickets per game.

Additionally, both clubs' largest source of revenue was through media rights and broadcasting.

Such results from two of the big five European leagues could signify that football across the continent is in a healthy place after the COVID-19 pandemic and beginning to thrive once more.

However, until the remaining three big five leagues (Serie A, Ligue 1, EPL) and the majority of the continent's competitions reveal their revenue reports for the 2023/24 season it is too early to determine if the trends are the same across the whole of Europe.

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901 European clubs have received a record combined $413.7m AUD from the UEFA EURO 2024 Club Benefits Programme.

Clubs from each of the 55 member associations were supported, ranging from the highest tiers of play to amateur football.

Designed to support clubs who had released players to their national teams across the 2020/2024 cycle of European competitions, the Club Benefits Programme aided clubs through events such as the 2020/21 and 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, European Qualifiers 2022–24 and the UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament.

The mechanisms for the distribution of payments were devised by the UEFA Executive Committee in April 2022. In accordance with these mechanisms, $177m was reserved for the 2020/21 and 2022/23 UEFA Nations League as well as the European Qualifiers to UEFA EURO 2024.

Across these periods, $163m was distributed, a significant increase upon the previous cycle's $124m distribution. The remaining $14m was saved for the next distribution cycle.

Furthermore, the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament itself saw an increase in the amount of money distributed for the release of players - growing from $230.8m to $248.6m, supporting 196 clubs from 29 UEFA national associations.

Additionally, the overall $413.7m supplied to European clubs is a major increase on the $355m distributed in the previous cycle.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin expressed the organisation's joy for the success of the programme.

"It is fantastic to see clubs of all sizes and levels, across the entire football pyramid, receiving financial rewards for their vital role in developing players who contribute to the success of our national team competitions - including the highly successful UEFA EURO 2024 final tournament," he said in a press release.

"Every success of our competitions is a shared one, and this benefits programme is another testament to that principle, recognising the dedication of those who work tirelessly to make European football the greatest sport in the world. When football thrives, everyone benefits."

Chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), Nasser Al-Khelaïfi highlighted the importance of the ECA's and UEFA's combined efforts in creating the Club Benefits Programme.

"I am very pleased see that more than 900 clubs from all corners of Europe have benefited from this unprecedented distribution under the Club Benefits Programme, which is a key pillar of UEFA and ECA’s Memorandum of Understanding," he said in a statement.

"This initiative recognises that clubs play a vital role in the ongoing success of national team football through developing, employing and releasing players; and also that the national team game in-turn drives the development of clubs and their communities.

"This harmonious relationship perfectly reflects the great collaboration between UEFA and ECA today, driving growth, innovation and the positive development of European football in the interests of all.”

To learn which clubs benefited from the programme, and the amount they received - see this list.

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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has embraced Midea in a new global partnership which will see the Chinese white goods company support the AFC's club competitions.

Through the deal, Midea will enter into a multi-year agreement and become a "Global Supporter" of the AFC Champions League Elite™ for the remainder of the current 2024/25 season until the 2028/29 season, and the AFC Champions League Two™ and AFC Women’s Champions League™ across the 2025/26 to 2028/29 period.

In entering the partnership, Midea will hold exclusive rights to advertise its products across all AFC club competitions, giving Midea prime access to billions of consumers across Asia.

AFC General Secretary, Datuk Seri Windsor John explained how the addition of Midea into the AFC family was emblematic of the AFC's immense growth.

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In recent news the A-league viewership on sky sports has climbed significantly in New Zealand.

Official A-League media sources have identified that 1.31 million people have watched the A-League through Sky Sports media channels this season.

This confirms an impressive 40% increase in viewership for the 2024-25 season.

To add to this an additional 228k, a 46% increase, and 167k, a prominent 115% increase, have also streamed on Sky's digital platforms.

This amounts to a huge increase in viewership of the sport for New Zealand and also a large portion of the respective nation’s population, displaying football's huge popularity in Australia’s close neighbour.

Sky Sports extended their exclusive rights for the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women at the beginning of this season and this deal will be the sole provider for 2 more seasons.

Both Leagues through this season are available not only on Sky Sports but also Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.

This upward trend in popularity can be attributed to the addition of a second New-Zealand team in Auckland FC, who currently sit at the top of the A-League and look positioned to win the minor premiership.

To match this news with viewership Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix have both recorded some of the highest game attendance in the league throughout most of their home games.

Auckland FC has had the overall highest attendance with a total of 211,095 so far and an average of 17,591. With the biggest attendance their derby against Wellington Phoenix at just above 27,000.

Auckland FC worst attendance at around 13,000 is almost double the next most attended team, Sydney FC. Wellington Phoenix have also recorded high attendance with 99,677 up to this point.

Though down averagely from last season, to maintain these numbers after a title chasing seasons shows fan dedication from the Kiwis.

The introduction of a new team from New Zealand's biggest city has turned out to be a successful investment by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).

It has increased viewership, attendance and all round enjoyment in the A-league, helping the APL increase in value and quality this season.

The APL and New Zealand must now build on this momentum to keep viewership strong and continue growing the beautiful game across Aotearoa.

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Broadcaster DAZN has rejected a proposal brought forward by the French Professional Football League (LFP) to terminate its five-year broadcasting deal for Ligue 1 after one season.

The sports streaming platform originally signed a five-year deal worth AUD $715 million (€400 million) a year to broadcast eight out of the nine Ligue 1 matches each week.

But with fewer subscribers than expected — reportedly only around 500,000, far below the 1.5 million needed to break even, the company has been pushing to renegotiate the deal.

In February, DAZN held back half of a AUD $125 million (€70 million) payment, accusing the LFP of not doing enough to fight piracy.

It also criticised the league and clubs for not promoting its broadcasts or collaborating on content.

The LFP responded by taking legal action, and DAZN eventually made the payment by the end of the month.

In March, both sides entered mediation to reach a compromise.

According to several reports, the proposed solution would have DAZN pay the league AUD$250 million (€140 million) — covering the full amount owed for this season — plus up to AUD$223.6 million (€125 million) in compensation for next season.

After that, the deal will officially end at the close of the current season.

This week, Ligue 1 clubs voted in favour of the proposal but DAZN has now rejected it, paving the way for possible legal action.

As a result, the LFP released a statement regarding DAZN's rejection of the proposal.

"LFP Media notes the failure of the mediation initiated at the beginning of March 2025," they said in a press release.

"The contract binding the parties remains in force and LFP Media expects its partner to fully fulfil all of its obligations in this regard."

Before the mediation process began, DAZN had demanded AUD $1.025 billion (€573 million) in compensation from the LFP, accusing the league of not living up to its end of the deal.

In response to the LFP, DAZN released its own statement.

"After four months of discussions — including six weeks of mediation — initiated in good faith by DAZN and involving several proposals, the mediation unfortunately did not succeed in sufficiently bridging the gap between the parties," they said following the LFP’s statement.

"It has therefore not been possible at this stage to reach an agreement for an amicable resolution of the situation."

DAZN’s rejection of the deal has effectively ended the mediation process, with negotiations between the streaming service and the LFP now finished.

However, reports from France indicate that the two sides are expected to meet again on April 30th, the deadline for DAZN’s next payment for the current season.

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AC Milan has announced a partnership with Moderní fotbal s.r.o to launch two new Milan Junior Camps in Central Europe.

Through the partnership, Milan and Moderní fotbal s.r.o will deliver world class training camps in Prague, Czech Republic (14 -18 July) and Rovinka, Slovakia (21-25 July).

The camps will allow the Rossoneri to deliver its unique style of youth development and training to a new crop of young players in an often-overshadowed region of Europe to player aged 5-17.

By partnering with Moderní fotbal s.r.o, a Czech sports management, youth football coaching and adult education company with over 13 years of experience, AC Milan will be able to rely upon a successful local business as it ventures into new markets.

Crucially, Moderní fotbal will aid Milan as it seeks to build new relationships with clubs and footballing communities across the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while also providing technical and educational workshops to tomorrow's stars.

These educational workshops will teach players of the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, as well as imprint AC Milan's values-based philosophy.

Honorary Vice President of AC Milan Franco Baresi expressed enthusiasm for the partnership and the club's camps.

“The launch of these new Milan Junior Camps marks a significant step in bringing AC Milan's legacy and spirit to football fans and communities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia," he said in a press release.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Moderní fotbal s.r.o., a company that shares our values of innovation, passion, and determination, making them the perfect partner to help us inspire future generations in this area.”

Likewise, Managing Partner at Moderní fotbal Lenka Hrabovská highlighted the shared beliefs Moderní fotbal and AC Milan have.

“This collaboration between Moderní fotbal and AC Milan is a unique opportunity to connect innovation, tradition, and passion — the core pillars of football," she said in a statement.

"We believe this partnership will create exciting new experiences for our customers, fans, and the wider community across the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”

Through the deal, AC Milan will work to guide the next generation of players in new camps, whilst also expanding the club's image and brand in an overshadowed market.

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Just this week the Isuzu UTE A-League has announced it has reached the 500-goal mark in record time this season in line with another recent report of another increase of viewership for the a-league.

Highlighting an exciting period of growth for the competition both on and off the pitch.

Western Sydney Wanderers defender Alex Gersbach’s strike against Western United on Sunday became the 500th goal of the 2024-25 campaign.

The milestone was achieved after just 150 matches, making it the fastest the league has ever reached this tally, surpassing last season's record of 152 matches.

The current season's goal-scoring rate dramatically outpaces historical comparisons.

During the 2000-01 National Soccer League season, it took 159 games to reach 150 goals, while the 1996-97 campaign required 161 matches. The 2022-23 season needed 163 games to hit similar numbers.

This scoring record was presented the same time as the encouraging news on the viewership front.

The A-Leagues reporting an 11% increase to last season in total viewership audience for 10+ and 10 Play according to recent data shared by the competition.

The league viewership currently sits at 3.96 million nationally and is expected to hit 4 million people at the end of the season.

This is a record increase of viewership and shows the popularity of the sport in a very saturated sporting market.

The twin developments of record-setting goal production and increased viewership point to a positive trajectory for Australian football and its ability to be an enjoyable an action-packed season for audiences.

The growth of the viewership should be built upon in coming seasons and proves that the league is continuing to grow traction.

One must point out if there is a connection between the number of goals and the rise in viewership.

The spread of goals however points towards not a league with huge differing quality of teams.

Another point to highlight, is that viewership is high is also being backed up by the active support at the grounds.

Big matches such as the Sydney Derby has brought in huge numbers, however, it will be at the end of the season if we see an all -round rise in ground attendance.

With this year also capping of the largest increase in transfer revenue and playing minutes for under 23 players.

These results points towards a wealth of quality players who can excite the league and develop its quality.

Also, with this comes the opportunity for increased transfer opportunities, revenue streams and sponsorship deals.

The potential for this league and its increasing popularity is something that needs to be supported and developed in the coming seasons.

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La Liga and Host Broadcasting Services (HBS) have agreed to a five-year deal to produce and distribute matches from Spanish football's top two divisions, replacing long-time partner Mediapro.

HBS, which is owned by Infront, was originally set up to handle the TV and radio production for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan — and it’s been involved in every World Cup since.

These days, HBS also works across a range of major sports events, including the Rugby World Cup and the Roland Garros tennis tournament.

To take on its new role with La Liga starting in the 2025/26 season, HBS has teamed up with Italian company NVP through a joint venture.

HBS chief executive, Dan Miodownik, mentioned the great responsibility this is for HBS.

“It is a great privilege for HBS to have been appointed by La Liga,” he said via press release.

“We are very proud of our track record globally, and entering a new territory and partnership with such an esteemed client is an exciting opportunity.

"Along with NVP we look forward to working with La Liga to bring innovative and engaging coverage to audiences over the coming years.”

NVP Chief Executive Massimo Pintabona, expressed his excitement to collaborate with HBS.

“We are extremely proud to partner with HBS on this prestigious project,” he said via press release.

“This achievement confirms our commitment to excellence, continuous development and innovation.

"We look forward to contributing to the continued success of La Liga with our expertise and dedication.”

Mediapro, which has been working with La Liga as its production partner for over two decades, has strongly criticised the decision.

While La Liga claims that HBS scored highest in both technical and financial evaluations, Mediapro insists its proposal was stronger and more cost-effective.

In a detailed statement, the company questioned HBS’s ability to handle the contract and said it plans to formally challenge the outcome.

‘It is unprecedented that LaLiga has instead awarded the contract to a more expensive bidder — a Swiss-based supplier with no technical infrastructure in Spain and no prior experience in producing a full-season football competition of this scale,’ Mediapro said via press release.

‘Laliga’s decision is neither fair nor objective and we believe that it may jeopardise the production of the matches at the start of the season. It will undoubtedly harm the clubs and the competition both economically and in broadcast quality.

‘[Mediapro] is committed to defending its reputation — and that of its professionals — and will contest the outcome of the tender process through all available channels, both nationally and internationally.'

Mediapro will continue as La Liga’s international media agency through the 2028/29 season, handling the sale of the league’s international broadcasting rights.

The deal was renewed in 2023, but it no longer covers the Middle East, North Africa, or North America, as La Liga now works with different partners in those regions.

Mediapro also holds the rights to broadcast one La Liga match per week on its free-to-air channel, Gol TV.

This comes after a string of setbacks for Mediapro, including the loss of its contract with French Ligue 1, which led to the shutdown of its Telefoot subscription channel in 2020, and more recently, the sale and exit of its OneSoccer platform in Canada.

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After a six-year legal battle, US Soccer and Relevent Sports have reached a settlement in the latter's antitrust lawsuit which opens the potential for European leagues to play games in the US.

Recently Relevent’s lawyers filed a motion in federal court to dismiss their case against U.S. Soccer with prejudice—which means they won’t be able to bring the same lawsuit or claims against the federation again in the future.

US Soccer expresses relief as a longstanding issue is resolved, allowing the organisation to fully focus on growth and building momentum ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

“We are pleased to put this matter behind us as we remain focused on growing the game and harnessing the momentum of US Soccer ahead of next year’s World Cup," US Soccer said via statement on ESPN.

The details of the settlement haven’t been made public, bringing an end to the long-running legal battle between the federation and Relevent Sports, the agency co-founded and owned by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

Relevent had already reached a separate deal with FIFA last year, agreeing to remove soccer’s global governing body from the lawsuit as a co-defendant.

“We appreciate US Soccer’s collaboration in reaching this settlement,” Relevent chief executive Danny Sillman told ESPN via statement.

”Ultimately, we all share the same goal: growing the sport throughout America.

“We’re excited to continue supporting clubs from Europe and around the world to expand the sport’s reach and impact across the US.”

Relevent first revealed plans in 2018 to host a La Liga match between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, as part of its 15-year commercial deal with Spain’s top football league.

FIFA quickly responded by introducing a policy that banned league matches from being played outside the home countries of the participating clubs.

As a result, Barcelona pulled out of the game, there was also disagreement between La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the idea of playing a league match overseas.

Relevent later tried to bring an Ecuadorian league match to the US, with support from LigaPro Ecuador, but U.S. Soccer denied approval, again citing FIFA’s policy.

In response, Relevent sued both U.S. Soccer and FIFA in 2019, accusing them of working together to block foreign league games in the U.S.

The lawsuit claimed this was done to protect Soccer United Marketing (SUM), Major League Soccer’s (MLS) commercial arm, and prevent competition.

Although the case was initially dismissed in July 2021, that decision was overturned in May 2023, opening the door for a trial.

Relevent eventually reached a settlement with FIFA, which included the creation of a working group to explore possible changes to its rules on international matches.

Just last month, it was confirmed that Relevent had secured the global commercial rights for UEFA’s men’s club competitions over a six-season cycle starting in 2027/28.

This means Relevent will now manage, sell, and market the commercial rights for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League worldwide.

Additionally to collaborating with La Liga, Relevent also has commercial partnerships with the English Football League (EFL) and the Bundesliga, it's also responsible for scheduling and promoting pre-season Premier League games in the US.

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German football club VfB-Stuttgart has entered into a bold international partnership with V-Varen Nagasaki, a Japanese football club in the country's second division.

The collaboration officially kicked off amid the World Football Festival in Japan, where both club's U13 teams played each other in the opening fixture.

Together, VfB-Stuttgart and V-Varen will seek to improve the development of young players and encourage intercultural relationships across borders.

Supporting the initiative is German cleaning technology company Kärcher. The organisation has held long term relationships with both clubs and aims to support their new combined effort.

Through the partnership, V-Varen Nagasaki players will be able to train in Stuttgart at the club's world class youth academy. Inversely, VfB coaches will visit V-Varen to deliver workshops and courses, informing the club on key issues surrounding player development, coaching and academies.

Additionally, staff from both teams will take part in visits to each other's clubs to create deeper connections and boost knowledge on effective sporting networks.

Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at VfB-Stuttgart, Rouven Kasper, outlined why the club had entered into the partnership with V-Varen Nagasaki.

“For VfB Stuttgart, entering into this partnership with Nagasaki is a great honour and the next big step for the club," he said in a press release.

"Youth football is part of our club’s DNA, and we’re committed to building intercultural bridges, developing top international talent and promoting cooperation between Japan and Germany through youth football.”

CEO of V-Varen Nagasaki, Takenori Tagawa highlighted the fantastic opportunities the partnership would bring to the club.

“VfB Stuttgart and its youth academy have an excellent reputation. This collaboration will enable young players from our first team to train in Stuttgart – something which has proved difficult to implement in the past," he said via press release.

We’re very pleased that they understood our commitment to youth development and our vision for the future of V-Varen Nagasaki.”

Through the partnership, V-Varen Nagakasi and VfB-Stuttgart will gain access to new wide range networks in foreign environments, allowing both to continually propel and elevate themselves.

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Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has announced a new industry partnership with La Trobe University as their official Education Partner for the next four years.

This collaboration highlights La Trobe’s ongoing commitment to giving students valuable opportunities to connect with the sports industry and gain hands-on learning experiences.

Throughout the alliance, La Trobe and the PFA will collaborate on important research and consulting projects.

They’ll also offer a jointly funded PhD scholarship focused on research that supports the well-being and development of professional footballers.

Each year, the PFA will host three La Trobe students for work placements across different areas of sport, giving them the chance to gain real-world experience within the organisation.

La Trobe will also work with the PFA to create a specialised education program tailored to football, and the PFA will have access to La Trobe’s top-tier sport and exercise science research facilities at the La Trobe Sports Park.

On top of that, PFA members who choose to study at La Trobe will be supported through the La Trobe Elite Athlete Program (LEAP), which helps athletes balance their studies with their playing careers.

This includes flexible and online learning options, plus a new scholarship program for selected players.

Chief Executive of Professional Footballers Australia, Beau Busch, said the opportunity to partner with La Trobe would further enhance its ability to support the holistic development of players and further elevate its research capacity.

“La Trobe University provides world class education and learning, research programs and sporting facilities,” Busch said via press release.

“The partnership will ensure that players have access to flexible professional development opportunities, quality sporting infrastructure when undertaking their coaching qualifications, whilst their careers will be further advanced through a comprehensive research commitment.

“We also see our partnership with La Trobe centred on sharing our institutional knowledge with students to help them develop their educational experience and professional networks within the sporting industry.”

La Trobe Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health Innovation and Dean of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, Professor Russell Hoye, said the formation of the partnership with the PFA underlined La Trobe’s commitment to providing outstanding student employability outcomes within the sport industry.

“This partnership with the PFA will provide our students with access to unique work-integrated learning opportunities within an organisation that supports professional footballers with health, education and professional development,” Professor Hoye said via press release.

“La Trobe also looks forward to assisting professional footballers to undertake higher education studies across our suite of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.”

By combining academic expertise with the practical needs of athletes, this collaboration aims to support players both on and off the pitch, fostering a more sustainable and educated future for the game.

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In a major boost for local sport and community engagement, the Coalition has announced a $2 million funding commitment to Heidelberg United Alexander Football Club, should it win the upcoming federal election.

The announcement was made in the electorate of Jagajaga by Liberal candidate Chris Parr, joined by local MP Keith Wolahan and Senator James Paterson.

Chris Parr has been applauded for his work behind the scenes to push for the funding to upgrade the Victoria NPL clubs’ grounds.

The investment will fund significant upgrades to the club's facilities, including the development of an Olympic Museum, expanded training areas, open green space, and larger clubrooms to accommodate growing community use.

Parr took to social media to announce the funding promise.

"It is just so important to keep our kids engaged, our parents volunteering and families achieving in all our community activities," commented Parr via his official social media accounts.

"I'm proud to be part of a team that recognises the importance of community infrastructure."

The announcement has been welcomed as a win for local families, sports enthusiasts, and volunteers, with the Coalition emphasising its commitment to strengthening communities by partnering with local groups and the Banyule City Council.

Heidelberg United Alexander FC expressed its appreciation in a public statement.

"Thank you to the Liberal Party of Australia and Chris Parr for his commitment to this great club and icon in the community. Thank you for the support," via Heidelberg United social media accounts.

The proposed upgrades aim to support both the club's on-field development and its broader role as a community hub, providing accessible spaces for a wide range of local activities.

For the Warriors, who boast a rich history in Australian football dating back to their formation in 1958, these improvements represent a significant step forward in their ongoing development program.

The proposed upgrades to green spaces and training areas are important upgrades to the playing spaces for the club and community. The Museum is also an important pledge to the proud history of the club and its majorly Greek ancestry.

With big changes on the horizon for Australian Football with the National Second Division (NSD), such an instrumental club in Australian and Victorian football could use this funding and upgraded facilities to push for a place in the NSD.

For Liberal Candidate Chris Parr it’s a smart political move for the coming election to wrestle the seat away from current Labor representative Kate Thwaites, who’s held the federal seat since 2019.

It’s a strong statement of intent both from the Coalition and from the Football club.

Sport holds a powerful place in Australian communities and is an underused space in election politics. If elected, delivering on the promise is the important next step.

Australians have seen before when election promises aren’t delivered, and politicians should be wary of the public’s reaction.

It will be a huge improvement for the club and area if achieved and an interesting space to watch in the coming weeks.

The post Coalition Pledges $2 Million for Heidelberg United Facilities Upgrade appeared first on Soccerscene.

The Central Coast Mariners (CCM) have recently announced the continuation of their partnership with Coast Sport Performance Health Services for their CCM program.

Central Coast Physiotherapy, operating as Coast Sport, is a Central Coast-based performance health group dedicated to delivering first-class therapy and performance services.

Their goal is to become leaders in providing world-class Allied Health and Sports Medicine services.

They achieve this through premium healthcare delivery featuring clinical excellence, evidence-based practice, gold standard technologies and integrated multidisciplinary patient management.

This partnership will provide expert medical and physiotherapy care to youth development at CCM, primarily focusing on the academies. Making sure youth players have the best care and are educated on their bodies.

CCM expressed their excitement at this renewal on their social media channels.

"We're thrilled to announce Coast Sport - Performance Health Services as a returning partner in our MCC program! With their exceptional physio services, Coast Sport plays a vital role in supporting the health and performance of our Central Coast Academy athletes," via CCM official media release.

"Their continued commitment to athlete care is integral to our development pathway, ensuring our players receive the best support on and off the field. We look forward to this continued partnership and the success it will bring!"

Physical health is crucial to the development of players and to keep them in good condition to excel in football.

The strains on young players' bodies in academies means that good physiotherapy done by experts in the field is crucial to the longevity of the players.

It is an integral part of building a successful and inviting academy, players and importantly their families need to believe they are receiving support in all forms of development.

It's also key that young players are educated on their own bodies and make sure they understand how to maintain their ability and make sure they suffer no serious injuries.

This collaboration renewal also demonstrates how the A-League club supports local community businesses.

Using local businesses even for such an integral part of development as physical health shows commitment to the region.

Partnerships like this help clubs build strong relationships with the local community and solidify their integral position as a symbol of the local business environment and society.

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Paris Saint-Germain has broken the cutting edge by becoming the first football club in the world to create an innovation accelerator entirely dedicated to sports innovation.

Launched as PSG Labs, the accelerator is located at STATION F, the world's largest start-up campus.

Through PSG Labs, PSG will partner with start-ups and provide them with the club's global range of tools, assets, knowledge and networks to help boost their products and programs through superior development to their competitors.

President of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi expressed excitement for PSG Labs.

"Paris Saint-Germain is proud to be the first football club in the world to partner with STATION F, the world's largest start-up campus," he said in a press release.

"This unique collaboration bringing together two major French players, Paris Saint-Germain and STATION F, will create bridges between sport and the best start-ups."

As a Club, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and develop bold ideas to shape our future. Through this collaboration, we are proud to support the next generation of entrepreneurs, who will grow alongside Paris Saint-Germain."

Founder of STATION F, Xavier Niel detailed why his organisation was drawn to PSG.

"STATION F and PSG share the same ambition: to make Paris shine. Together, we want to show the world that the future is built here. This collaboration will bring out the champions of tomorrow," he said via press release.

Director of STATION F, Roxanne Varza shared her pride for the collaboration with PSG.

"At STATION F, we are proud to welcome Paris Saint-Germain. This is the first time that a sports club, and even more so one of the biggest football clubs in the world, has joined our campus," she said in a statement.

"Their commitment to innovation makes the club a key player in the transformation of sport. We can't wait to see how our start-ups will collaborate with PSG to develop the innovations that will shape the future of the sport."

Through PSG Labs, Paris Saint-Germain is showcasing its commitment to supporting French business and to developing technologies at a world class rate.

The post PSG Accelerator: Innovating the Sports Industry appeared first on Soccerscene.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has joined forces with the UK's Green Football Weekend for The Great Save 2025, a global campaign tackling football kit waste.

By bringing The Great Save to Australia, the PFA is urging clubs, players, and fans to rethink how they dispose of kit and its environmental impact.

The Great Save aims to keep sports kit in play for longer – via donations, re-sale, reusing or upcycling – helping to reduce waste, save money, and support those in the community who may otherwise lack access to kit.

The players' union is partnering with several sustainability organisations to drive real impact.

KitAid Australia and The Salvation Army will distribute donated kit to disadvantaged communities, while Unwanted FC will help players upcycle old jerseys.

With a large demand due to new fashion trends, Vintage resellers will also keep classic and retro kits in circulation.

PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch explained how the need for sustainability in football has become a major topic and lead to this alliance.

"Sustainability in football is increasingly important to players and fans. The Great Save 2025 offers a real chance to keep kits in use longer, reduce waste, and provide gear to communities in need," he said via press release.

"Building sustainable practices in clubs and leagues requires a whole-of-industry effort, and I'm proud that players are once again leading on this critical issue."

An extension of the PFA's Greener Games 2024, The Great Save follows the PFA's nomination for Elite Organisation of the Year at the BBC Green Sport Awards.

Emma Ilijoski, a member of the PFA's climate-conscious advocacy group, Our Greener Pitch, said supporting The Great Save would help leverage football's global appeal, and connect fans and players to make an impact in the UK and Australia.

"Footballers collect a lot of gear during their careers, from junior clubs through to senior professional football," she said via press release.

"Instead of letting it go to waste, we can create a cycle where kit is reused, keeping its nostalgic value, and also benefit those in need. The Great Save makes that possible."

In 2024, the PFA's Stoppage Time report explored football's climate impact in Australia and New Zealand, sports and with that football has always had an important place for supporting sustainability.

This collaboration has the unique positions of positively effecting all pyramids in the industry in active sustainable practices and arguably having greater effect.

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Football Australia has unveiled a partnership with Live Graphics Systems (LIGR) to establish a world-first centralised production and distribution model for over 3,500 matches annually across multiple competition tiers.

This ambitious undertaking is set to transform sports broadcasting efficiency whilst unlocking future commercial opportunities for Football Australia and its nine State and Territory Member Federations.

The collaboration comes as Football Australia prepares to kick off the Australian Championship this October.

In mid-2024, Football Australia began developing a new production strategy, defining requirements across multiple tiers of Australian football.

The strategy encompasses the Hahn Australia Cup, NSD and the top tier of Federation Competitions for both men and women (National Premier Leagues), Futsal and National Para-Football Championships included as well.

LIGR's appointment followed a rigorous Request for Proposal (RFP) process, led by Football Australia in alliance with Member Federations, aimed at identifying a single partner capable of managing the complex scale.

LIGR, an Australian tech business recently acquired by European-based tech company Crionet, will provide technical and operational broadcast management, live monitoring and AI integration across Football Australia's multi and single camera productions.

Additionally, LIGR's world-leading streaming, graphics and highlights automation platform will enable seamless integration of key sponsors on broadcasts.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, highlighted the significance of the partnership.

"This partnership marks a defining moment in Australian football and represents a paradigm shift in the way the game is produced, distributed and commercialised both in Australia and abroad," Johnson explained via Football Australia official press release.

“By unifying production across thousands of games and multiple tiers of competition, we are not only streamlining operations but also reshaping the future of football broadcasting in this country. This is innovation at scale.

"Through this centralised model, we are building long-term operational and cost efficiencies and can focus on building sustainable revenue streams for the connected football pyramid."

Luke McCoy, CEO of LIGR, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership.

"At Crionet and LIGR, our mission is to disrupt the traditional sports production, streaming, and distribution landscape," McCoy commented via Football Australia’s official press release.

“Our partnership with Football Australia and its State and Territory Member Federations represents a groundbreaking shift towards a truly aggregated model, marking a significant milestone for sports coverage in Australia.

“Our cutting-edge technology and innovative approach sets us apart, and we are excited to elevate the game, enhance fan engagement, and drive innovation across all levels of the sport."

This multi-tier integration represents an unprecedented approach, as no other Australian rights holder has consolidated production across such a diverse range of competitions under a single centralised model.

This new centralised approach will allow the sport to optimise its production workflows and unlock new commercial opportunities in the evolving broadcast and streaming landscape.

An exciting development in increasing viewership and commercial viability for, as Football Australia's 2024 National Participation Report confirmed, the most popular and fastest growing sport in the country.

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Sydney FC have announced an impressive partnership with iconic Australian brand, Arnotts.

The collaboration will see Arnotts' branding feature in a highly visible location on the back of the Sydney FC Men's team shorts for the rest of the A-League 2024/25 season.

Sydney FC CEO Mark Aubrey expressed how valuable the partnership was to the Sky Blues.

“We are thrilled to bring Arnott’s on board as an official partner of Sydney FC," he said via press release.

“This is a brilliant alignment between two recognised brands that specialise in creating moments that matter.”

We also both value the importance of a high performance, high integrity environment as well as standing for equality and diversity.

“I hope this will be the beginning of a long and trusted partnership, and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.”

From the collaboration, both Sydney FC and Arnotts will work on a special content series featuring the "Arnotts Moments Matter" campaign.

Arnotts Group CMO Jenni Dill highlighted how excited the organisation was for the partnership.

“This partnership builds on Arnott’s desire to support Australian’s on and off the football field with healthier and delicious lunch and snacking choices," she said in a press release.

“Whether it’s a Vita-Weat with your favourite lunchtime toppings, or a pack of Snack Right Puffs on the way to game, we look forward to inspiring Sydney FC players and fans with more tasty and convenient ways to enjoy a snack or lunch.”

Further highlighting the importance of the brand deal, Arnotts branding will not only feature on the Sydney FC Men's kit but will also appear on the LED screens on matchdays, presenting with Arnotts with highly desirable marketing material.

The Arnotts-Sydney FC partnership is yet another major landmark deal for the club in recent months, adding to collaborations with Guaraná Antarctica and WHEN Fertility.

The post Sydney FC and Arnotts Collaboration Enhances Team Spirit appeared first on Soccerscene.

German sportswear giant Adidas has once again returned to the Bundesliga, becoming the league's official football supplier from the 2026/27 season.

In a new deal with the German Football League (DFL), Adidas will supply both the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 with footballs across a four-year period, culminating in the 2029/30 season. Additionally, Adidas will provide balls in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup and relegation play-offs.

For Adidas, the partnership marks a return to German football after their previous deal with the DFL ended in the 2017/18 season, when the organisation had supplied the top flights of German football since the 2010/11 season.

DFL CEO Steffen Merkel expressed the league's positive outlook for the partnership with Adidas.

“The selection of the right official matchball is of particular relevance for the Bundesliga, given it is the highest-scoring top league in Europe. Adidas tabled a very strong offer, that was accepted by the DFL and the 36 clubs in all parameters," he said in a press release.

"We are very pleased about this return and the early planning security that comes with the co-operation. adidas is a company that is deeply rooted in Germany and at the same time has great global appeal. Together, we want to utilise this starting from the season after next.”

Managing Director for Central Europe at Adidas, Marina Moguš, detailed Adidas' pride to return to the Bundesliga.

“We are very excited about the new partnership with the DFL," she said via press release.

"The future cooperation once again strengthens our presence in the domestic market. After all these years, it was very important to us to once again provide the official match ball for the German Bundesliga."

"Now we can hardly wait to write a new chapter together with the DFL from the 2026/27 season.”

As a result of the DFL's return to Adidas supplied match balls, the current deal with DERBYSTAR will terminate at the end of the 2025/26 season.

The post Adidas-Bundesliga Deal Marks Exciting Comeback appeared first on Soccerscene.

The A-League reported last week that Australia's international transfer revenue has increased by a staggering 1344% over the past three years.

With 2023/24 recording transfer revenue of $16.5 million and 2024/25 reaching $16.9 million, these figures represent a significant improvement compared to the 2022 season, which recorded just $4.17 million in revenue.

This growth coincides with recent data from the A-League showing that the 2024/25 season has seen 39% of A-League minutes played by under-23 players, compared to just 18% in the 2023/24 season and 13% in the 2022/23 season.

This indicates that this season alone has seen a 26% increase in overall minutes played by young players since 2022.

The result of this rise in youth talent is evident with Australia qualifying for the Under-20 Men's World Cup for the first time in more than a decade and, just last week, lifting the trophy at the Under-20 Asian Cup.

The A-League's recent success in youth playing time is directly intertwined with the rise in transfer revenue.

This increase in youth participation has emerged as a silver lining from tough times in the league.

In the most recent "Off the Pitch" podcast from Soccerscene, guest speaker Gary Cole, current president of Football Coaches Australia, provided his professional insight into one of these situations.

He explained that the COVID-19 crisis and the financial constraints placed on A-League clubs forced them to look inwards for talent.

Another recent catalyst has been the reduction in funding from the Australian Professional Leagues.

With funding decreasing from $2 million to $500,000 in 2024, clubs have faced difficult financial decisions regarding their budgets.

Players from club academies or even NPL clubs are far more cost-effective for club budgets than more expensive signings.

Additionally, their selling and transfer value provides a huge boost to club revenues.

These events are not coincidental but are catalysts for the rise in homegrown talent testing their skills and showcasing their quality on the big stage.

It demonstrates how, during tough times for the league, supporting youth development has become a key part of the league's success and represents a profitable and dynamic opportunity for the future.

This opportunity to produce and showcase players to increase Australian youth football standards and therefore transfer value is a proven strategy in football.

Ajax's Academy is renowned for developing class players and has for many years been a funnel for building their academy graduates and selling players for a profit.

In South America, Brazilian and Argentinian clubs such as River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fluminense and Flamengo have been persistent sources of footballing talent.

Selling stars like Vinicius and Julian Alvarez to Europe for significant financial benefits while still maintaining a healthy domestic talent structure and international success.

Importantly, the common factor in these successful systems is regular first-team minutes at their clubs and even on the international stage.

The evidence from A-League transfer revenues is fitting this pattern.

One must point out that, though this is a great revenue source and a way to place Australian football on the map, this focus can have an adverse effect on the domestic scene.

Football fans are passionate about their clubs, and nothing brings out more pride than watching one of their own prospects grow and play for them.

To use academy players primarily as revenue-building prospects can undermine the important place they have at the club and the overall goal of academies.

This could potentially alienate fan bases, impacting popularity and therefore the quality and financial interests of the league.

Transfer revenue should not be the central response to the league's current financial burdens.

Being realistic about the position of the A-League in the international football hierarchy is crucial, though ambitions for the league to climb cannot be sidelined.

The rise in player transfer revenue presents an enticing prospect for investment and brings increased popularity.

Players themselves also have their own dreams and aspirations that must be taken into account, which can also encourage transfers and revenue.

Currently, the A-League has the unique opportunity to give its promising young players the chance to play top-level football while producing significant revenue and attracting sponsorship.

Australians playing overseas and at home, puts Australia on the map and solidifies our rise in the footballing scene.

If the focus on homegrown talent is managed well, Australian football will reap huge rewards.

The post A-League Transfer Revenue Soars as Youth Development Takes Centre Stage appeared first on Soccerscene.

In 1995, Husqvarna launched what is believed to be the world's first robotic lawn mower. As world leaders in robotic mowing, they are now celebrating 30 years of Husqvarna Automower® with an exclusive competition that is sure to excite garden owners – and for Liverpool FC supporters, it is an especially thrilling opportunity.

At stake in the competition is Husqvarna Automower® Aspire R4 – a smart and compact robotic lawn mower for smaller lawns – and a signed Liverpool FC jersey. The competition runs from 1 March – 31 March 2025, and the lucky winner will be announced 10 April 2025.

For more information about the competition and Husqvarna’s partnership with Liverpool FC, visit: Husqvarna teams up with Liverpool Football Club | Husqvarna AU

The post Husqvarna celebrates 30 years of Automower® with exclusive competition Prizes include a robotic lawn mower and a signed Liverpool FC jersey appeared first on Soccerscene.

Manchester United is enforcing additional cost-cutting measures in response to climbing financial losses, including closing its staff canteen and replacing free hot meals with a single piece of fruit for employees.

This decision comes as part of Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s strategy aimed at mitigating losses exceeding $610 million (£300 million) over the past three years.

Up to 200 more job cuts are to be expected, following 250 redundancies last year, raising internally about the club's stability.

On-Pitch Struggles Add to Financial Woes

The financial crisis advances as the club struggles both off and on the pitch. United’s drop to 15th in the Premier League table could result in a significant loss of revenue, with the risk of prize money reductions estimated at $40 million (£20 million).

With each league standing worth approximately $6 million (£3 million) in broadcast revenue, falling further down the ladder could contribute to the clubs financial situation.

Meanwhile, player wages remain the single biggest expense, adding further pressure on the club’s budget.

Contradictions in Spending: Transfers vs. Cost-Cutting

Despite these aggressive cost-cutting measures, United’s transfer spending raises questions about the club’s financial priorities.

In the January transfer window alone, the club spent over $24 million (£12 million), securing Patrick Dorgu from Lecce for $50 million (£25 million) and signing Ayden Heaven from Arsenal. A contract extension for Amad Diallo also added to the wage bill.

This dual approach – slashing operational costs while investing in player investment – has sparked criticism from both employees and analysts.

United’s staffing levels have surged significantly over the past decade, growing 150% between 2013 and 2023 — one of the highest increases in the Premier League, second only to Leicester City.

However, this growth in staff has not converted into better execution on pitch, leaving many questioning United’s long-term planning and whether it is an effective solution.

Uncertain Future as Tension rises

Concerns over the team’s declining team performance rise as employees impacted by layoffs voice frustrations, regarding the clubs decision-making.

With a looming staff meeting, the football world is closely watching how Manchester United's plan to relieve these financial challenges while striving to climb the ranks on the pitch.

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Long-standing FIFA partner Coca-Cola has settled a legal dispute with the international football governing body and will now sponsor the revamped FIFA Club World Cup this June in the United States.

In October 2023, Coca-Cola lodged a legal complaint against FIFA at the Arbitration Centre in Zurich, Switzerland, arguing that its existing partnership agreement should have included sponsorship rights for the Club World Cup.

At the time, FIFA had only secured one confirmed sponsor for the tournament and was reportedly renegotiating contracts with existing partners, a move that left Coca-Cola “less than thrilled,” according to The Guardian.

FIFA’s struggles to attract sponsors

Coca-Cola has a partnership agreement with FIFA that extends until 2030, covering major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup. The beverage giant believed that FIFA was prioritising new sponsors over long-term partners like itself.

While the details of the resolution remain unclear, Coca-Cola has now officially joined Bank of America and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund as sponsors of the tournament. FIFA will likely welcome this resolution, as reports suggest the governing body has faced difficulties in attracting commercial interest for the expanded Club World Cup, which aims to secure up to 10 sponsors to generate over $1 billion in revenue.

The long-standing partnership continues strong

FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai spoke on the incredible relationship between the two parties despite recent issues.

“The Coca-Cola Company has been involved in stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950 and has provided many memorable experiences in global football over the decades," he said in a press release.

"We are delighted to have such an important and a long-standing partner on board as we usher in a new era in global club football with the FIFA Club World Cup. This will be an exciting, inclusive and a truly global tournament that will ultimately further the development of the club game while delivering value to our partners."

Brad Ross, Vice President of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company shared the same sentiment.

“Sports partnerships like the one we have with FIFA are an important growth driver for our company, brands and global system, and the FIFA Club World Cup will be a significant moment to bring the world together through the power of sport," Ross said in a press release.

"Football fans are among the most passionate in the world, and we’re honoured to be part of these moments by refreshing fans and athletes with our portfolio of beverages and providing them with innovative experiences.”

Club World Cup faces backlash

The revamped tournament, which kicks off on 14 June, will feature 32 teams, including 12 from Europe, six from South America, four each from Africa and Asia, five from North America, and one from Oceania.

Despite securing a global broadcast deal with DAZN, the new format has drawn criticism from clubs and players, who argue that additional fixtures will further congest an already demanding football calendar.

Conclusion

The resolution of this dispute reinforces Coca-Cola’s long-standing association with FIFA and provides much-needed commercial support for the Club World Cup.

However, concerns over fixture congestion and the tournament’s commercial viability continue to pose challenges for FIFA’s latest project.

The post Coca-Cola resolves FIFA dispute, sponsors Club World Cup appeared first on Soccerscene.

In a significant boost ahead of their National Second Division (NSD) campaign, South Melbourne FC has secured a major partnership with technology giant Directed Group for the 2025 season.

The partnership sees the consumer electronics and enterprise technology leader join forces with one of Australia's most decorated football clubs, bringing their extensive portfolio of brands including Eufy, Anker, Disney and Playermaker to South's high-performance program.

With this partnership, South Melbourne FC will implement Playermaker's cutting-edge motion-tracking technology, a system currently used by elite clubs worldwide, to enhance player development and performance monitoring across their football department.

South Melbourne FC President Nicholas Maikousis praised the collaboration's potential.

"I am excited with this and I am confident of a long-term relationship, Directed is a global brand at the forefront of technology, and their values align with ours as we look to evolve our club and continue to be at the forefront of what we do," explained Maikousis via South Melbourne FC official press release.

"Innovation and excellence are key pillars of South Melbourne FC, and we are proud to partner with an organisation that shares this vision."

The confirmation comes at a crucial juncture for one of the strongest clubs in Victorian NPL and a key member of the new National Second Division commencing in late 2025, with Chairman Bill Papastergiadis highlighting its significance.

"It is a historic day for the Club as we embark on the National Second Division, To have Steve Siolis and Directed as a major partner in this journey is a great coup for the Club," Papastergiadis clarified via South Melbourne FC official press release.

"Directed is a trusted organisation, and Steve is also a great friend with terrific qualities. Football is being reinvigorated in Australia with the new league, and we have a great partner with us in this journey. I am thrilled Steve will be with us on this journey."

For Directed Group founder and CEO Steve Siolis, the partnership marks a return to familiar territory.

"It's great to be sponsoring South Melbourne again, South Melbourne FC has a proud history of success over the journey, and we're excited to be part of its future. The club's ambition, professionalism, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our values at Directed," Siolis remarked via South Melbourne official press release.

"Directed and South Melbourne FC are aligned in more than passion for the game. We both put high value on innovation, improving performance, success and community involvement. There's a real energy around the club right now." "From the players to the fans, there's a sense of momentum and a drive for continued growth. We're proud to support this iconic club and look forward to what's ahead."

The collaboration is set to showcase various brands from Directed extensive portfolio throughout the season, reinforcing both organisations' commitment to innovation and sporting excellence.

Gaining such a reputable sponsorship speaks volumes about South Melbourne FC's reputation and business ingenuity, it also indicates that strong sponsorships and investment opportunities are available for many NSD clubs.

The partnership also brings more credibility to the plan of a strong, well-sponsored second division that can benefit the restructuring of the Australian Football Pyramid.

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FIFPRO Technologies, a new division of FIFPRO focused on integrating technology into professional football, has announced a long-term partnership with Sports Data Labs (SDL) to create a global data platform for players.

This initiative will enable footballers to securely collect, control, and monetise their personal data throughout their careers.

It is a huge step forward for football and its athletes having agency over the data their own personal data, which was previously owned by the organisations

Empowering Players with Data Control

The platform, set to launch in 2025, will serve as a centralised repository where players can safely store and manage their personal information, including tracking data, physiological metrics, medical records, and other performance-related statistics.

Data will be gathered from multiple sources such as wearable devices, optical tracking systems, and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) databases.

By giving players direct access to their own data, the platform aims to improve workload management, optimise performance, and support career longevity.

With AI-powered tools, footballers will be able to analyse and utilise their information to enhance their game, reduce injury risks, and even assist in contract negotiations.

Monetisation and Consent-Based Data Sharing

One of the most significant features of this initiative is its focus on data monetisation.

Players will have full control over their data usage, allowing them to decide how their information is shared and commercialised. They will also have the option to participate in revenue-sharing models for third-party data usage.

FIFPRO Technologies, which joins the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) and healthcare provider Cleveland Clinic as an SDL shareholder, is committed to ensuring players remain at the centre of all data-related decisions.

The platform will act as a data aggregator, bringing together match and training statistics from clubs and national teams while also incorporating non-football-related personal data.

Conclusion

This player-focused initiative marks a major shift in how footballers interact with and benefit from their data.

By giving them greater control, the platform not only enhances individual performance but also strengthens the football ecosystem by encouraging transparency, fairness, and innovation in data management.

With players at the forefront of this movement, the partnership between FIFPRO and SDL represents a crucial step towards a more player-driven future in football.

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Brazilian football superstar Neymar has triggered a sponsorship frenzy following his return to Santos, the club where he began his professional career.

After an 18-month stint plagued by injuries and limited game time at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, Neymar’s homecoming has revitalised the club’s marketing and commercial appeal.

Making his much-anticipated debut last week off the bench against Botafogo in the regional Campeonato Paulista, Neymar’s return has coincided with a surge in sponsorship deals for Santos.

The 33-year-old took to the pitch wearing a Santos jersey featuring three new sponsor logos, all secured since his high-profile transfer was finalised on January 31.

Fresh Sponsorship Deals

Havan, one of Brazil’s largest retail chains, claimed a prominent spot on the front of the Santos kit, just below the main sponsor Blaze, in a one-year deal.

Similarly, lottery and promotions company Viva Sorte landed the master back-of-shirt position, also in a one-year partnership. Meanwhile, auto insurance platform Loovi Seguros signed a two-year deal to display its branding on the player numbers.

The move has also strengthened the existing partnership between Santos and Blaze, an online casino brand that became the club’s main sponsor in April 2023.

Neymar, already a global ambassador for Blaze since December 2022, is expected to enhance the brand’s visibility further with his association to Santos.

Kit supplier Umbro, which retained technical rights with Santos after renegotiating its deal last year, is also expected to see a spike in sales thanks to Neymar’s massive fan base.

Interestingly, Puma—Neymar’s personal sponsor since 2020—was reportedly in the mix for Santos’ kit rights last season, highlighting the player’s influence on brand decisions.

“The Neymar Effect” reshaping Brazilian football's future

Neymar’s return to Santos not only boosts the club’s commercial prospects but also reignites interest in the Brazilian domestic league.

His presence instantly elevates Santos’ profile on a global scale, drawing attention from sponsors keen to capitalise on the hype surrounding one of football’s most marketable stars.

This newfound momentum stands in stark contrast to Neymar’s challenging spell at Al-Hilal, where injuries and poor form limited him to just one goal in seven appearances.

Signed by the Saudi Pro League club for $148.7m AUD (€90 million) from Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar was expected to play a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s ambitions to cement itself among the world’s top clubs. However, the partnership was cut short, with both parties mutually agreeing to terminate his contract.

Despite his struggles in Saudi Arabia, Neymar remains a marketing juggernaut. If his 229 million Instagram followers weren't already enough of a symbol of his presence in the world game, his enormous sponsorship portfolio speaks for itself.

Al-Hilal’s Chief Commercial Officer, Sultan bin Abdulaziz Alsheikh, noted last year that Neymar’s presence helped the club target the Brazilian and European markets as key commercial regions.

Puma, Al-Hilal’s kit supplier, signed a five-year deal with the club just a month before Neymar’s arrival, underscoring the player’s pull for major brands.

Santos' Commercial Revival

For Santos, Neymar’s return is not just a nostalgic reunion—it’s a strategic mastery.

The club stands to benefit immensely from his star power, with new sponsorships, increased merchandise sales, and global media attention all on the horizon.

The “Neymar effect” has already started to reshape Santos’ financial landscape, setting the stage for a potentially transformative chapter for the iconic Brazilian club.

The post The Neymar Effect: Santos’ Sponsorship Boom appeared first on Soccerscene.

Reigning Bundesliga champion Bayer 04 Leverkusen has welcomed US sports clothing company New Balance as its official kit sponsor for the 2025/26 season and beyond.

Through the collaboration, New Balance will supply new high-quality kits to all of Bayer 04 Leverkusen's teams, in turn providing New Balance with highly valuable marketing opportunities through one of Germany's most beloved teams.

Additionally, athletes from the Bayer 04 track and field department will also adorn New Balance clothing, as well as those competing for the club at the upcoming German Indoor Championships.

CEO of Bayer 04, Fernando Carro, expressed the excitement the club has for the burgeoning relationship with New Balance.

"Bayer 04 Leverkusen is delighted to enter into a long-term partnership with New Balance from the 2025/26 season," he said in a press release.

"This relationship is the first of its kind for New Balance in German professional football. We look forward to being a strategic partner in this important step into an exciting future."

Leverkusen's Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, Markus Breglec explained why the partnership would be so influential for the club.

"New Balance, with its global presence, matches Bayer 04's international reach to jointly develop the men's, women's and youth teams and, with this very exciting collaboration, reaches even further into the wider Bayer sports family, as evidenced by the already activated cooperation with the Leverkusen track and field athletes," he said via press release.

"We are convinced and excited to have found a partner who will accompany Bayer 04 Leverkusen on an exciting path of growth on and off the pitch in the coming years. We will work together to fulfill the dreams of our fans - at all levels, together under the cross."

New Balance Global Director of Football Sports Marketing, Andrew McGarty explained the significance of the deal for the American organisation.

"New Balance is honored to enter into this groundbreaking partnership with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a club with an illustrious history and an exciting future at the pinnacle of world soccer," he said in a press release.

This relationship underscores our unwavering commitment to global soccer by joining forces with one of the most competitive and ambitious clubs in the world."

Bayer 04 Leverkusen and New Balance will kick off their new partnership this season, as the reigning German champions seek to defend their title.

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Nike and Football Australia have collaborated with acclaimed Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie to create the first-ever Australian National Football Team Collection designed by a First Nations artist.

Set to launch on 21 February 2025, the partnership centres on the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos' shared brand essence of 'Forever Forging Forward', embodying cultural representation and continuous progress through a bold new kit design that celebrates First Nations storytelling.

Rennie, who recently showcased his work in a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, has incorporated elements from his 2024 painting featured in the REKOSPECTIVE exhibition.

The jersey's centrepiece draws inspiration from traditional First Nations message sticks, historically used for inter-community communication.

Reko Rennie explains his profound understanding of football's community-building potential and its important connection with his first nations design.

"I have a deep connection to the culture of football. Growing up in the western suburbs of Melbourne, I saw first-hand how the game united the local community I was a part of, and what it means to wear the national jersey. To feel part of something bigger," explained Rennie via Football Australia press release.

"I am proud to have designed this kit, it is a bold statement of cultural visibility, celebrating the diverse communities changing the game for the future - a message of unity from the oldest continuous civilisation on earth to everyone, united through football."

Nike Pacific Vice President and General Manager, Ashley Read emphasised the brand's commitment to innovation.

"Since the brand's inception into the beautiful game, Nike Football has been a catalyst for change. Nike are proud to partner with Reko Rennie and Football Australia for this Collection and look forward to seeing Australian's come together to support their national teams in the new green and gold,” commented Read via official Football Australia press release.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson also highlighted the sport's inclusive nature.

"Football is Australia's most diverse team sport, and its multiculturalism is its superpower. The new national team kits reflect our commitment to innovation and inspiring the next generation of footballers. 'Forever Forging Forward' is more than a brand identity – it's our guiding philosophy as we shape the future of Australian football," Johnson commented via official Football Australia press release.

The collection will debut with the CommBank Matildas during February's SheBelieves Cup and the Subway Socceroos during their Round 3 AFC Asian Qualifiers in March.

All Football Australia National Teams, including senior, youth, Paras and Futsal teams, will wear the new designs.

The jerseys will be available from 8.00am AEDT, 21 February, through Nike's website and Football Australia's online shop, as well as retail partners rebel, Ultra Football and SPT Football.

This landmark collaboration represents a significant step forward in celebrating Australia's First Nations culture on the global sporting stage, allowing first nations artists to take control of their story and narrative while reinforcing football's unique ability to unite diverse communities across the nation.

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The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has issued a legal threat to the Premier League, warning of potential legal action if new financial rules are passed without union consultation and approval.

The PFA alleges that the league and its clubs have deliberately withheld critical information about the proposed squad cost rules (SCR) and top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA). These changes, according to the union, could severely impact player wages and club finances.

Legal Warning Over SCR and TBA

The Premier League and its 20 clubs voted on the proposed rules during a meeting on 13 February. In a letter addressed to the league and its stakeholders, the PFA’s legal team stated they “anticipate being instructed to commence legal proceedings” if the rules are approved without adequate consultation with the union.

The union has demanded a written guarantee from the league by 4 pm on 11 February, confirming its intention to fully consult the PFA on the matter. Failure to do so will also trigger legal action.

The PFA described the proposed squad cost rules and top-to-bottom anchoring system as "fundamentally flawed" and expressed deep concerns about their potential consequences for players and clubs alike.

What Are the SCR and TBA?

The squad cost rules (SCR) would limit clubs to spending a maximum of 85 per cent of their revenue on squad-related expenses, aligning with similar rules introduced by UEFA. From next season, UEFA plans to reduce its revenue-to-spending cap to 70 per cent for clubs involved in its competitions.

The top-to-bottom anchoring (TBA) system, however, is more contentious. It would enforce a strict cap on how much a club can spend on squad costs, calculated as five times the amount received by the club earning the least from central Premier League funds.

Critics, including the PFA, argue that TBA effectively introduces an indirect cap on player salaries. Some clubs, such as Manchester United and Manchester City, have also expressed opposition to the proposal, fearing it would weaken their ability to compete with elite European teams.

Accusations of Withholding Information

The PFA has accused the Premier League of failing to follow proper consultation protocols, which are required for any matters impacting player wages or conditions.

Under the rules, the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) must consult with the PFA through the Professional Game Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC). Any changes that affect players cannot proceed without the union’s agreement.

However, the PFA’s lawyers, Mills and Reeve, claim the Premier League missed its own deadline to provide an updated version of the SCR before Christmas. Instead, clubs received the document on 9 January—too late for meaningful discussions during a PFNCC meeting held on 8 January.

The union further alleges it only received the full 87-page SCR manual after an ad-hoc PFNCC meeting on 20 January, despite indications that clubs had access to the document as early as July last year.

PFA's Position on the Financial Rules

The PFA remains firmly opposed to the introduction of TBA, stating it imposes an unnecessary cap on player wages under the guise of financial regulation.

The union believes such measures are not only unfair to players but also risk undermining the competitiveness of Premier League clubs on the international stage.

In their letter to the Premier League’s legal team at Linklaters, the PFA’s lawyers described the handling of the proposed financial rules as “flagrant breaches” of the league’s obligations to consult with the union.

As the 13 February vote has taken place, the tension between the PFA and the Premier League appears to be escalating, with the prospect of legal proceedings looming should the union’s demands for consultation remain unmet.

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Football Australia has unveiled the "Australian Championship," a groundbreaking new competition that promises to reshape the nation’s football landscape.

Officially launching in October 2025, the Championship will serve as a vital bridge between state-based competitions and the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s system, bringing clubs, players, and communities closer together.

This announcement comes on the heels of the October confirmation of the National Second Tier (NST) format, marking a significant milestone in Australian football.

The Australian Championship will provide a national platform for clubs and players to showcase their talent while fostering stronger connections with fans and communities across the country.

Competition Format and Vision

The Australian Championship will feature 16 teams competing in a dynamic format designed to balance competitive integrity and fan engagement. The competition will include:

Group Stage: Four groups of four teams playing home-and-away fixtures.

Elimination Finals: The top two teams from each group advancing to knockout rounds.

Grand Final: The inaugural champion to be crowned in December 2025.

This structure highlights Football Australia’s ambition to create an inclusive, exciting, and commercially sustainable competition that celebrates the depth of Australian football talent.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson spoke on the importance of this announcement for the future of Australian football.

“The Australian Championship is much more than a competition – it’s a national celebration of football; uniting proud historic clubs, emerging talent, and inter-generational community connection. It reflects the core values of Australian football: authenticity, opportunity, and ambition," Johnson said in the press release.

“This competition will complement the A-League, NPL, and Hahn Australia Cup, providing a connected, meaningful pathway for players and fans alike. Today’s brand launch is a statement of our commitment to grow domestic football in Australia and unlock its full potential.”

Founding Clubs and National Representation

The competition will include eight Foundation Clubs with storied histories, such as APIA Leichhardt FC (NSW), Avondale FC (VIC), Marconi Stallions FC (NSW), Preston Lions FC (VIC), South Melbourne FC (VIC), Sydney Olympic FC (NSW), Sydney United 58 FC (NSW), and Wollongong Wolves FC (NSW), representing some of the strongest footballing traditions in the country.

Joining them will be eight Member Federation clubs drawn from the National Premier Leagues (NPL) across all states and territories.

This model ensures representation from every corner of the national football community, giving grassroots and state-level clubs an opportunity to compete on a larger stage.

Core Pillars of the Australian Championship

The Australian Championship aims to unite Australian football under the following key values:

Authenticity: Honouring historic clubs, iconic venues, and long-standing rivalries.

Discovery: Showcasing emerging talent and rising stars from across the nation.

Connection: Strengthening ties between grassroots, state competitions, and professional pathways.

Pride and Belonging: Celebrating football’s ability to bring players, fans, and communities together.

A New Era for Australian Football

With its launch, the Australian Championship is set to redefine the country’s domestic football ecosystem, creating new opportunities for players, clubs, and fans. Football Australia’s initiative reflects a commitment to building a thriving national competition while staying true to the rich heritage and passion that underpin Australian football.

As October 2025 approaches, anticipation will only grow for what promises to be a transformative moment in the nation’s sporting history.

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On Saturday, February 1st, over 200 attendees came together at Valentine Sports Park for the 2025 Football NSW Club Development Conference.

With registrations for the 2025 season still coming in, over 85 Football NSW clubs from both Sydney Metropolitan and regional areas gathered for a dynamic day of workshops, panels, and special guest speakers, celebrating community football.

Presented by Stephanie Brantz, the Conference included keynote addresses from Karen Jones, Acting CEO of Destination NSW and Chief Executive of the NSW Office of Sport, Dr. Catriona Rose of the Australian Sports Commission, and Matildas cap #167, Ellie Brush.

After the successful second edition of the conference, Trevor Huxley, Football NSW’s Program Manager for Club Development, expressed his excitement over the strong support from the community.

“The Club Development Conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring together all levels of the game to learn from one another, network and discuss best practice for grassroots football,” said Huxley via press release.

“It has been inspiring to see grassroots clubs across the state in attendance, illustrating a remarkable commitment to supporting their local communities. It’s vital that Football NSW continues to lead in this space, providing support to the volunteers and local administrators who are central to the ongoing growth of our game.”

Along with the keynote speakers, attendees were able to choose sessions tailored to their Club or role, covering topics such as safeguarding, volunteerism, marketing and data analysis, infrastructure and grant funding, player and spectator behaviour, women & girls’ football, diversity and inclusion, and grassroots coach education.

The Football NSW Club Development Conference serves as a pivotal platform for enhancing community football by Empowering Clubs, Facilitating Networking, Offering Targeted Education and Showcasing Leadership.

By focusing on these areas, the conference plays a crucial role in strengthening community football, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring the sport's sustainable growth.

To gain further details and access Club resources, click here.

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South Melbourne FC and Sydney Olympic FC hosted the highly successful second edition of the Greek Herald Cup at Lakeside Stadium.

Thousands of fans poured through the gates to enjoy a vibrant celebration of heritage, culture, and football. With Greek music and food creating a festive atmosphere, the event showcased the rich traditions of both clubs.

The match itself didn’t disappoint, delivering an entertaining 2-1 victory for South Melbourne, highlighted by memorable goals and moments that capped off a fantastic day.

In this exclusive interview with Soccerscene, South Melbourne President Nick Maikousis shares his thoughts on the Greek Herald Cup, the revival of ethnic clubs in Australian football, and the immense potential of the upcoming National Second Tier (NST).

Maikousis reflects on the club’s heritage, the significance of iconic rivalries, and how South Melbourne is poised to thrive in this new era for Australian football.

Theo Athans

What is the origin of the Greek Herald Cup?

Nick Maikousis

It started last year and that was the first time the competition took place. We flew to Sydney for that game. It's based on the fact that we started to develop a relationship with Sydney Olympic and in particular their President (Damon Hamlin) and CEO (Lawrie McKinna) over the discussions about the National Second Division.

The second division was announced as a standalone competition and we thought let’s get ahead of the game and lets show what two big clubs from Melbourne and Sydney can do and that’s basically how it all came about.

We spent so much time with Olympic and the other National Second Division clubs so we thought let’s get on the forefront of this and start the competition.

T.A.

In your eyes, how successful was the second edition of the Greek Herald Cup especially for the Melbourne Greek community?

N.M.

Yeah, it was certainly a success and given it's really just a friendly so we can build it up as much as we like but we're pretty delighted with the attendance.

It's a difficult time, it's a couple of weeks out from the season so whilst we really want to give it a good shot, we also don’t want to incur any injuries and as it turned out we had a couple of minor injuries which might affect us in the short term.

It allows us to go back to our roots, played a lot of Greek music on the day and doing things that we have not really done for decades now in terms of acknowledging our heritage.

Given that Football Australia and the various federations have relaxed their stance on ethnic names, it allows us to reach out to our past again. Both South and Olympic represent the same thing, we have different supporters, but we represent the same community so it's a great opportunity to showcase our heritage.

T.A.

Thinking back to the NSL days, can the NST and NPL ever get back to the passion we saw back then? 

N.M.

I think there’s a couple of stages to the commencement of the competition. Do I think it can get to the heights of the NSL? Look South Melbourne was a powerhouse back then and after the Cup game we had a look at some old footage with the 1984 NSL championship legends as a reunion dinner.

We had a couple of past legends there, including Alan Davidson, who wouldn't stop talking about the old supporter base, how big and passionate they were and how it lifted them during that time.

So I think during certain fixtures, for example South Melbourne/Preston, will fill Lakeside stadium.

Some of the other games between the Sydney clubs perhaps it won't be quite as full but I still believe we forecasted around 3,000-4,000 people per game so if we can get to that sort of number I'll be delighted in the early parts.

It's a competition that we need to build and we don't know what it's going to look like in five years or ten years’ time with the inter relationship between the NST and the A-League. I don't think anyone quite understands what it is going to look like yet but we all have our own idea on that.

Will it be as big as the old NSL? I doubt it. But certainly there will be some fixtures that will be significant and that's one of the reasons why I wanted Melbourne Knights to come into the NST. Their history and the original derby in this town would have made it even better.

T.A.

Do you think the South Melbourne and Preston game last year was a showcase into what we could expect out of the NST and its atmosphere?

N.M.

The atmosphere was incredible but not only that, it was a cold Tuesday night out at Reservoir. If you put that fixture on a Friday or Saturday night at Lakeside Stadium, you'd be filling both grandstands easily and you could get up to 10,000 people there so there's huge potential.

T.A.

Now with the NST, ethnic clubs are back in the mainstream, how important is that for Australian football considering its historical roots?

N.M.

I think what they had done to ban ethnic flags and names was going too far but now that they have relaxed their position in regards to that, it's a very positive thing.

It allows us to do what we did in the Greek Herald Cup and that is to celebrate our culture proudly from time to time.

Certainly, South Melbourne has evolved over the years as well so let’s not kid ourselves. In my case there's been four generations following South and two of those generations were born in Australia and we're all South tragics. So whilst we acknowledge our heritage, we have also moved on past that.

Whilst we have a very big Greek community, its reducing a little bit to how it was and the fact that South is in the NPL, soon the NST, we've also got a lot of other clubs have suburban level who are sort of competing with us.

Back when South Melbourne was a powerhouse, you'd find that everyone still had their suburban clubs but I'd say 75% of the Greek suburban clubs also followed South Melbourne.

Unfortunately when South Melbourne dropped divisions outside of the NSL, all of a sudden, we became competitors and that's never what we wanted. So the NST will help us significantly because people will follow their local clubs and now South Melbourne which is a great opportunity for the community and the club.

If you look at our juniors, the cultural diversity as well is extraordinary, so whilst we respect our heritage, it suggests we have moved on.

T.A.

The NST will bring something fresh because apart from the finals, there isn't much to play for in NPL so how will that benefit the club?

N.M.

Look the positive thing about this year is that there will be plenty of healthy games like Heidelberg, Oakleigh, Melbourne Victory got promoted and of course Preston is in there as well.

They have replaced teams which didn't have massive followings so I'm looking forward to quite a few games with great attendances. It'll be a great season.

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In the debut episode of Off the Pitch, Soccerscene’s new podcast, David Cvetkovski joins the show to discuss the success of Preston Lions FC’s Preston in Business initiative.

Over the years, the club has built a powerhouse corporate portfolio, fostering strong relationships with sponsors through exclusive events and perks that keep them engaged and invested.

Cvetkovski breaks down the impressive figures behind Preston’s thriving business community and how its financial stability has played a crucial role in the club’s resurgence toward Victoria’s top flight.

"For us, I dare say our Preston in Business community at the moment is probably doing in excess of $12-15m of business with each other," Cvetkovski said on the podcast.

"Us connecting with our sponsors through this community whether it be the concreters to the builders to the developers to the painters to pest control and now adding the corporates in the mix."

Preston Lions have recently expanded their corporate network by securing partnerships with major household brands, including McDonald's, Harvey Norman, Chemist Warehouse, and Coles.

These deals reflect strong local franchise support, helping to elevate PLFC’s presence while uniting the community and strengthening the club’s connection with its supporters.

Cvetkovski spoke on how the club have managed to capitalise on this opportunity that other clubs haven't mastered yet.

"The biggest shift we've made is the corporate relationships we've started to create, with major household brands, and I think we've got 10 or 11 this year," he said.

"These are brands that everyone knows, and we've created long term relationships with them. It's not always about the money, it could be product or service, that can be monetised."

The club boast the largest sponsorship portfolio in the NPL and Cvetkovski made sure to mention the importance of maintaining these relationships to ensure loyalty and trust amongst all parties.

"It's all about treating these sponsors really well to maintain the relationship. Ultimately, they all want to have a good night and so we gave them their own car park which is great," he said on the podcast.

"They're always networking and doing business with each other and they do it at the game on matchday which is a massive winner for the club.

"All our sponsors this year get a merchandise voucher and feature on the polo which is Formula 1-esque. Everyone in the club has to wear it proudly because this is what you're representing, and we don't exist without our sponsors."

The success of Preston in Business is the result of years of dedication, strategic growth, and long-term partnerships.

The club has worked tirelessly to build a strong foundation, ensuring stability and sustainable growth both on and off the pitch.

"As I said to the model, we don't have a big backer, whale or individual that just throws money into Preston, we're relying on a considerable mass of great people to chip in 1% and it makes it 140% because we have 140+ sponsors," Cvetkovski said.

Preston Lions FC has set the benchmark for club-driven business initiatives, proving that a strong corporate network can be just as vital as on-field success.

Through strategic partnerships, long-term sponsor relationships, and a thriving business community, the club has built a model of sustainability that many others aspire to replicate.

Now the club are set to kick off their important NPL season, starting this Friday 7th of February at B.T Connor Reserve vs Hume City at 8:30pm KO.

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Football NSW has unveiled its latest cohort of First Nations scholarship recipients, marking a significant step forward in its commitment to increasing Indigenous participation across all levels of the sport.

The comprehensive scholarship program, which includes both metropolitan and regional recipients, demonstrates the organisation's ongoing efforts to boost Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation throughout the football community.

Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group Co-Chair Bianca Dufty highlighted the program's significance.

"The Football NSW scholarships are an important part of the work Football NSW is undertaking to elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in football," she said via press release.

"It's exciting to see so many talented Aboriginal footballers and coaches take the next steps in their footballing journey, and it's great that we are able to support the successful scholarship recipients and be part of that journey.

"I can't wait to see the next Aboriginal footballer, referee, and coach inspiring our next generation to play, referee and coach, and fall in love with the world game."

The selection process, conducted in partnership with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, maintained strict anonymity during assessment to ensure fair consideration of all candidates.

The program has awarded scholarships across playing and coaching categories, with referee scholarships set to be confirmed.

The initiative specifically targets the reduction of barriers for Indigenous participants in elite pathways whilst expanding development opportunities.

It places particular emphasis on identifying emerging talent beyond traditional channels, especially focusing on individuals who may not have previously had access to elite-level opportunities.

The 2025 playing scholarships have been awarded to five metropolitan recipients: Jarrah Longbottom, Zachary John Healey, Coen Hardy, Hollie Willats, and Summer Smith.

The regional recipients are Maddison Houghton, Khloe Houghton, Alexis Woolsey, Carter Lane, and Jaxxon Woolsey. Joshua Jamieson and Jessica Garrett have been named as the recipients of the coaching scholarships for 2025.

This scholarship is a great initiative for the inclusivity of the game and a perfect way to find emerging players and inspiring coaches from the NSW Indigenous Community.

Hopefully this scholarship program and its new cohort can help promote the important place football has in supporting and enriching the NSW community.

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The United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer) has announced a significant long-term partnership with Bank of America, marking the financial institution as the first official banking partner of all 27 US national teams.

This includes the senior men’s and women’s teams, as well as the federation’s youth and extended squads.

In August, Bank of America partnered with FIFA to become a global sponsor of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.  In December, it expanded its collaboration with FIFA by sponsoring the revamped Club World Cup.

While no financial figures have been made public, the deal is reportedly worth AU$161 million.

The agreement also sees Bank of America join as a founding-level partner of US Soccer’s National Training Centre, which is set to open in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2026.

The founding level represents the top tier of partnerships for the facility, and Bank of America is only the second company to achieve this status.

With this deal, Bank of America becomes US Soccer’s 16th strategic partner and its ninth new sponsor since the organisation assumed control of its commercial rights at the start of 2023.

In recent months, US Soccer has secured other high-profile sponsorships, including agreements with global health company Haleon and chemical firm Henkel.

The federation’s sponsorship roster already features notable brands such as Volkswagen (presenting partner), Nike (kit supplier), Allstate, AT&T, Marriott Bonvoy, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Visa, and Ticketmaster.

Domestically, Bank of America is already well known for its prominent sports sponsorships, including its naming rights partnership for the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As part of its agreement with US Soccer, Bank of America will also work on community and fan engagement initiatives, further embedding itself in the sport's grassroots and supporter culture.

David Wright, US Soccer chief commercial officer spoke with enthusiasm about the big move.

“This landmark partnership marks one of the largest long-term investments in US Soccer history, and Bank of America’s global leadership will help catapult our sport," Wright said in a press release.

“Bank of America shares our commitment to growing the game, investing in female leaders, and significantly bolstering our efforts in service to soccer on all fronts.”

David Tyrie, Bank of America’s chief digital officer and chief marketing officer shared the importance of their connection to football with this deal.

“Our investments in the US Soccer Federation and in soccer overall provide unique and ongoing opportunities to build client relationships, engage our teammates, and drive positive economic impact, locally and globally, as the most popular sport in the world takes centre stage over the next two years and beyond.” he said in a press release.

This partnership could prove transformative for the United States as a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, offering a significant opportunity to elevate the sport's domestic profile.

Under the guidance of legendary coach Mauricio Pochettino, the national team is focused on rebuilding after disappointing performances, including a group stage exit in 2022 and failing to qualify for the tournament in 2018.

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Brisbane Roar has announced a significant partnership with Hellyer Metals, a prominent mining company, as the club’s new Major Sponsor. The two-year agreement commences in the 2024/25 season.

As part of the sponsorship, the company has secured naming rights to the game day technical area signage for both the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s and Ninja A-League Women’s matches.

Hellyer Metals, recognised for its commitment to responsible growth and operational excellence in the global mining industry, is also dedicated to fostering the development of women’s football.

Hellyer Metals is a base metals mining operation based on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia who are committed to playing a leading role in the global mining industry.

Their tailings reprocessing process produces high-quality lead and zinc concentrates, along with valuable gold and silver credits, powered by renewable hydro power.

Both parties are dedicated to success through innovative practices and responsible business strategies with the goal to become and remain industry leaders for years to come.

Hellyer Metals are entering the football market a year after first entering the Australian sports market with their Hawthorn Hawks partnership in 2023.

Brisbane Roar CEO & Chairman, Kaz Patafta spoke about his excitement for the future of this partnership.

“We’re pleased to have Hellyer Metals on board for this 2024/25 season, supporting our club as a Major Sponsor and getting behind the growth of women’s football. We’re looking forward to seeing this partnership grow over the coming seasons,” Patafta said in a press release.

Hellyer Metals CEO, Graham Cox echoed the same sentiment.

“The Hellyer Metals team are delighted to have partnered with Brisbane Roar for two seasons. We are passionate about seeing women’s football continue to develop and look forward to being a long-running partner of the club,” Cox said in a press release.

This partnership marks a strong collaboration between Hellyer Metals and Brisbane Roar, aligning the company’s commitment to excellence and community support with the club’s passion for football development.

The sponsorship not only enhances the club’s resources but also provides Hellyer Metals with a platform to amplify their brand while supporting the growth of women’s football—a win-win for both parties.

Brisbane Roar under CEO & Chairman Kaz Patafta continue to be one of the busiest A-League's clubs in the business side of operations, growing their already large corporate portfolio to ensure a sustainable financial future for Queensland's only professional football club.

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Manchester United's season goes from bad to outright embarrassing as each week passes, and a new report suggests that their massive apparel deal with Adidas is under threat due to their on-field failures.

According to The Telegraph, Adidas holds the right to terminate the deal with a one-year notice period should the Red Devils face relegation to the Championship.

United’s Form Sparks Concerns Over Lucrative Partnership

Manchester United’s long-standing relationship with German sportswear giant Adidas is under serious threat as their poor form continues to raise relegation fears.

Adidas first supplied Manchester United's apparel in 1980 to 1992 before reuniting with the clu in 2015 following a 23-year gap.

The two parties recently inked a lucrative 10-year extension in June 2023, worth $1.8 billion AUD (£900 million). However, United's current Premier League struggles could jeopardise this deal.

Premier League Woes Could Prove Costly

Sitting in 13th place, Manchester United are only seven points above the relegation zone, with Ipswich Town breathing down their neck.

It comes after the club had the least amount of points after the halfway mark to a Premier League season in the club's history (22 pts), a record they seemingly find themselves breaking every year.

In the unlikely event that relegation does happen, the financial blows would be critical for the club.

Adidas’ Relegation Clause Explained

Adidas reportedly has a clause in the contract that allows them to reduce payments by 50% if Manchester United are not in the Premier League. Moreover, the club stands to lose an additional $20 million AUD (£10 million) annually if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

If United were relegated, their payout could shrink to a mere $70 million (£35 million)  next season—a massive drop from the initial agreement.

Relegation Battle Heats Up

United manager Ruben Amorim has acknowledged the reality of the relegation battle his side faces.

Even if the concept of a Red Devils relegation seems impossible, the mere discussion of it is an indictment on the club.

Conclusion

If Manchester United’s downward spiral continues, the club not only risks relegation but could face severe financial consequences.

Their lack of Champions League football and a potential season without European football as a whole would mark a historic low point for the club and bring significant commercial repercussions.

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Auckland FC has embraced New Zealand based wealth management firm Alvarium as a premium partner to the club.

As a part of the collaboration, Alvarium logos and advertisement material will be featured on Auckland FC's game day shirt sleeve.

This provides Alvarium with exclusive and highly prized visible branding, enabling the club to be seen more easily by a wealth of A-League fans.

Chief Executive Officer of Alvarium, Malcolm McKinnon, outlined his organisation's enthusiasm for the partnership.

“Our team is always looking for opportunities to support commendable partners who combine high performance with great community engagement. We believe we have found that in abundance with Auckland FC,” McKinnon said in a press release.

Chief Executive Officer of Auckland FC, Nick Becker highlighted the shared aims of both organisations.

“Like Alvarium, we at Auckland FC are focused on bringing together the right mix of ideas and opportunities to achieve the best possible outcomes,” he said via press release.

Auckland FC expresses the deal with Alvarium is reflective of the club's commitment to "With Everyone, For Everyone", as the firm has a history of supporting the community. The organisation was a founding advocate of The King's Trust, which helps enable young people for the future ahead of them.

Additionally, the firm is a key partner of SailGP, a team that seeks to protect ocean welfare and advance environmental concerns across New Zealand and on the global stage.

Furthermore, Alvarium is also a team supporter of the New Zealand Paralympics team, demonstrating the company's commitment to social change in sport to help positively boost community awareness of diversity and disability.

As a company, Alvarium is excited to join forces with Auckland FC to bolster the firm's brand to a local audience across New Zealand through a new and lively club with a passionate fanbase, whilst expanding the company's advertising to an Australian market.

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From the passionate days of the NSL to shaping the next generation of Australian footballers, Brian Macnicol has seen it all.

A former player during the golden era of the National Soccer League (NSL) and now a youth development coach, Macnicol brings decades of experience and insight into football.

Macnicol is mentoring young talent in today’s professional environment and working with academies to help nurture the current young group into becoming top level footballers.

In a wide-ranging chat with Soccerscene, Macnicol reflects on the raw passion of the NSL, compares past and present youth systems, and weighs in on the potential for a new golden generation in Australian football.

Theo Athans

You played early in your career in the peak of the NSL days. Can you describe the passion of the NSL compared to how it is now?

Brian Macnicol

You couldn't compare with the local derbies especially South Melbourne vs Heidelberg, which was the pinnacle, and its similar to a Victory vs City game these days.

But the supporters were incredibly passionate for every game and especially for their ethnic backgrounds so it meant something to them. Even as players like myself who weren't Greek born or a particular ethnic background of a club, we still understood what it meant for them.

Melbourne Croatia and Preston Makedonia were crazy. I remember the day we got police escorted out of Preston early in the 90's so it was crazy back then.

It's changed for the better now because young kids are involved but yeah, the NSL was extremely passionate. They were great days.

T.A.

How professional was the NSL back then? In terms of quality on the pitch and the facilities.

B.M.

I have had this discussion before with people about then vs now and you can't really compare. It's sort of like comparing house prices today to back in those days where it's changed completely.

Like I said, it’s for the better, these guys in the A-league today have incredible facilities. I worked for George Kotses at Southern Motors cleaning cars who were the major sponsor of the club and you'd be in the sun working hard all day then drive straight to training where these days they don't have that.

In terms of quality on the pitch, we had the Viduka's, the Mehmet Durakovic's, the Stevie Blair's you know there’s a list of players who were quality.

Stan Lazaridis had a great career, I played with Doug Hodgson and Sean Murphy who both played in England, and Kevin Muscat who was a great player and has a great coaching career.

Compared to these days, technically the players are superior to us but that’s maybe because they're training day in and day out, so everything improves. Instead of only having two hour training sessions, three nights a week, these guys are training everyday with programs from Strength and Conditioning coaches, physios, analysis, recovery and dieticians.

At the latter end of my career with Jeff Hopkins as coach he tried to bring in a bit more professionalism but it was hard because the money wasn't the same as it is these days.

My nephew Quinn, who is at Brisbane Roar, he's only 16 but I think he's earning more money than I earnt in a whole year at u16's.

There were quality players back then and everyone would have been better with the programs they have these days. It's a shame, it's just the times I suppose.

They're so lucky, and I don't mean that in an envious way, but I try to teach the kids I coach that they are lucky.

[caption id="attachment_27867" align="aligncenter" width="933"] Image credit: Brian Macnicol[/caption]

T.A.

You coached at the u20's and u21's NPL level early in your coaching career. How did that help you develop into the coach you are today, especially with youth development?

B.M.

I had an association with Chris Taylor, I started with him probably 10 or 12 years ago and he was at Dandy Thunder doing the first team and brought me on as his assistant. We crossed paths at Southern Blue Tongues which was a representative summer program and we got to know each other from there so he took me to Dandy Thunder NPL Seniors.

Then he more or less took me where he went and I followed him because there was a bit of respect there. He took me to South Melbourne and from there we went to Oakleigh so I've learnt a lot of my coaching methods and strategies under Chris Taylor so I owe a big thanks to him for giving me these opportunities and set me up in my coaching career.

T.A.

What motivated you to get into coaching after your playing career?

B.M.

The one person that motivated me was probably my dad. He has been coaching all his life and had an association with Craig Moore. At a young age he was coaching the state teams and he coached me, same with my brother who is the technical director for Rochedale in the NPL up in Brisbane.

It's sort of in the family, it's something I enjoy doing and now I've dropped down from doing the u23's to the younger age group which I enjoy because you're developing them into top players. I have already seen some good players go on and have a great career like Matt Millar and Jacynta Galabadaarachchi who is playing up in Portugal.

It's really nice to see that you invest something into these guys and they go on to live their dream as professional footballers.

T.A.

Speaking on youth player development, how do you compare the youth environment now to back in your day when you first started playing?

B.M.

I'm actually working with Jai Ingham in his academy, and he has a successful academy under Malvern so I've been with Jai for a year and a half now and it's very professionally run. Great coaches have been involved like Joe Guest, myself, big Harry Sawyer so these sorts of players are coaching.

Going back to my days and comparing it to now, they just have way more information these days. No disrespect to the coaches back then but they didn't have to do coaching badges like every coach now so back then I never did any strength and conditioning work, video analysing or had any dietitians to help me out.

With Jai's academy, everything is very structured, all sessions are well planned and it's high intensity so everything is very professional in that sense.

Like I said earlier on about the NSL days, we were working full time and then having to go play football after compared to these days having a full time role.

[caption id="attachment_27868" align="aligncenter" width="770"] Image credit: Brian Macnicol[/caption]

T.A.

And do you believe the youth system is good enough in Australia at the moment?

B.M.

I went overseas last year and took a young academy to the UK with Mitch Nichols and we did tours of Cardiff, Southampton, QPR and finished off at Tottenham with Ange.

We got to play tier one academies with our group of young boys and we competed really well. We gave every academy we played a decent game, the only team that gave us a bit of a footballing lesson was Tottenham who beat us 5-2.

They were superior to the others but our boys did really well so we asked the question 'what do you think is special about these academies?' and they were saying around the age of 15 and 16 they start to get kids from all different parts of Europe and that’s where it starts to pick up in quality.

Obviously, the facilities they have are on another level and even the coaches they had, I think the u16 coach they had used to coach at the Premier League level. But it was a fantastic experience to play these teams in their training facilities in a new environment.

I guess the point is we weren't far away from these clubs but as they start to get older and recruit from Europe, so that widens the gap.

No youngsters from Europe are going to come to Australia, are they? They'll go to countries where football is their number one sport.

T.A.

The Socceroos golden generation has come and gone but do you think the current NPL and A-League development system can produce world class players again?

B.M.

You'd hope so. I was reading about Tom Waddingham from Brisbane Roar and they were liking him to Viduka which is an unbelievable statement this early in his career. Viduka was top scorer in the NSL at 18 so he was on another level.

I'm not exactly sure why we haven't replaced that golden generation because we have better facilities, coaches and programs in the current day compared to back then but I just don't think the mentality of players these days is the same.

I played with a few players who were physically and mentally strong whereas these days the anger has been taken out of the game a little bit.

I'm sure it’s a question that a lot of people want to answer but even a name comes to mind, Jo Biskic, who I had a bit of experience playing with at Heidelberg United and he was a terrific player technically. Even the Melbourne Croatia boys were all fantastic in their own right, it was an incredible team.

All we can do is keep working hard, give the youngsters all the information, facilities and coaching we can and hopefully we do produce these players again.

As a country we seem to lack a proper number nine. Defensively I think we're really good, you've got the two centre backs in Harry Souttar and Cameron Burgess then you've got Bos and Geria as full backs. But it's lacking those attacking players and especially that number nine.

You'd want to beat Bahrain and these other countries but in saying that every country is improving at the same time so we have to keep up.

The post From NSL Passion to Future Stars: Brian Macnicol on Football’s Past, Present, and Future appeared first on Soccerscene.

Despite its slow start to the season, many pundits believe this season’s Sydney F.C. squad is one of the strongest for many years.

Consequently, it has been difficult for striker Jaiden Kucharski to be selected on a regular basis. However, Jaiden Kucharski’s journey is one marked by moments of brilliance and potential.

For those who observed the power-laden goal he scored against Brisbane Roar in Round 3 and the disallowed volley he despatched against Wanderers two weeks ago, there is no doubt he has all the attributes of a goal-scoring maestro.

Additionally, his powerful right-footed drive from outside the penalty area last Sunday nearly found its mark for a ten-man Sydney F.C. to achieve a 2-2 draw, only to be denied by the agility of Central Coast Mariners custodian Dylan Peraic-Cullen.

[caption id="attachment_27806" align="alignright" width="400"] Photo credit: Jaime Castaneda / Sydney FC[/caption]

None of this comes as a surprise, as Jaiden Kucharski’s Sydney F.C. record includes twenty-nine goals in three seasons in the NPL Men’s competition.

So, what does the future hold for this talented twenty-two-year-old?

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, Jaiden Kucharski talks about his early exposure to football, his progression through the Sydney FC Academy to the senior squad, and his ambitions in the senior game.

ROGER SLEEMAN

Can you outline your early introduction to the game?

JAIDEN KUCHARSKI

After starting at Glenwood Redbacks as a five year old, I moved to the Football Development Academy and eventually progressed to the Sydney FC Academy at the age of fourteen via the NSW Institute.

R.S.

Who were the early influences in your career?

J.K.

I followed Messi and Ronaldo and also worshipped Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell.

Also, due to my Polish background, I admired Robert Lewandowski as a goalscorer.

R.S.

You are equally accomplished on both feet  with ferocity on both sides.

When there are so many one sided players in the A-League, how have you managed to achieve this milestone?

J.K.

There was a coach called Cormack at the FDA who worked with me to improve my weaker left side when we went for periods without using the right foot in training.

At the weekends when I was eight or nine, I would train with the ten to fourteen year olds which also harnessed my two sided skills.

At the Sydney FC Academy, Kelly Cross has also nurtured my left side further and now I believe my shooting is better with my left side.

R.S.

You’ve been scoring goals for fun in NPL competition so what role do you see yourself playing?

J.K.

I’ve grown up playing as many positions as possible

However, I want to play up front as one of the two nines and being a target man to either drop to receive the ball and also playing in between and along the last line of defence.

I also want to be able to take the ball myself and score goals by taking opponents on.

[caption id="attachment_27810" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Photo credit: Jaime Castaneda / Sydney FC[/caption]

R.S.

The goal you scored against Brisbane Roar in Round 2 was one of the hardest shots ever seen in the A-League.

Could you explain how you did it?

J.K.

My best attribute is my striking contact with the ball, assisted by strong groins and when the cutback came I hit through the ball as hard as I could.

R.S.

Are you prepared to wait for that break to get more game time?

J.K.

I’m contracted with Sydney FC until June next year and I’ve made the most of my playing time so far, but in the end selection is up to the coach.

I could also leave during the transfer window in January if the club allowed me.

[caption id="attachment_27808" align="alignright" width="400"] Photo credit: Jaime Castaneda / Sydney FC[/caption]

R.S.

Have you had recent discussions with the coaching staff regarding your role in the squad?

J.K.

Not really as I just do everything in training to impress.

However, it was heartening to get a full game against F.C. Kaya and the goal I scored just inside the box to make a 3-0 scoreline, reinforced what I can do when I get space in front of goal.

R.S.

Would you leave Sydney F.C. when your contract expires, and if so where would you go to?

J.K.

I could go to Poland where I have citizenship but I also believe Germany would suit my style of football as an attacking player.

R.S.

It is a star studded squad at Sydney FC but you would be a certain starter at most other A-League clubs.

If the right offer came, would you move to another A-League club?

J.K.

Anything is possible, providing I’m getting game time and further developing as a footballer.

R.S.

Which of your team-mates do you really relate to?

J.K.

Adrian Segecic is an old team-mate who laid the ball off to me for the Brisbane Roar goal and three years ago I provided the pass which allowed him to score his first A- League goal against Macarthur Bulls.

Also, Anthony Caceres is a great foil and I’ve learned a lot from Joe Lolley and more recently Douglas Costa who is impeccable in his movement.

The new striker, Patryck Klimala, is a clinical striker and Leo Sena has that touch of genius which any young player can learn from.

[caption id="attachment_27809" align="aligncenter" width="571"] Photo credit: Jaime Castaneda / Sydney FC[/caption]

R.S.

What is your opinion of the A-League?

J.K.

Foreigners I’ve met say they didn’t expect the A-League to be so strong.

It’s a great step up from NPL to APL as the pace and pressure is so much more demanding.

R.S.

Where do see yourself in three years time?

J.K.

Playing overseas as a regular starter, ideally in a First Division setup.

The post For Jaiden Kucharski, The Sky is the Limit. appeared first on Soccerscene.

British sports streaming mega platform, DAZN, has gained a free-to-view exclusivity deal with FIFA for the Club World Cup 2025.

The partnership will mean all 63 Club World Cup matches, featuring 32 of the world's best clubs, will be livestreamed free-to-view on DAZN's network. The deal also includes the option to sublicense to local free-to-air broadcasts.

The collaboration between FIFA and DAZN aims to make the game easily accessible to fans across the world, providing a significant boost to the launch of the new competition.

It is also a large next step for the burgeoning partnership of FIFA and DAZN. The two organisations have continued to grow more intertwined, with FIFA aiming to incorporate FIFA+ into the DAZN network.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino exclaimed his joy for the deal.

"I am delighted to announce that FIFA, in partnership with DAZN and FIFA+, will bring the best of club football for free to everywhere in the world, meaning that every single football fan across the globe can watch the best players from the 32 best clubs compete in the new FIFA Club World Cup to be the first official ‘FIFA Club World Champions'," he said in a press release.

DAZN Chief Executive Officer Shay Segev outlined the importance of the deal for DAZN.

“This groundbreaking deal with FIFA is a major milestone in DAZN’s journey to be the ultimate entertainment platform of choice for sports fans everywhere," he said via press release.

"We’re delighted to have the exclusive rights to this new chapter in global club football, marking the start of our long-term relationship with FIFA and cementing our status as the home of football.

"We’re committed to ensuring that every fan can watch every moment of the thrilling action from this new prime club tournament.”

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off June 14, 2025, in Miami and finish July 13, in New York New Jersey.

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The German Football League (DFL) has secured new domestic broadcast contracts for the Bundesliga worth $7.39 billion over four seasons.

The deal, which will run from the 2025/26 to 2028/29 campaigns, represents a modest 2% increase from the current rights package valued at $1.82 billion per season.

This development positions the Bundesliga as the second-highest earner in domestic media rights among football leagues, trailing only the Premier League.

Key Broadcasters and Packages

The DFL confirmed that pay-TV network Sky and streaming platform DAZN will remain the league’s primary broadcast partners:

• Sky will air the majority of live matches, including Friday evening, Saturday fixtures, and relegation play-offs. It will also maintain exclusive coverage of 2. Bundesliga matches.
• DAZN secured rights to the fan-favourite ‘Konferenz’ whip-around show and will broadcast Sunday matches. The deal also extends to the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

Free-to-air access is bolstered by:

• Sat.1, which will broadcast key games such as season openers, relegation play-offs, and the German Super Cup.
• ARD, ZDF, and Sport1, offering highlight rights.
• RTL, airing Saturday evening 2. Bundesliga matches and highlight packages.
• Axel Springer, managing short highlight clips for digital platforms.

DFL’s statement

DFL co-chief executive Steffen Merkel spoke on the incredible record-breaking TV deal that will advance German football.

“The result of the tender underlines the unbroken popularity of German professional football, despite economically challenging times,” Merkel said in a statement.

“Trust and unity within the league association have paid off. At the end of an intensive process, a very good and comprehensively secured financial result has now been achieved.

“The clubs now have planning security at a high financial level for another four years. For the fans, our future partners in both the pay and free-to-air markets will provide a high degree of consistency.”

DFL co-chief executive Marc Lenz shared the same positive sentiment about the new deal.

“The financial security achieved with this result is a key foundation for the positive development of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. From this position of strength, we must tackle the economic, sporting and political challenges – and continue to develop our leagues together with the 36 clubs and make them fit for the future,” he said in a statement.

Market Context and Challenges

The increase in Bundesliga's media rights revenue contrasts with declines experienced by other major European leagues like Serie A and Ligue 1.

The DFL’s ability to keep Sky and DAZN involved despite legal challenges reflects the league’s strong negotiation position. While DAZN received fewer live matches, its acquisition of the ‘Konferenz’ show could drive subscriber growth.

Future Outlook

The deal provides financial stability for Bundesliga clubs, giving them an advantage over many European rivals. Moving forward, the DFL will focus on expanding its international rights income, with the U.S. deal set to expire in 2026.

The Bundesliga’s mix of traditional TV, streaming, and free-to-air options ensures fans remain well-served, setting the stage for sustainable growth and global outreach.

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FIFA has confirmed Bank of America as the newest Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The agreement builds off of a deal from earlier this year, when Bank of America was confirmed as the Official Bank Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The declaration of partnership was made ahead of the official draw for the Club World Cup in Miami later this week.

The Club World Cup will welcome 32 of the best clubs from every confederation to the United States for the most expansive club tournament in history.

Club World Cup matches will be hosted across 11 American stadiums, allowing for Bank of America and FIFA to create positive influential economic and social impact to local communities.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino professed excitement for the upcoming collaboration.

"We are thrilled to have Bank of America on board for the inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup," he said via press release.

"In recent months we’ve enjoyed detailed discussions with Bank of America’s leadership about FIFA’s mission both on and off the pitch, so we’re delighted that they’ve joined us on our journey to redefine global club football in addition to working side-by-side with us for FIFA World Cup 2026.

"As a global organisation with operations around the world and in every tournament host city, Bank of America is a perfect partner for this ground-breaking tournament.”

Bank of America’s Chair and CEO, Brian Moynihan, detailed the successful outcomes of the partnership. 

“This partnership with FIFA, for both World Cup 2026 and now Club World Cup 2025, sharpens our focus on deepening client relationships through the most iconic sporting events in the world, and generating lasting economic impact, globally and locally," he said in a press release.

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off on in Miami June 15, and run until July 13, 2025, in New York New Jersey.

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The long-standing 3pm broadcasting blackout for Premier League and EFL matches may soon be a thing of the past.

According to The Sun, the restriction could be lifted within the next five years, potentially reshaping the football viewing landscape in the UK.

The Current Situation

The blackout, which has been in place for six decades, prevents live broadcasting of games played at 3pm on Saturdays.

This rule aims to safeguard attendance at lower-league matches by encouraging fans to watch games in person rather than on television.

The Premier League's new four-year broadcasting deal, set to begin next season, will maintain the blackout. However, both the Premier League and EFL agreements are scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the 2028-29 season, opening the door for significant changes.

Changing Perspectives

Traditionally seen as essential to protect matchday attendance, the blackout's relevance is being questioned.

EFL studies suggest that televising matches has minimal impact on crowd numbers, challenging the necessity of the rule.

With a surge in live games on TV and digital platforms, the football community is increasingly debating whether the blackout is outdated.

Currently, the Premier League broadcasts 270 matches per season, leaving 110 games locked behind the blackout, and this has become increasingly controversial with local fans left frustrated at the fact they can't watch all of their teams games.

Piracy Concerns

The blackout has inadvertently contributed to the rise in illegal streaming. Fans often resort to using devices like "cracked Fire Sticks" to watch Saturday 3pm matches, undermining the very attendance-focused intent of the restriction.

Recently, the Premier League have cracked down on piracy, threatening jail time and/or a large fine for anyone who illegally streams games that are affected by the blackout.

What’s Next?

Although the blackout remains in place for now, its future is under scrutiny. As midweek fixtures are exempt from the rule, every Premier League game this week is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

The decision to lift the blackout will likely come as part of broader broadcasting negotiations, potentially marking the end of a long-standing tradition and redefining how fans experience English football.

With the rule being considered 'outdated' by many, the 2028-29 proposed change comes at the right time. Both the Premier League and the EFL can capitalise on an even bigger national TV rights deal, strengthening both leagues' finances.

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Football Australia applauds the ASC's historic $385 million investment to boost high-performance and participation through the "Win Well" and "Play Well" programs.

This funding underscores the vital impact of sport in Australian communities and enhances pathways from grassroots to elite levels.

Football Australia is delighted to receive $6,319,500 in funding for the period from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

• Win Well funding: $5,379,000
• Play Well funding: $940,500

This marks a 25% boost in high-performance funding from the previous cycle, reinforcing football's status as Australia's favourite team sport and its expanding impact both on and off the field.

This investment will enhance Football Australia’s efforts to develop the game across all levels. The Win Well funding will back high-performance programs, equipping the Subway Socceroos, CommBank Matildas, CommBank ParaMatildas, CommBank Pararoos, and Youth National Teams for global success.

It also fortifies talent pathways, coaching, and advancements in sports science and medicine.

The Play Well funding emphasises grassroots development, fostering inclusive participation, and ensuring safe, welcoming spaces for players, coaches, and volunteers nationwide. As Australia’s largest participation sport, football has seen remarkable growth in women’s and girls’ involvement, driven by the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™.

Football Australia CEO, James Johnson commended the Australian Government's dedication to sport and emphasised its positive impact on football.

"This record investment from the Australian Government is a testament to the power of sport to inspire and connect our communities," he said via press release.

“The increased funding through the Win Well program will enhance our ability to compete on the global stage, while the Play Well program enables us to bring the joy of football to more Australians, ensuring inclusive, safe, and welcoming environments for all.

"I would like to sincerely thank the Federal Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells, and the Australian Government for their unwavering support and belief in the future of Australian football. This funding will empower us to build on the incredible momentum of our game, uniting Australians through football and preparing our athletes for success on the road to Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032."

Football Australia is dedicated to achieving excellence in sport and increasing opportunities for all Australians to participate in the world’s most popular game.

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Football Victoria (FV) has confirmed a partnership with Sports Aid, which has been named the Official Medical Partner for all FV events.

The collaboration will ensure that participants in these prominent tournaments benefit from top-tier medical support and first aid services.

Established in 2023, Sports Aid has rapidly positioned itself as a leading provider of medical and safety expertise in Australian sport. Based in Melbourne, the organisation has expanded nationwide, offering its services at a variety of events, from grassroots sports to corporate tournaments.

With over 70 partnerships across the country, Sports Aid’s team of accredited professionals—including first aid responders, sports trainers, and event safety specialists—plays a pivotal role in promoting athlete welfare and event safety.

Under the alliance, Sports Aid will deliver medical personnel, including first aid responders and sports trainers, at FV’s major competitions and events throughout Victoria.

Their on-site presence will provide immediate medical assistance for injuries or health concerns, mitigate risks associated with physical activity, and enhance overall safety for players and spectators alike.

FV's Executive Manager - Commercial, Chris Speldewinde spoke about the role Sports Aid will play in improving Victorian football.

"Their expertise ensures the safety of our participants, which is paramount in delivering outstanding sporting experiences." he said in a press release.

Sports Aid’s founder, James Theodorakopoulos, also commented on the partnership.

"We are thrilled to be working with Football Victoria. Our primary focus is on safety, and we’re committed to ensuring that every player and participant has a seamless medical experience at FV events," he said in a press release.

"It’s not just about responding to injuries, but also ensuring the overall well-being of everyone involved."

Football Victoria adds Sports Aid on top of recent PILA, VETO Sports and Novotel Preston who all play a specific role in ensuring players involved with FV get the best out of their game.

FV have been focusing heavily on developing local football with facility upgrades, equipment partnerships as well as launching their GO Family football program aimed at improving fitness and building stronger family connections.

This specific partnership with Sports Aid is another that will play a positive role in the sport across the state.

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The second-ever edition of the Unite Round sparked some interesting debates and narratives about whether the A-League can properly host an inclusive event of this scale.

As the contract with Destination NSW expires, the question remains; Is the experiment worth committing to or should it be scrapped?

A potentially unfair comparison would be to NRL's Magic Round and AFL's Gather Round who managed to succeed with the concept in its first two seasons. It's quite simple, the A-League don't have the wide-ranging committed supporter base to reach those heights just yet.

But will they do so quick enough for this investment to be worth it?

Challenges that undermine Unite Round

It was a weekend that had a few positives, as mentioned in the A-Leagues press release last week but was certainly marred by a slew of negative and/or embarrassing moments.

Whilst match-going fans, who spent the weekend in Sydney, anecdotally seemed to truly enjoy the experience, there simply weren't enough that flew out to watch their team play.

The 45,000-capacity Allianz Stadium had a rather empty look for most of the games, mirroring Covid lockdown football, and the lack of atmosphere really took away from the experience that was promised when the concept replaced the controversial Sydney Grand Final deal last season.

For a league that has constantly struggled with attendances since the horror 2021-22 season (which saw attendances slashed in half post-covid), the ability to hold a full-scale weekend of football in one city is realistically never going to work, especially in a cost-of-living crisis.

Another issue that is increasingly being brought up in media and fan spaces is the NSW Police releasing a statement before the weekend had started, ensuring that they were going to crackdown on pre-game marches, flares, banners and flags in an attempt to 'keep everyone safe'.

Baffling for any hardcore fan, it was a truly tone-deaf action that stripped football of its core: intense and passionate tribalism.

Highlights of the weekend

Focusing on the positives, in the A-League press release, they revealed the numbers behind an improvement on last season's first-ever United Round.

- 33 goals were scored across 12 games between both the Ninja A-League Women and Isuzu UTE A-League Men.

- Attendance was up 50% on the first-ever Unite Round with a cumulative match attendance of more than 71,000 fans. This was certainly helped by an amazing 30,777 crowd to watch the Sydney Derby.

- Over a thousand fans take part in grassroots clinics, tournament and fan zones.

Commenting on the overall feel of Unite Round 2024/25, Nick Garcia, A-Leagues Commissioner, said:

“It was a turbulent build up with a ticketing outage, a change in venue for our six Ninja A-League Women matches and a planned train strike - but we’re really proud to have welcomed 50% more fans from across Australia and New Zealand to Sydney compared to our first-ever Unite Round," Garcia said in a press release.

“We really believe in the long term potential of this partnership with the NSW Government and Destination NSW, establishing a new tradition and welcoming football fans from across Australia and New Zealand to electrify this incredible city.

"This event really resonates with our young and diverse fanbase and aligns with our drive to unite communities through a shared love of football. It’s the pinnacle weekend of professional football, and we hope this is a tradition that we can continue to build on and grow in the coming years.

“It’s been a really strong start to our 20th season. Crowds have grown by 30% year-on-year across the first four rounds of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men, while the new Saturday night doubleheader on 10 Bold has also increased the free-to-air national audience by 34%. We look forward to continuing this momentum across both leagues as we move into the summer period.”

The path forward for Unite Round

The words from Nick Garcia suggest that the A-League are committed to making this concept work and are hoping the progress made in the last 10 months can be replicated over time.

The direction in which the United Round goes in is still unknown with the expiration of Destination NSW but it also could lead to an innovation that bursts this weekend into life.

Do they try it in New Zealand for a year? Or up in the Gold Coast where people might have more incentive to enjoy a weekend up in the Sunshine Coast?

The chance for experimentation surely has to be attempted considering the trends suggesting that this weekend won't be considered an outright 'success' in the short term.

Conclusion

In the end, the future of the Unite Round hinges on bold experimentation and a commitment to creating a uniquely football-centric spectacle.

Whether it's exploring new locations like New Zealand or the Gold Coast, or innovating to better engage fans across the country, the A-League has an opportunity to redefine what a national celebration of football can look like.

The league’s struggles with attendance and atmosphere are real, but so too is the potential for growth in a competition that resonates with Australia’s diverse and passionate football community.

The Unite Round has shown glimmers of promise amid its challenges—now it’s up to the A-League to seize that promise and turn it into a tradition worth rallying behind.

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The Professional Footballers Association (PFA) have released their 2024 Annual A-League Men's report. This analysis has highlighted key successful areas of last season and importantly areas of growth in the league.

This review uses a wide range of data but importantly uses a strong player-based approach.

A key tool for data collection for this report is the A-League Men's end-of-season survey conducted voluntarily online between May 7-31, 2024. This survey received 191 player responses, a record number with at least 13 players from each club.

The survey provides a comprehensive and representative source of player insights for policymakers, offering robust comparisons across the league.

Categorised below are some key factors of the report.

International Benchmarking

The Twenty-First Group's World Super League model provides insights into the A-League Men's (ALM) competitive positioning.

The analysis employed a machine learning approach, rating team strengths based on performance and player movements from ten relevant leagues over six seasons. The ALM ranks eighth among these competitions as a second-tier Asian league.

The salary cap system contributes to the consistent team strengths, with a slight overall decline in score over six years likely attributed to league expansion. Despite this, the ALM's league ranking remained stable.

From a player development perspective, the analysis offers guidance for international transfers to leagues that offer promising development pathways for Australian players looking to progress in their international careers.

Transfer Revenue

The Australian A-League Men (ALM) has experienced a remarkable transformation in its transfer market dynamics as a significant talent production and export market over recent years.

In 2024, ALM clubs received at least $17.5 million in transfer fees, with the total value potentially exceeding $20 million, significantly up from the approx. $10 million in 2023 and the $2.5 million average in past seasons.

This growth represents a fundamental shift in the domestic men's football economy. For the first time, transfer revenue is now surpassing broadcast revenue.

In the context of the broader market, while ALM revenues have grown quickly, they remain a fraction of those in slightly more advanced leagues.

AFC Club Competitions

Previously, AFC competitions were often more costly than beneficial.

However, in the new 3-tier continental club competitions for 2024, the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) qualifying for the eight-match group stage guarantees $1.23m, with an additional $150k per win. Champions can earn at least $18.5m.

The ACL2, Which CC Mariners won last season, provides $462k for group stage participation and $77k per win, with champions potentially earning up to $5m. ALM clubs receive one berth in both the top two tiers.

Under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, players will receive an increasing share of prize money from the Round of 16 onwards.

Player Profiles

The PFA conducted a comprehensive analysis of match minutes across six leagues: A-League Men (ALM), J1 League, K League 1, MLS, Scottish Premiership, and Belgian Pro League.

The analysis revealed that Australian and Belgian leagues stood out, with over 10% of match minutes played by under 20s, compared to less than 5% in the other four competitions.

The introduction of scholarship players outside the salary cap has notably reduced the league's average age, emphasizing its commitment to youth development.

Attendance

Average attendance for regular season matches has increased to 8,076 from 7,553 in 2022-23, but crowds have still not recovered to their pre-COVID levels.

Excluding the lowest attended teams of Western United and Macarthur FC the average attendance last season was 9,232, 14% higher than the 8,076 overall average.

Though the overall bias against crowd attendance can be assumed to be not as prevalent as people think, identifying this can help deal with the situations that hinder attendance.

Competitive balance

Competitive balance overall was strong with 7% of matches featuring a margin of four or more goals and 7% decided by three goals.

There was a tight race for the top 6 and the bottom two teams from 2022-23, Macarthur and Melbourne Victory, both made the finals, demonstrating the strong competitive balance of the ALM across seasons.

CBA Progress

Total player payments were around $57.8m in 2023-24, down slightly from the all-time high of $58.8m the previous season with the average payments per club being around $4.8m. This was well above the salary cap of $2.6m.

The vast majority of exempt payments from the cap were those to Marquee and Designated players. The average spend on Scholarship Players was just under $300k per club.

This report describes how revenues from transfer fees and a more lucrative AFC Champions League present new financial opportunities for our clubs.

Player Perceptions

According to the PFA end-of-season survey, 50% of ALM players were dissatisfied and 27% were very dissatisfied with how APL has performed in its management of the competition.

46% of players had ‘low trust’ in APL regarding developing a vision to improve the league.

The PFA was rated highest by the players, with 91% satisfied with its performance regarding ALM and 64% having high trust in the PFA to develop a vision.

In issues of the league, trajectory players outlined fan core experience as a centre stage with more than half including Broadcast (58%) and Atmosphere (51%) in their top three with Visibility and Branding/Marketing coming in second.

Workplace Safety

The PFA end-of-season survey uncovered concerning findings regarding the safety of ALM players’ workplaces.

11% of ALM players felt their club environment was either physically or psychologically unsafe and one in five players (20%) said they or a team-mate were unwilling to discuss issues with coaching staff and 16% with club management. 7% of players reported instances of players being forced to train alone at their clubs.

Though only a few clubs were reported on this, is still regarded as an industry issue.

Extreme weather

Last season one in six ALM matches was impacted by extreme weather with extreme heat the main culprit. 58% of players indicated the conditions impacted the players’ performances and 9% of player performances were hindered overall.

Club Index

Sydney FC was rated as the league’s best-performing club in the overall Club Performance Index, after placing in the top three for the sub-indices for Operations, Facilities, and Culture.

Pitch and atmosphere ratings

A-League players rated Wellington’s Sky Stadium with perfect marks for its pitch quality also and a four-star average for the match atmosphere.

Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium, AAMI Park, where also highly rated by ALM players with an average around the 4 stars mark. Victory home matches received an average of 4.4 for atmosphere.

The lowest rated were Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium and Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, averaging just 2.1.

Though other factors are included for pitch quality like other events, Players should still not be subject to substandard and potentially dangerous conditions.

Conclusion

Though the report shows that in many aspects the sport is moving in the right direction, the responses from players on their welfare and on the need for more attendance is a worrying sign for the management.

This assessment is a strong example of the PFA’s dedication towards the sport in Australia and maintaining the strong relationship between the Football industry and the players themselves.

The key points of this report should be central to plans within A-League and Australian Football itself.

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The Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has marked a significant year of achievement and player advocacy at its Annual General Meeting, highlighting the organisation's continued commitment to supporting professional footballers nationally in this financial year.

The AGM showcased a remarkable year of growth and impact, with the organisation reporting a record membership of 704 players and a comprehensive range of support services that extend far beyond the football pitch.

It also announced some notable leadership development, David Williams was elected to the PFA Executive, bringing valuable experience from his A-League Men career.

David Williams has commented on his connection with the PFA and his dedication to the new role.

“For me joining the Executive means a great deal. To have the backing from my peers and friends within the PFA is special and I feel humbled to be chosen for this role," he said via press release.

“I have depended on the PFA over my career and have benefited from it and used so many resources and received so much help over my years as a PFA member.

“To now be able to give my insights and experience over my career and contribute positively to all PFA members is a privilege and a role I will be honoured to take on. I look forward to working closely with all involved."

Alongside David Williams, Dylan Holmes was ratified in his position, while international players Clare Hunt and Mathew Ryan were re-elected to continue their influential roles.

The meeting also celebrated five outstanding members with Life Membership, recognising Leigh Broxham, Natasha Rigby, Jason Hoffman, Emma Checker, and Mark Milligan for their exceptional contributions to the sport and the players' union.

A key highlight was the Footballers' Trust, the organisation's charitable arm, which has invested over $500,000 into 24 community programs since its establishment five years ago. This initiative underscores the players' commitment to giving back to the community.

The PFA's comprehensive support for players was evident in its impressive statistics for the 2023/24 financial year. The organisation opened 190 legal cases, secured $500,000 in outstanding salaries, and provided 203 education grants.

Mental health support remained a critical focus, with 1,082 confidential sessions accessed by members.

PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch emphasised the significance of the players' leadership, stating that the organisation continues to be driven by a commitment to player welfare and professional development.

Other notable achievements included delivering skin cancer checks for National Team players, hosting 18 past player events, and facilitating skill development workshops for 483 A-Leagues players. The organisation also secured a world-leading Collective Bargaining Agreement for National Team players.

The returning and newly appointed Executives, led by Jackson Irvine as President and Francis Awaritefe as Chair, reflect a strong, diverse leadership committed to advancing the interests of professional footballers in Australia.

As the PFA continues to evolve, its focus remains clear: supporting players, advocating for their rights, and contributing positively to the broader football ecosystem.

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FC Barcelona has signed a groundbreaking extension with Nike, potentially worth €1.7 billion ($2.76 billion) over the next 14 years, aimed at boosting the club’s financial stability amid ongoing challenges.

It has become the biggest kit deal in football history and take Barcelona to the top in kit sponsorship revenue annually, outdoing rivals Real Madrid and Premier League giants Manchester United, who are both with Adidas.

Here’s a closer look at the key details and implications of the deal.

Key details

- The extended partnership runs until 2038, with Barcelona receiving approximately €108m ($175m) annually until 2028 and €120m ($195m) per season thereafter.

- A signing bonus of €158m ($257m) is included, spread across the deal’s duration.

- This represents a significant increase compared to previous earnings, which fluctuated between €50m ($81m) and €60m ($97m) due to performance clauses.

President Joan Laporta touted the deal as a victory, claiming it surpasses Real Madrid’s €120m ($195m)-a-year agreement with Adidas (including the signing bonus). The agreement guarantees most of the promised revenue, regardless of on-pitch success, addressing a critical need for consistent financial inflows whilst alleviating the pressure of having to win titles to secure bonuses.

Financial context and challenges

Barcelona’s financial struggles are well-documented, with La Liga salary cap restrictions posing ongoing hurdles.

Despite this lucrative deal, the club remains €120m ($195m) short of the league’s requirements, complicating player registration for stars like Dani Olmo and Pau Victor beyond December 2024.

While the Nike deal provides an immediate financial boost, the upfront distribution of the signing bonus—approximately €9m ($14m) annually—falls short of fully resolving the club’s pressing financial issues. Barca must continue seeking investors for their "Barca Vision" project to meet La Liga’s demands.

Laporta has spoken about the importance of "Barca Vision" before, stating that the kit deal was only going to patch up a portion of their financial issue and not completely solve the issue.

Long-Term Implications

Locking into a 14-year agreement raises questions about future flexibility. Industry insiders have expressed concerns that the deal’s annual €127m ($206m) revenue may lag behind market inflation by the mid-2030s, potentially limiting the next president’s financial options.

It presents the deal as a double-edged sword.

While the collaboration secures critical short-term funding and strengthens Barca’s global brand, it also ties the club’s future to current financial decisions.

As Laporta continues to navigate the club’s precarious situation, this deal represents both a lifeline and a calculated gamble on long-term growth.

Conclusion

This deal offers both promise and potential pitfalls, with its true value hinging on how inflation impacts similar agreements in the coming decade.

For now, however, the €1.7 billion ($2.76 billion) figure provides Barcelona with vital financial relief as they aim to solidify their footing while remaining competitive at the highest level.

Under new manager Hansi Flick, FC Barcelona have shown encouraging signs of resurgence, leading La Liga and securing three wins in four Champions League matches.

While the club continues to benefit from its renowned La Masia academy, long-term success will depend on securing sustainable revenue streams.

Deals of this magnitude represent a significant step towards the club’s ultimate goal of financial stability and a debt-free future.

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Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has confirmed the continuation of its pivotal partnership with Austraffic, extending into the 2024-25 A-Leagues season.

This marks the fourth consecutive year of collaboration between the players' union and the traffic data specialists.

Established in 1983 under the name Australasian Traffic Surveys, Austraffic has emerged as a leading authority in transport analysis across Australia and New Zealand.

The organisation has completed countless comprehensive studies focusing on traffic patterns, transport systems, and pedestrian movements throughout all states and territories.

Their team of specialist traffic engineers and IT professionals collaborate closely with customers, providing tailored support in survey design, detailed analysis, and sophisticated data presentation.

The collaboration encompasses two of Australian football's most prestigious honours: the monthly peer-voted Austraffic A-Leagues Player of the Month and the annual Austraffic PFA Footballer of the Year awards.

October saw Steph Catley, Jackson Irvine, Mary Fowler, and Alex Paulsen recognised as 2024's major award recipients.

Kathryn Gill PFA Co-Chief Executive has spoken on the excitement of the continued partnership.

“Austraffic has proudly partnered with our Players’ Awards for the past three years, celebrating the outstanding achievements of A-Leagues footballers and Australians playing professionally abroad, both on a monthly and annual basis," she said via press release.

“As we enter our fourth year together, Austraffic’s continued commitment to recognising player excellence enables us to elevate these player-voted awards."

Austraffic’s Martin Jordan-Williams, the company's principal in Queensland, also mirrored the enthusiasm of another year for the partnership.

“We are delighted to continue our wonderful partnership with the PFA and their player awards for a fourth consecutive year, as we embark on yet another exciting A-Leagues season," he said via press release.

“The PFA’s player awards celebrate the excellence of Australians playing both in the A-Leagues and overseas, which aligns with our values at Austraffic. We can’t wait to see the next crop of players recognised throughout the next 12 months for their endeavours on the field."

Each monthly winner's achievement is commemorated with a specially designed Park SSC ball, continuing a second-year partnership emphasising community impact.

Winners commit to donating ten balls to local community programmes and schools, fostering grassroots development.

Last season's recipients included standout performers Alex Paulsen, Josh Nisbet, Adam Taggart, and Bruno Fornaroli in the men's competition.

Holly McNamara, Chloe Logarzo, and Michelle Heyman were among the women's honourees.

The awards, established in 2009 with Tim Cahill as the inaugural men's winner, have grown to become Australian football's benchmark for peer recognition.

The women's category, introduced in 2010 with Servet Uzunlar's victory, completes what has become the sport's most comprehensive player-driven awards programme.

This partnership reinforces both organisations' commitment to recognising excellence in Australian football, with voting for the 2024-25 season's first monthly award set to commence as the A-Leagues season progresses.

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Football Queensland (FQ) marked major milestones in youth and junior player development across the Far North and Gulf (FNG) region in 2024, as the FQ Academy continued to establish itself as the leading pathway for developing football talent in the area.

FQ have put a focus on academy over the last 12 months, utilising different programs and partnerships to help springboard off the men's and women's international success.

The overall goal is to have Queensland at the forefront of Australian football talent, representing the Socceroos and Matildas in high volume.

Club Development Ambassador – Far North & Gulf (Cairns) Jack Southwell discussed the many reasons why there has been a surge in the region, following FQ's plans of focusing on academy success.

“Football in the Far North and Gulf is flourishing, with more promising young athletes than ever before gaining access to top tier coaching and competitive opportunities through the FQ Academy, driving a surge in participation and engagement from both players and clubs, and fuelling a growing enthusiasm for the game across the region,” Southwell said in a press release.

“This year, the region has experienced a 350% increase in the number of players involved in the FQ Academy, with over 220 players—both male and female—joining the program. This surge in participation speaks to the increasing recognition of young players in the quality of development provided by the FQ Academy to help them reach their full potential.

“One of the standout achievements of the 2024 season was the selection of 27 local players from the FNG region to represent Queensland at the National Youth Championships, showcasing the FQ Academy pathway’s excellence in elite coaching, specialised development, and competitive opportunities.

"This alignment with national technical standards not only highlights the growing strength of the FQ Academy but also continues to open doors for local talent to reach the highest levels of the game.

“Building on the success of 2024, Football Queensland will continue to strengthen local coaching expertise and enhance player development across the Far North and Gulf region in 2025, creating a sustainable and advanced football ecosystem for players, coaches, and clubs to thrive.”

This comes after FQ confirmed their Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Youth and Junior programs will partner with Brisbane Roar for 2025.

This is to aid the QAS program into developing more professional players through a strengthened, narrow pathway that utilises the states only professional team.

The recent moves by FQ to focus on their academy structure and progress is proving to be successful and they are strongly committed to creating opportunities for players, coaches, and clubs to reach their potential. Football Queensland looks forward to another successful season in 2025.

FQ will continue to prioritise growth in the Far North and Gulf region and beyond, with the FQ Academy at the forefront of this mission.

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American football club Inter Miami has confirmed Ecuadorian company, Splendor Water, as the club's Official Premium Water.

Through the partnership, Splendor Water will have significant advertising at Inter Miami's home, Chase Stadium. Additionally, the company will become an entitlement partner of Chase Stadium's East Club in 2025 and will initiate fan giveaways at Inter Miami home games.

Inter Miami CF Vice President of Partnerships, Euan Warren, was enthusiastic for the collaboration.

“We welcome Splendor Water with open arms as our club’s Official Premium Water," he said via press release.

“We are proud to have another prominent international brand within our family of partners that will not only enhance the gameday experience at Chase Stadium for our passionate fans, but also shares a strong commitment to offering the best.”

Inter Miami's collaboration with Splendor Water is a move that continues to build the club's list of high-quality brands.

Splendor Water Director of Growth and Operations, Sara Couch, outlined the compatibility of both partners.

“The Splendor team is honored to join the Inter Miami family of partners at a time when both our brand and the Club are seeing increasing excitement and success,” she said via press release.

“We feel Inter Miami’s values and dedication to the growth of their team and athletes align perfectly with our mission and dedication to sharing this incredible water with the world, and providing access to all who seek its superior hydration and replenishment.”

Splendor Water commits itself to authentic, premium and sustainable products. Its water is volcanic artesian mineral water, which flows through the Cotopaxi Volcano before collection in La Maná, a part of the Andes rainforest.

Splendor's water features a rare blend of natural colloidal gold and silver nanoparticles, in addition to electrolytes such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, providing a mineral rich compound to consumers.

Splendor has earned significant praise for its environmental efforts, becoming a Smart Planet Certified brand and an Official Conservation Ambassador of the Galapagos Islands through the company's work with organisations such as 1% for the Planet.

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The 2024 Major League Soccer regular season was the most successful for the American-based football competition yet. The regular season wrapped up in October and shattered several records, proving that the competition is in a healthy state and set up for long-term success.

More fans are consuming the MLS product than ever before, and it is experiencing year-over-year growth. Growing soccer in America has proven to be challenging, but the record-setting attendance highlights the breakthrough MLS is achieving.

The attendance average for the MLS season was the highest in the league's history, at 23,234 fans per regular-season game, a +5.1% increase from the 2023 MLS regular season. In total, 11.4 million fans attended matches during the regular season, smashing the 2023 number of 10.9 million.

These figures will grow throughout the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, from October 24th to December 7th. Based on their regular season numbers, MLS has projected that they will be in the top three across all soccer leagues globally in terms of attendance average after the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, alongside the English Premier League and Bundesliga.

Due to the successful season, the league has experienced a 13% sponsorship revenue increase and a 13% club sponsorship revenue increase compared to the 2023 MLS season.

Ten out of the 29 clubs beat or tied their regular season attendance average, this statistic highlights communal growth beyond the Lionel Messi effect and keeps the league in a healthy spot going forward.

MLS social media grew faster in 2024 than the rival major men's North American sports leagues, which consist of the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League.

• MLS TikTok saw a 26% growth in followers
• MLS YouTube saw a 21% growth in subscribers
• MLS Instagram saw a 10% growth in followers

The MLS x Adidas Archive Collection was credited with huge financial success, and on July 16, 2024, the MLS retail store had its most successful day in history.

Beyond the American audience, MLS has been making waves in the European market. Attempts to expand the league overseas were pioneered by opening 800+ MLS retail stores across France, Spain, Germany, and other major European countries in partnership agreements with Primark and Bershka retail stores.

The broadcast deal between MLS and Apple TV, signed in 2022 for 10 years and worth 3.7 billion dollars, has injected valuable funds into the league to improve its overall product from broadcasting and on-field standpoints.

Apple TV, which broadcasts all MLS games, invites fans to easily access the league while airing MLS content beyond the live match broadcast. The investment has shown success since 2023, but fans have criticised the league for its match scheduling, Apple TV broadcasts in 100 countries, so the platform opportunity for MLS is substantial.

The mass financial figure has been credited with being a key reason why the league has been able to sign the likes of Lionel Messi, an 8-time winner of the Ballon d'Or and the captain of the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning side Argentina.

The bigger picture for the MLS competition will be the continual rise of quality international players choosing to sign into the MLS and improving the match quality. The 2024 MLS season had a very successful summer transfer window, including star players Olivier Giroud, France's all-time leading goal scorer, and Borussia Dortmund and Germany international Marco Reus.

Common fan complaints have been centred around the season's kick-off in February and the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs finishing in December. The lengthy season means that the league is miserable to attend during winter from a fan's perspective, the freezing and windy weather hurts the product, while thunderstorm delays have been common for the league in these cold months.

MLS games being played in Canada and Northeast America during the winter months will continue to jeopardise the product and growth of the sport.

Additionally, the gripes come from the lack of pauses throughout the 10-month season, which leads to a mass exodus of players from MLS teams during the international break, again hurting the product.

Given that the competition has 29 teams, broadcasting the matches in the evening on Saturdays and Wednesdays, with rare occasions when matches are played in other time slots, has made it challenging for football enthusiasts to follow the league as a whole.

Hosting games in earlier windows invites a family aspect to the matches, with Saturday/Sunday afternoon games working for the Premier League.

A huge positive of the Apple TV broadcasting deal is MLS 360, which takes fans all around the league with live coverage of the matchday. MLS 360 showcases the best action of every game, from goals to saves, play-by-play and analyst breakdowns of teams.

The analyst and play-by-play team consists of 60 people broadcasting in English and Spanish. Key football minds hosting the MLS 360 are Kevin Egan, Sacha Klejstan, Kaylyn Kyle, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

As the MLS prepares for the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, a recent change in playoff formatting kicked off in 2023 and proved to be a successful business model. The format was changed to include a best-of-three series with no ties and a mix of single individual knockout matches.

Also, allowing 19/29 MLS teams into the playoffs from a business standpoint meant more matches, more revenue, and more opportunities to grow the league as a whole.

Each MLS team has a fluid salary cap, this is to keep the league fair for all teams and give each team an equal opportunity to win on paper. There are 'designated players', such as Messi, who each team is allowed to sign even if it breaks the salary cap in an attempt to boost the league's big-name talent. 

The absence of a regulation/promotion system and a player draft awarding lower-ranked teams with better talent is a welcome site for struggling teams to rebuild faster. This system improves the quality of the MLS competition and is a tool to prevent lopsided affairs. 

Garber has credited MLS teams' business approach to investing in soccer-specific stadiums with the growth of team evaluations. Investing significant funding into building these stadiums for teams to risk relegating would harm the league and its revenue/team sponsorship. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is gearing up to be a potential takeover opportunity for American soccer. MLS is expecting mass residual effects from this, similar to Australia and New Zealand hosting the 2023 Women's FIFA World Cup.

The MLS' business-savvy approach to running the league and ability to adapt to the sporting landscape surrounding it in an oversaturated sports market has worked in favour of the league. There's a lot to be excited about looking at the future landscape for the MLS.

This league's continual growth and development have fans in the box seat to enjoy some of the best football action in the world.

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UEFA and FIFPRO Europe have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening players' influence in European football governance.

As part of the agreement signed by both organisations' leaders in Paris, a FIFPRO Europe representative will join UEFA's executive committee starting May 2025.

UEFA has also pledged to consult FIFPRO Europe on decisions affecting players' employment conditions and any competition reforms that could influence players' workload.

Additionally, active players and player representatives will take part in a new UEFA Professional Players’ Advisory Forum, set to begin meeting next month to discuss solutions for collective challenges facing professional footballers in Europe.

This three-year MOU will grant footballers and their unions more influence over decisions impacting their work, including match calendar adjustments, playing conditions, and health and safety issues.

The agreement also establishes a framework for FIFPRO Europe and UEFA to work together on initiatives to advance women’s football, focusing on fair employment conditions and minimum standards.

The two organisations will also collaborate on medical research, player education, and awareness campaigns addressing doping and discrimination.

Additional collaboration areas include strengthening stakeholder dialogue at both national and European levels, exploring joint commercial opportunities involving player data and intellectual property rights, and offering support to players who are out of contract.

FIFPRO President, David Terrier, was full of positive thoughts regarding this agreement.

"This agreement is a hugely positive milestone for professional players across Europe. With player representation now anchored at UEFA’s highest level, we are securing a stronger voice for players where it matters most,” he said via press release.

"Our ongoing dialogue with UEFA is already yielding positive results, and this MoU will only strengthen our ability to shape a framework that will advance player welfare and ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for football, where the needs and rights of players shall always be at the forefront, both on and off the pitch."

UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, is confident their relationship with FIFPRO will support the growth of football for all.

"This partnership represents a new era in our relationship with FIFPRO Europe. Players are at the heart of football, and their perspectives must shape the decisions taken,” he said via press release.

"By inviting them to join the UEFA Executive Committee, we are creating a more inclusive future for the game, one in which the topic of player welfare will be at the forefront. This is about making tangible strides to ensure football continues to grow for everyone."

You can view the MOU here.

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The National Second Tier competition is taking on a different approach from the traditionally planned home-and-away format, with Football Australia announcing it will be a 'Champions League' style format starting in October 2025.

With the introduction of this format, Football Australia announced the following in regards to fixturing:

- NPL season will conclude in September before all clubs take three weeks off in preparation.

- In October, they will move in to the nationwide NST format involving the eight foundation clubs.

- There will be a group stage where the final positions will determine the fixtures for the Quarter Finals stage followed by the Semi-finals and Final which will wrap up by December.

- It will be a precursor to a full home-and-away NST.

For historic clubs like Preston Lions, one of the eight foundation clubs getting involved next season, it provides an opportunity to take that next step towards professionalism and bring back the passion that football has been missing in the top flight.

In a conversation with Soccerscene, Preston Lions President David Cvetkovski touched on several important topics surrounding the recent announcement.

He discussed the financial success of the Preston Lions, how the new format is enhancing the development of young talent, the importance of preserving the traditions of clubs founded by migrant communities, and the need to celebrate these historic ethnic clubs by bringing people together as a united football community.

PLFC's Financial success

Preston Lions have emerged as one of Australia’s most successful football clubs, known for drawing massive crowds, strong merchandise sales, and a dedicated membership base. But what’s the secret behind their financial success, and how have they set the blueprint for other clubs moving into the NST?

Club president David Cvetkovski attributes this success to identifying and maximising key revenue streams that go beyond just match-day ticket sales.

"The key pillar of our strategy was to pinpoint the main revenue areas for football clubs—not just ours, but for all clubs," he said.

"The success started by elevating the gameday experience for football fans, who on average might spend $20-25 dollars on a Canadian Club, chips and Kebapi roll so there's a $25 to $55 per head potential there when the product is right.

"We then went to sponsors, we have 120+ sponsors but what’s the value proposition for them? What's the merchandise like? Well the improvement in our merchandise sales in the last four years is incredible. What we've done is provide custom ranges that our merchandise team have designed the T-shirts that people enjoy. We love the fact that every Preston supporter has a Preston garment.”

Cvetkovski emphasised that match-day revenue is only part of the equation. "Every club has loyal supporters, but how can they buy that hoodie or Canadian Club or Kebapi at the right price? Because canteen and gates revenue make clubs but merchandise and sponsors elevate them" he continued.

"It's no secret that we have the biggest attendance figures in Victorian football and with the South game, we had over 6,000 people, and we had an online portal to capture ticket sales so we've been innovative in driving the key revenue streams otherwise without it, you're at risk as a club."

[caption id="attachment_27105" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] David Cvetkovski at the 2024 Preston in Business launch event. (Image credit: Preston Lions Football Club Facebook)[/caption]

NST format improving player development

The introduction of the new NST format is providing clubs with greater flexibility to secure player contracts and create optimal conditions for their development.

While Australia continues to produce top-tier talent, the path to recapturing the golden generation of 2006 lies in ensuring that the NST system allows players to focus on football full-time.

Cvetkovski highlighted how this change will transform clubs like Preston and others, offering younger players more opportunities to shine on the biggest stages.

"From a footballer's perspective, I have to usually contract them for 26 weeks in VPL1, next year in NPL1  would've been 26 weeks + potentially three finals so 29 games, but with the NST I've been able to contract and take better care of both our young and mature footballers," he said.

"They're now being contracted for 40 plus weeks of games but they also need to do 8 weeks of preseason so it's over 40 weeks. This makes football richer, not only financially, but us being able to play younger kids.

"40% of our team is under 23 years of age. The A-League this weekend had heaps of kids involved because of the budget reduction and this  is fantastic for the game. How do we create a platform for kids to play and let these kids find out at 22, 23 or 24 that they are still a baller.

"Look at Jordy Bos who played through the City academy, broke through at 18 almost 19 and played a few years before making a move to Belgium and now he's playing for the Socceroos at 21. We need 17 Jordy Bos' in the Australian team, that's a generation! and Preston are following the same path," he concluded.

Return of cultural heritage

During the transition from the NSL to the creation of the A-League, many of today’s NPL clubs boasted a proud history of players and staff representing their cultural heritage with passion.

These clubs served as symbols of identity, reflecting not just individual families but entire communities, offering a sense of belonging through football.

Cvetkovski is committed to preserving these traditions at Preston, ensuring that the club's strong Macedonian roots remain a core part of its identity as they move forward whilst also encouraging the other NPL clubs to work together to achieve the same goal.

"It is the first time in a while, that we have signed 6 or 7 Macedonian boys to stay true to our heritage, the response from supporters, sponsors and members has been incredible and I'm encouraging other clubs like Avondale, Knights, Heidelberg, South [Melbourne] etc to do the same," he said.

“You can't get away from South's Greek community or Marconi's Italian community and this makes the fabric of the game richer.

"People ask why is Preston so successful? Because we stay true to our community in one sense, yes, we're Australian but how good is the multicultural landscape of Australian football!

"I want to work together with our rivals, who are also our friends, so that when Preston plays away at these grounds, they make money.

"There's no secret to enjoying a game. We go there, have a few drinks and something to eat on a Friday or Sunday night out and watch a good game, it's entertaining. We're in the entertainment business at the end of the day."

[caption id="attachment_27106" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Cvetkovski at Preston vs Pascoe Vale 2023 (Image credit: Preston Lions Football Club Facebook)[/caption]

Uniting the many cultures in Australian football

These historic ethnic clubs, built by migrant communities with a deep love for football, are making a significant return to the mainstream.

They represent the foundation upon which the beautiful game in Australia was built, and the generational loyalty fans have for their local clubs and communities is finally being recognised again.

Cvetkovski passionately spoke about the importance of uniting all cultures in the top flight of football, regardless of background, to celebrate the shared love of the game and foster a sense of community across the sport.

"There's opportunity to respect the cultural backgrounds of the clubs. I think we went too far towards cleansing the game but the migrant story of Australia is something that should be celebrated," he said.

"My best friends are Greek, Italian, Croatian,  Bosnian, I don't care, do I? I'll sit in any coffee shop; I don't care where I sit. Let's bring that friendship to football.

"The new way of thinking is making it about the game, removing any political agendas and making football the star.

"The South [Melbourne] game there was no animosity, there was nothing but celebration of football between two communities who traditionally are rivals.

"They realise now they have a lot more to lose if they get it wrong versus working with each other to make it right,” he concluded.

[caption id="attachment_27109" align="aligncenter" width="739"] David Cvetkovski with Football Australia (Image credit: Preston Lions Football Club Facebook)[/caption]

Football Australia is beginning to recognise that the true beating heart of the game lies with these foundation clubs, which have not only survived but thrived since the dissolution of the NSL.

Their passion, rich history, and deep-rooted respect are unmatched in Australian football and this announcement signals an exciting new era for fans across the country.

If the South Melbourne vs Preston match earlier this year is any indication, the spirit of the game is well and truly alive, bringing back the sense of unity and pride that Australian football has been missing.

More on the details of the newly announced NST here.

The post Exclusive Interview with President of PLFC David Cvetkovski: How Preston Lions and the NST format are reviving Australian football’s heart and soul appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football Australia has officially announced the launch of the National Second Tier (NST) competition, a key milestone in its commitment to advancing domestic club football in Australia.

Following extensive workshops and consultations with the eight NST Foundation Clubs, Football Australia confirmed the NST will kick off in October 2025, highlighting the best in Australian club football through a modern and sustainable competition model.

Key Aspects of the 2025 NST Competition:

Commitment to Play: Football Australia, the NST Foundation Clubs, and stakeholders are committed to launching the NST in 2025, aligning with the strategic goal of connecting Australia's football pyramid and elevating iconic clubs to a national level.

Competition Structure: The NST will feature 16 teams, starting with group-stage matches and culminating in an elimination Finals Series. This structure is designed to balance sustainability with competitive integrity and commercial appeal.

Team Composition: The eight NST Foundation Clubs will gain automatic entry and be joined by eight invitational clubs, selected from the Member Federation NPL State Premiers, forming a truly national competition.

Season Timeline: The NST season will run annually from October to December, featuring nine match day rounds and concluding with a Championship Final in early December. This timeline aligns with the Domestic Match Calendar, ensuring optimal scheduling for players, fans, and stakeholders.

Brand Launch: Football Australia will unveil the competition’s official name, brand identity, marketing materials, and trophy design in the coming months, setting the stage for a memorable inaugural season.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson shared his excitement about the NST: “The introduction of the National Second Tier is a landmark moment for football in Australia. Following productive discussions with our eight Foundation Clubs and consultation with other stakeholders, we are committed to creating a competition that not only elevates our game but also enriches the football community at all levels. The National Second Tier will provide a new platform for iconic clubs to showcase their talent and connect with fans nationwide.”

Football Australia will continue collaborating with NST Foundation Clubs, Member Federations, and stakeholders to finalise the operational details for the competition.

Over the past year, Football Australia has conducted two detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) processes to select NST clubs. With advisory support from BDO, 14 clubs across six states and territories have met the technical requirements for the NST RFP process.

Of these 14 clubs, six did not meet the financial requirements for a standalone NST home-and-away league before the June 2024 deadline. Football Australia will monitor these clubs as they strengthen their proposals.

[caption id="attachment_27072" align="alignnone" width="565"] Marconi Stallions announced as a founding club of the National Second Tier.[/caption]

Additionally, Football Australia will initiate a third NST RFP selection process, extending eligibility to clubs outside the initial Expression of Interest and focusing on underrepresented regions to identify additional foundation clubs.

The eight clubs announced in November 2023—APIA Leichhardt FC, Avondale FC, Marconi Stallions FC, Preston Lions FC, South Melbourne FC, Sydney Olympic FC, Sydney United 58 FC, and Wollongong Wolves FC—remain central to the NST’s future and will continue as foundation members.

The six additional clubs that have met the NST RFP technical criteria are Adelaide City FC, Caroline Springs-George Cross FC, Gold Coast United FC, Gungahlin United FC, South Hobart FC, and Sunshine Coast FC.

Further updates will be provided as the NST evolves, with a standalone NST home-and-away league remaining a key strategic goal once minimum requirements are met.

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Northern NSW Football has expressed excitement having confirmed a formal collaboration with the Newcastle Jets.

This partnership highlights NNSWF’s dedication to supporting the Newcastle Jets, the region’s sole professional A-Leagues club, with a strong focus on the Jets Academy and access to the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.

NNSWF will support the Newcastle Jets Academy by featuring prominently on the Academy’s playing and training kits and by providing ongoing access to top-tier football facilities at LMRFF for training sessions and matches.

NNSWF will be represented at the Jets’ men’s and women’s A-League home games through match day sponsorship, advertising signage, and sponsorship of two NNSWF and Jets Academy players, Ben Van Dorssen and Claire Adams, who are involved in the senior squads.

The partnership will enable NNSWF to offer the football community access to the club, including Newcastle Jets players and match days through events held at home games. This includes opportunities for clubs to take part in halftime hero and mascot activities.

Northern NSW Football CEO Peter Haynes was excited to reveal the significant partnership.

“It’s an exciting new era for the Newcastle Jets with Maverick Sports Group becoming the club’s owners which makes this the perfect time for Northern NSW Football to formally partner with the club,” he said via press release.

“We acknowledge our responsibility to support the talented player pathway and help the club identify and develop local talent. We want to see more local talent like Will Dobson and Emma Dundas working their way through the pathway into playing professionally.

“This partnership highlights Northern NSW Football’s commitment to do everything within our power to help the Newcastle Jets be a successful and sustainable club on and off the pitch.”

Newcastle Jets Executive Director, Maurice Bisetto, shared similar sentiments.

“Northern NSW Football and the Newcastle Jets is the quintessential perfect partnership,” he said via press release.

“As the peak body for football in the region, NNSWF are uniquely qualified to collaborate with the Jets as we both have an accountability for the development of male and female footballers.

“We are both passionate about football and footballers in the region and the closer we work together, the higher the likelihood of developing the next Socceroo or Matilda from the region.

“We look forward to strengthening and growing our relationship with NNSWF into the future.”

NNSWF has also joined the Newcastle Jets affiliate membership program, allowing the football community throughout the region to buy memberships, with a portion of the fees supporting NNSWF’s pathway and development initiatives.

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The A-League season kicked off last weekend with a rise in viewership watching the penultimate 20th anniversary.

The biggest increase was the Sydney Derby where the number of viewers on 10 Play became the most-viewed regular season fixture in the league's history with a 46% increase from the same match last season as recorded by The 10 Network.

A couple of factors can be associated with this result. Importantly, it was the first game of the season, building on the start-of-the-season excitement.

The Sydney Derby has been one of the most watched and attended fixture in the A-league since the addition of the Western Sydney Wanderers in the 2012/2013 season.

Last season, it was only beaten in attendance and viewership by the top-of-the-table clash of Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory which recorded 33,000 attendees.

However, this isn’t just a sudden rising trend but has been growing from season-to-season. The 2023-2024 season recorded the largest amount of viewership in the league's history with 53 per cent on Paramount+ and 33 percent on 10 Play, while free-to-air TV saw a 16 percent rise on Network 10.

The 2023/24 Final Series had a sell-out attendance every game and The Grand Final averaged 316,000 on 10 and 10 Play (29,000), with a reach of 731,000.

In total, the Grand Final had a reach of around 1.17 million, making it the most-watched finals series since the 2009-2010 finals.

The overall viewership for both the A-League Men’s and Women’s 2023/24 seasons reached 5.72 million Australians across all modes of media.

A key part of last season's success was the increase in viewership of the Women's Liberty League (now the Ninja Women’s A-League). The biggest stat was the 611% increase in club memberships. A big part of the increase in support is credited to the rise of support in women's football following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Another point to argue is the arrival of high-profile players in the league with West Sydney Wanderers’ new marquee signing ex-Manchester United and Chelsea player Juan Mata and Sydney FC’s ex-Juventus and Brazil International Douglas Costa. These players' arrival to the league has gained massive interest from the reflective teams and the league as a whole.

Their debuts in a Sydney Derby pitted against each other was an event that would, of course, gain huge traction and kick off the league with some big ratings. It's still up in the air whether their star status and hopeful exciting impact can maintain viewership throughout the season.

This A-League Season has also introduced a new club with Auckland FC. Their first home game of the season vs Brisbane Roar held 24,400 spectators only a couple thousand shy from the WSW spectators at the derby.

The inclusion of a new team representing New Zealand's most populated area is a promising move towards more A-League spectators from NZ and increasing the overall number of viewers.

From all six A-league games of the first round, the number of spectators from last season (not counting Auckland FC) went up 53%.

Now this is the beginning of the season, and a true measure of success can only be recorded at the end of the season.

To add to this, other than the top 3 most attended games, the rest of the league recorded similar if not more negative results for the first-round attendance and presented a huge gap between the top three watched games and the lower three.

Though with the goal of a year-on-year rise in fan engagement, the success of last season and the obvious steps taken by the clubs and the leagues to further enrich the league (marquee signings, an added NZ derby and more investment) one can be confident that the Isuzu A-league and Ninja Women’s A -League are promising another record-breaking season for the game.

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The Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) has unveiled a new collaboration with the leading online management platform revolutioniseSPORT (revSPORT) to enhance fundraising options and simplify operations for grassroots organisations.

This collaboration enables clubs using revSPORT to effortlessly receive tax-deductible donations from members during the registration process, thanks to the introduction of the membership donation add-on.

The ASF and revSPORT membership donation add-on provides significant benefits to sports clubs by offering new revenue opportunities through tax-deductible donations integrated into the registration process.

This streamlined approach allows clubs to easily secure vital funding to cover expenses such as equipment and facilities.

Automating donation management through the membership donation add-on minimises administrative work, freeing up volunteers to concentrate on improving the overall sporting experience.

Starting in December, ASF's fundraising platform will be fully integrated with revolutioniseSPORT’s comprehensive sports management system, allowing members to handle operational data like schedules, payments, and registrations through a single, user-friendly interface.

With an API (Application Programming Interface) integration, ASF and revolutioniseSPORT will join forces to simplify the fundraising process, providing a critical financial boost during tough economic times.

The upgraded tools and resources will enable year-round fundraising, enhance communication and engagement, and leverage technology to reduce the administrative load on community clubs and associations.

ASF's CEO, Sue Hunt AM, explained how this deal will benefit the sports industry.

“As part of our commitment to supporting grassroots sports, the Australian Sports Foundation is excited to announce this collaboration with revSPORT, one that will provide the tools to grow and sustain funding at a critical time for our sports industry,” she said via press release.

“Our investment in technology is a cornerstone of our mission to support Australian sport, and this partnership with revSPORT is a perfect example of how we’re expanding our capabilities for the benefit of our sporting community. By harnessing innovative digital solutions, we can offer streamlined, accessible fundraising opportunities that empower sports organisations, especially at the grassroots level.

“These advancements are making it easier for clubs and teams across the country to secure the funding they need, allowing them to focus on what truly matters: enhancing the participant experience, supporting volunteers, and fostering a thriving sports culture.”

Chief Operations Officer of revSPORT, Nic Watkins, encouraged the 18,000 local clubs and 270 governing bodies currently using the platform to take advantage of the benefits offered by the ASF partnership.

“Australian sports clubs have been in desperate need of a revolutionary solution to funding and fundraising. Coming from club-land ourselves, we understand this challenge all too well – they are under-resourced and underfunded. That is why we built revSPORT, to simplify sport and maximise the impact of grassroots administrators,” he said via press release.

“Our exclusive partnership with the Australian Sports Foundation has the power to change the face of our industry. By providing an innovative solution centred on an exceptional user experience, sporting clubs using revSPORT will be able to leverage the capabilities of our two organisations, and unlock previously untapped revenue opportunities.”

To view more information about the Australian Sports Foundation, click here.

To know more about revolutioniseSPORT, click here.

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Players' union FIFPRO, along with top European leagues, have filed an official complaint against FIFA, accusing the organisation of creating an "abusive" international match calendar.

The complaint is primarily aimed at FIFA’s decision to expand both the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup, with the Club World Cup set to grow to 32 teams in 2025 and the World Cup expanding to 48 teams in 2026.

FIFPRO argues that the extended calendar violates European Union competition laws, compromises player safety and well-being, and describes FIFA’s actions as "abusive" and "unjustified."

In recent years, concerns over the oversaturated football schedule have become a frequent topic of discussion, with players and pundits alike raising the issue.

In total for the top five European leagues, 4,123 injuries were recorded during the 2023-24 season, costing clubs $1.19 billion, according to data published by global insurance intermediary group Howden. This was an all-time record and highlights this rather aggressive schedule that benefits no parties.

Prominent players such as Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, and Rodri have spoken out in recent months, voicing their frustration over the demands placed on players.

In July, the boards of FIFPRO and the European Leagues, which represent clubs across more than 30 countries in Europe, decided to take legal action.

FIFPRO Europe President David Terrier had strong words on the current situation and the board's plan of attack with this complaint.

"FIFA refuses to listen and engage with the players, the main labour resource of our industry, who are there on the pitch, creating a powerhouse of European and global entertainment culture, and pushing their bodies to the limit," he said to the media in a press conference.

"But we have listened to our players, have received the same messages for a long period of time, that they are playing too much and do not have enough time to recover. Ahead of the worst season ever for workload, many have also decided to talk in public with the same message: enough is enough."

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters also spoke briefly on this topic when asked about it earlier this month.

"It is getting to a tipping point. The feedback we have from players is that there is too much football being played and there is constant expansion," he said.

FIFA has yet to respond to the formal complaint, which has been lodged with the European Commission. Despite the mounting pressure, FIFA has consistently minimised concerns over player workloads, arguing that its new and expanded tournaments represent only a small fraction of the total matches played in a season.

The numbers, however, tell a different story. In the coming months, this issue is expected to play out both in court and in the media, with players intensifying pressure on FIFA. There has even been talk of potential protests or a strike during the season, a move that could severely damage football financially and as a product.

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Manny Spanoudakis is a name synonymous with success in NSW football, both as a player and a manager. Now, he's returning to familiar territory as the new head coach of St George City FA, a club he first led during their inaugural season nine years ago.

Recently, Spanoudakis served as an Assistant Coach and Technical Analyst at Marconi, working alongside Manager Peter Tsekenis and Assistant Peter Papoythis—a unique role for him, as it marked his first coaching stint outside of a managerial position. His time with the Stallions ended on a high, securing a dominant 3-0 victory over Rockdale llinden in the 2024 NPL Grand Final.

Now at St George City, Spanoudakis reunites not only with the club but also with his son James, who will be the assistant coach under his guidance. James has honed his coaching skills under some great names at St George, including experienced football director Aytek Genc.

In an interview with Soccerscene, Spanoudakis reflects on his recent experience at Marconi, his unique father-son coaching dynamic with James, and his ambitions as the new manager of St George City FA in the NSW NPL1.

[caption id="attachment_26891" align="aligncenter" width="1067"] Manny and his squad celebrate the premiership and promotion.[/caption]

Theo Athans 

Having just completed your stint at Marconi and it ending with great success after a grand final win, what was it like working under experienced coaches and what was your highlight?

Manny Spanoudakis

My tenure at Marconi was the first time ever in my coaching career where I wasn't the head coach. I was very appreciative of the opportunity presented to me by Peter Tsekenis and embraced the project, using it as a platform to enhance my own leadership. The thought process being that ultimately, when I go back to being a head coach, I will have lived life through the lens of a staff coach.

My experience at Marconi was very enjoyable, there was a very good bond and a mutual respect with the head coach (Peter Tsekenis), I had known him and the assistant Peter Papoythis very well, add that to my history and successes as a head coach, we had a real instant connection with a common goal and that goal was to win a trophy for the club.

It was very good to go to a club in that capacity (as a staff coach) and also great to work at such an iconic club like Marconi, what I call a proper football club. I believe Marconi is one of the biggest in the country when it comes to infrastructure and resources that the club has.

Many highlights during my time but you can't go past winning the Grand Final this year to cap off what was a really enjoyable stint at the club.

T.A.

You're joining your son James at St George City, it's a very unique father/son coaching story. How exciting is this opportunity for you but also how has James' coaching journey been like since he stopped playing?

M.S.

It is unique and that uniqueness was a key component of me making the decision to accept the offer at St George City FA. I did have other offers in NPL1 but ultimately, I have a connection with the club, we started the club in 2016 when Aytek Genc, the Head of Football, called me this time nine years ago and said, 'I'm working on a new project, please don't accept an NPL1 job until I run you through it.'

He shared with me a vision of St George City FA and that vision was what has happened right now, the club has spent the last two seasons in NPL1. I'm very proud of my role in the foundational years of the club, my objective was to get the club from NPL4 to NPL2 as quick as possible and I was very lucky to be able to do that within three seasons, winning two trebles along the way.

On that journey my son James was a player. I had limited interaction with him three years prior to that when I had won the treble in NPL2 with St George FC. James was a young player and he did earn a few 1^st grade caps under me during that season.

So as a player he has been a part of the teams I have coached and won championships in NPL2, 3 and 4. Unfortunately James suffered very bad knee injuries, had multiple surgeries and was told at 25 or 26 years of age that his knee won't be able to hold up playing football.

[caption id="attachment_26890" align="alignnone" width="1008"] Manny and James share a special moment after a goal.[/caption]

One thing my dad told me all those years ago when I was playing in the National League was focus on your education so you have a contingency plan and James took our advice and finished a business degree majoring in sports management but at the same time started all his coaching badges.

He made a soft transition at St George City FA and thanks to Aytek's mentorship, James has developed a very astute football brain. He has coached u16's into the 18's into the 20's and this year was the 1^st Grade assistant coach working closely with Mirko Jurilj. At the same time, the club has been supporting him and he's finishing his A licence next month so he's on the right trajectory to be, with a little bit of luck, a very good football manager in the future.

So when the opportunity was presented to me to go back to a club I helped start and had an emotional connection to, and the opportunity to do something I had spoken to my father about before he passed in April which is to work with my son in a coaching capacity, it made the decision very easy for me and I accepted the offer from Aytek.

T.A.

What are your ambitions with St George City FA and how special would it be to win a trophy with them?

M.S.

Aytek and I worked together over 20 years ago in the NSW NPL when I was head coach at St George Saints FC. He was my assistant, and we only had one ambition and that was to win trophies. As much as we all want to win things, we want to build a football program that leaves a legacy and underpins success into the future. When you think of clubs in NSW like Blacktown City, they're always contenders every year.

We don't have the financial resources of other clubs so we need to build our football program and the next evolution of that program, or at least that's what I have been charged with, to make us a contender.

There's no magic wand or multi-millionaire president so there's a process we're going to go through and that process hopefully will allow us to build on the really good work that the club has done in the first two years in NPL1. As a community club, our aim is to build something that's sustainable and can grow organically particularly now with rule changes around grassroots and home-grown players.

We need to leverage the foundation we already have at the club, add to that, evolve, and then build a football program that has us as a top 2 or top 4 contender every year. That's the ultimate goal, for St George City FA to be recognised as a 'club of choice' for aspiring players. The club has built a strong reputation and a brand that allows us to attract really good young talent, take them through the development pathway and deliver them as first team players, ultimately putting them on the shopfront for A-League and beyond.

And if we can win trophies along the way, that's fantastic!

The post Family, Football, and Ambition: Manny Spanoudakis’ Return to St George City FA appeared first on Soccerscene.

According to Josimar Football, American-owned 777 Partners, whose ownership portfolio includes seven football clubs worldwide, was declared bankrupt on Monday.

It has been confirmed that creditors A-Cap are now in control of the shares at each of the clubs but have been urged to sell those stakes 'as soon as possible.'

One of those seven football clubs are Melbourne Victory, who accepted 777's bid for a minority share in the club in October 2022.

The Miami-based 777 Partners bought just 19.9 per cent of the club at a price of $8.7m, with the option of the company eventually taking a controlling stake of 70 per cent in the club.

The other clubs 777 took over were Genoa (Italy), Standard Liege (Belgium), Hertha Berlin (Germany), Red Star (France) and Vasco da Gama (Brazil), while having minority stake in Melbourne Victory and Sevilla (Spain).

777's shady history and poor business dealings

This financial collapse of the private equity investment firm had been forthcoming, after news in May earlier this year that co-founders Josh Wander and Steven Pasko were removed from the board and had stepped back from their roles as managing partners amid financial struggles.

On the football side of their operations, Hertha Berlin and Standard Liege active fans made banners attacking co-founder Josh Wander for his 'corrupt' way of running the clubs transfer and sponsorships dealings. Hertha Berlin in particular had fans aggressively protest outside the Olympiastadion after their relegation in the 2022/23 season.

Co-founder Josh Wander also has a serious criminal history, involving being arrested for possession of stimulants, that is rumoured to have affected his ability to take over Premier League side Everton after he needed to pass the Fit-and-proper owners test regulated by the FA.

From the way they dealt with Bonza to their shocking football club record, everything about this investment group is dubious.

Not a serious situation for Victory

Fortunately for Victory, the stake is minor and unlikely to have too much of an impact on the club's business dealings or financial situation. With 777 being forced to sell that share in the club, Victory will have to look to acquire a new stakeholder, this time a partner with a bit of stability.

A club spokesman talked about the situation at hand.

“777 is still a 19.9 per cent shareholder of Melbourne Victory,” a club spokesman said.

“As a minority shareholder, the latest on 777 has had no effect on Melbourne Victory and its operations.”

This situation has already left an awkward mark on the club last season with 777's own Bonza Airlines falling into administration in May.

Bonza subsequently became the Victory’s principal, front-of-shirt sponsor and collapsed just days before the 2024 A-League Grand Final in Gosford, forcing a quick shirt change to insurance company AIA.

Turkish Airlines replaced Bonza as the flying partner of the club and joined the club in March, potentially as a backup plan for the inevitable Bonza implosion.

Conclusion

This news is positive for Melbourne Victory despite the negative implications on the surface level. It allows the club to get away from the disreputable, unreliable 777 Partners and focus on handing the 19.9% stake to partners that are more responsible.

Victory's business dealings have been superb in recent seasons, growing their already large corporate portfolio and continuing to be one of the richest clubs in the A-League.

Under new manager Patrick Kisnorbo, Victory will look to get back to A-League glory for the first time since 2017/18, whilst also consistently providing some of the largest attendance numbers in the country.

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Adelaide United have confirmed a new partnership with family-owned business Vamp Cranes, whose logo will proudly appear on the back of the Men’s ISUZU-UTE A-League Away Shirt for the next two seasons.

Vamp Cranes, a crane and rigging company with locations in Adelaide and Melbourne, boasts over 50 years of combined industry experience. Known for tackling a wide range of projects, from standard lifts to intricate environmental retrofits, their extensive fleet and expert team ensure that every job is completed with precision and the highest standards of quality.

This partnership between Vamp Cranes and Adelaide United reflects their shared values of excellence, dedication, and family—core principles both organisations hold dear.

General Manager of Vamp Cranes, Ross Cucuzza expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership.

“As a family-owned business, we are thrilled to partner with ‘The People’s Club," Cucuzza stated in a press release.

“Adelaide United’s commitment to their community and excellence on and off the field aligns perfectly with our company’s values.

“We look forward to standing behind the team, literally and figuratively, in the seasons to come,”

Adelaide United’s Head of Commercial, Fabrizio Petrone, welcomed Vamp Cranes into the Club’s family.

“We are delighted to welcome Vamp Cranes to the Adelaide United family," Petrone said in a press release.

“Their strong dedication to excellence and family values resonates with the culture we have here at the Club. We look forward to building a strong and successful partnership together."

The two-year agreement signifies Vamp Cranes’ strong commitment to supporting the team and the broader football community, with their logo prominently featured on the away shirt.

For Adelaide United, they continue to agree partnership deals with local businesses, adding a third in as many weeks to both their men's and women's teams.

It is a very clear message from the Reds that they have a sharp focus on supporting local businesses in the state and also on the field as well as finding the next Nestory Irankunda or Joe Gauci.

The PSV partnership as well as these recent local partnerships cap off what has been an amazing preseason for one of the leagues founders, and they hope to build financially beyond transfers as well as progress into the top six of the table for the upcoming season.

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Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have confirmed Matildas star Mary Fowler and New Zealand goalkeeper Alex Paulsen have been named the 2024 Austraffic PFA Young Footballers of the Year, as voted by their peers.

The pair were recognised by PFA members as standout performers from a competitive shortlist that included Kyra Cooney-Cross, Charlotte Grant, Kaitlyn Torpey, Nestory Irankunda, Jordan Bos, and Alessandro Circati.

This marks Fowler’s second time winning the award, while Paulsen becomes the third New Zealand international to claim the honour, following Marco Rojas and Liberato Cacace.

The award recognises the performances of players in the A-Leagues and Australian players abroad between June 2023 and June 2024, for those under 23 at the time.

Austraffic PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year: Mary Fowler

Fowler had an impressive season in the English Women’s Super League, scoring four goals and providing six assists as she helped Manchester City to a second-place finish, just behind champions Chelsea on goal difference.

Internationally, the 21-year-old shone for the Matildas, playing in six of their seven matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and playing a key role in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she scored four goals in five Olympic qualifying matches.

Having previously won the award in 2022, Fowler joins Alex Chidiac (2017, 2018) and Ellie Carpenter (2020, 2021) as a two-time winner of the PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Mary Fowler spoke on the award win and how much it means for her to be recognised by the PFA.

“It means a lot to me,” Fowler said.

“I think it’s one of the best awards I can receive because getting something from the players I play alongside, and play against, it means a lot to me to see that they think I’m doing well and give me that kind of recognition. I just feel super grateful for that.”

Austraffic PFA Young Men’s Footballer of the Year (PFA Harry Kewell Medal): Alex Paulsen

Alex Paulsen has been awarded the prestigious PFA Harry Kewell Medal following an impressive breakout season with Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men.

The 22-year-old cemented his position as Wellington’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 2023-24 pre-season and went on to play a key role in helping Giancarlo Italiano's team secure a spot in the finals with a series of outstanding performances between the posts.

Paulsen’s stellar form earned him multiple accolades, including A-League Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and the Fan Player of the Year award. He also shared the A-League Men’s Young Footballer of the Year title with Nestory Irankunda.

His impact throughout the season saw him selected for the 2023-24 PFA A-League Men Team of the Season, where he was named captain after receiving the highest number of votes from his peers.

Alex Paulsen spoke highly on his award win.

“I’m proud to receive such a prestigious award,” Paulsen said.

“Only two Kiwis have won this award (previously) so to be up in that bracket is amazing and I’m really proud of receiving such an accolade.

“It means more to be voted by my peers and my teammates. I feel very honoured to receive this award. Twelve months ago, I wasn’t really – with regards to Wellington Phoenix – in the picture to be considered the No.1, and to be given an opportunity by ‘Chiefy’ (Italiano) to be involved with the Wellington Phoenix and to be the No.1 was fantastic.”

At the conclusion of the terrific 2023/24 campaign, Paulsen signed with English Premier League club Bournemouth but returned to the A-League Men on loan to join new expansion team Auckland FC, the city where he was born and raised.

Paulsen becomes the third New Zealand player to win the Young Men’s Footballer of the Year, following Marco Rojas (2013) and Liberato Cacace (2020). He is also the third goalkeeper to receive the honour, joining Socceroos Mat Ryan (2012, 2014, 2015) and Mitch Langerak (2010).

Austraffic have been the sponsor for the PFA's Footballer of the Year Awards since 2009 and the traffic engineering and information technology specialists have been in business since 1983 undertaking thousands of traffic, transport and pedestrian studies in all states and territories of Australia and New Zealand.

The PFA will confirm the 2024 Austraffic Men’s and Women’s Footballers of the Year next week.

The post Fowler and Paulsen win 2024 PFA Young Footballer Awards appeared first on Soccerscene.

For the 2024/25 Premier League season, Liverpool FC have made sure to hit the ground running under new manager Arne Slot by teaming up with Husqvarna in an official groundskeeping partnership.

The multi-year global agreement was struck in July, where Husqvarna - a market leader in innovative and high-quality products and services for shaping green spaces in parks, forests and gardens - is with one of the world’s most historic and famous football clubs in Liverpool FC.

By being the official groundskeeping partner of Liverpool FC, the Merseyside outfit will be treated to pristine playing conditions at training and gameday in a collaboration that is the first of its kind for both organisations.

Liverpool has already been using Husqvarna’s robotic mowers since 2021, maintaining high quality standards across the AXA Training Centre, and AXA Melwood Training Centre.

This partnership will see Husqvarna provide the very best state-of-the-art equipment and innovative solutions for the Ground Management team at Liverpool FC, to maintain elite playing surfaces and its upkeep for all men’s and women’s teams.

Yvette Henshall-Bell, President Europe, Forest & Garden Division at Husqvarna, has been one of the key people to orchestrate the deal.

From the conversations that were had between Husqvarna’s Head Office in Sweden and linking up with the team in the UK, it made a logical partnership become a reality.

“Through this partnership, Husqvarna’s state-of-the-art equipment and innovative solutions will be more deeply integrated into LFC’s groundskeeping teams’ daily routines and pitch upkeep, making it a key part of creating and maintaining optimal conditions for elite level playing and training,” Henshall-Bell told Soccerscene.

“In addition, with the collaboration, Husqvarna looks forward to learning from some of the best groundskeepers in the world – enhancing our offer even further.”

Liverpool FC fans attending home matches at Anfield are also given a glimpse of what they can expect to see when they host Brentford on Matchday 2 of the Premier League.

“LFC will help raise Husqvarna’s global profile through bespoke content and activations using its award-winning social platforms, which enjoy a combined global following of 186 million,” Spence said.

“Additionally, Husqvarna branding will also be featured on the digital LED boards during matches, reaching over 400 million TV viewers per season around the world, enhancing Husqvarna’s brand visibility and awareness on a truly global scale.”

[caption id="attachment_26400" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Yvette Henshall-Bell, President Europe, Forest & Garden Division at Husqvarna.[/caption]

As a global brand, Husqvarna products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. This includes Australia, where Liverpool FC have tapped into an International Academy in the country.

“As the partnership has only just been announced, we are currently scoping out what our local Australian activation looks like,” Vienna Spence, Marketing Manager for Husqvarna’s Brand Division Australia said.

Visit Husqvarna’s Australian-based website for the latest products and offers by clicking the link here.

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FIFPRO has recently released their annual Player Performance and Recovery report for 2024, this report is developed by FIFPRO IQ in conjunction with Football Benchmark, a leading data and analysis group on football business.

The report explains in detail the problems facing professional footballers by leaders within the industry and the players themselves. This report not only factors in the physical impact of the sport but also the psychological impact.

FIFPRO’s Player Workload Monitoring tool (PWM) the primary system behind this report monitors 1500 players spread across 100 leagues and 150 nationalities.

They have pointed out the obvious lack of appreciation by tournament organisers for the physical and mental well-being of football players and an evident lack of organised calendar planning.

Acting FIFPRO General Secretary Stephane Burchkalter stressed the importance of this report via press release:

“We release these reports for a good reason. Because, today, we face one of the most serious and urgent problems in our sport. A problem that results from the abuse of governance and a failure of the duty of care. The holistic workload that confronts our players is unprecedented. It has produced a physical and mental fatigue that is now dangerous.”

With increased match loads, travel loads and shortening of preparation the risks have never been higher with 54% of PMW players experiencing excessive or high-demand workloads.

88% of players' time is recorded to be spent in the workplace environment and 17% in national team environments.

The world-renowned Uruguayan coach Marco Bielsa stated via press release:

“To ignore the consequences of the number of games and amount of travelling will end in injuries for any player."

This report identifies that some players have seen their free time fall to nearly 12% of the calendar year, which adds up to less than a single day off per week. This fails to comply with international Occupational Safety and Health standards.

There have been calls for a guaranteed rest period which 72% of players and 78% of coaches support.

As the demand for games grows and the push for more revenue skyrockets, the players see their health and voices continue to deteriorate.

This report and FIFAPRO highlight the firm action that needs to happen to protect the stars of the sport.

For more information about the report, read more here.

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Following a distinguished coaching career that included reaching the heights of the Premier League, Scott Miller is now embracing the next chapter of his professional journey.

No stranger to Australian football, Miller was Head Coach of the Newcastle Jets Men’s team and as an assistant coach for the Socceroos leading up to the 2014 World Cup. With extensive international experience from his time at Fulham FC, where he witnessed everything coaching had to offer, Miller decided in 2023 that a new direction was needed.

Now, as the Chief Commercial Officer at iReel, a Gen AI sports technology company, Miller combines his passion for coaching and sports technology to deliver valuable solutions to sporting organisations. iReel's vision is to become the leading provider of Gen AI in sport, and Miller is at the forefront of this innovative journey.

In this interview with Soccerscene, Miller reflects on his 17 years in coaching, the lessons he’s learned from working overseas compared to Australia, how iReel presented itself as an opportunity, and why sports technology is essential in today’s sporting landscape.

You’ve had experience from the Premier League to the A-League. How has your journey been so far?

Scott Miller: My background originally stems from playing in the Victorian Premier League. I signed with former NSL team the Gippsland Falcons as a youth and came through their youth system, but I didn’t make a senior appearance due to a serious leg injury. This injury gave me clarity about the longevity of a career in sport as an athlete, which led me to pursue a degree in exercise science at ACU in Melbourne.

During that time, my interest in physical performance and its alignment with football grew. I took the initiative to make as many contacts overseas as possible, which was quite a challenge pre-LinkedIn, relying on handwritten letters. I was fortunate to have family in London, which allowed me to explore opportunities there. I landed a role at Fulham FC, starting in their academy system and eventually working with the first team. Within six months, I was offered a full-time contract with the Premier League team, marking the beginning of an exciting 10-year journey.

My time at Fulham was filled with learning opportunities, including earning my UEFA A license and a degree in sports psychology. I worked with top-level managers like Chris Coleman, Roy Hodgson, Mark Hughes, Martin Jol, René Meulensteen, and Felix Magath. These experiences helped shape my career, leading to a role as an assistant coach, where we achieved multiple top-10 finishes and reached the 2010 Europa League final against Atletico Madrid—a highlight of my time at Fulham.

Were you always looking to get into coaching, or did your injury force your hand?

Scott Miller: Coaching wasn’t my initial plan, but it became a natural evolution for me. Roy Hodgson, in particular, inspired me with his methodology and the impact he had on players. With my background in high performance, football knowledge, and a passion for psychology, I naturally transitioned into coaching. By the age of 27, I was delivering sessions to Premier League players, covering various aspects of training outside of tactics.

My journey into coaching continued when Ange Postecoglou invited me to join him as an assistant with the Socceroos, which was a fantastic experience. Later, he recommended me for the head coaching role at Newcastle Jets at just 33 years old. My time working with some of the best players and coaches in the Premier League was invaluable in shaping my approach to coaching.

What insights can you share from your experiences in the UK?

Scott Miller: Football culture in the UK is deeply ingrained—it's more than just a sport; it’s a way of life. The Premier League is a global phenomenon, vastly larger in scale than the A-League, with financial and commercial resources that drive innovation and performance.

Another key difference is the highly competitive environment. The standards are ruthless, and if you’re not up to par, you’re quickly replaced. This applies to everyone, from coaches to players and support staff. I experienced this firsthand, often finding myself as the cultural link between outgoing and incoming managers due to my role as a central figure in the club's operations.

The financial resources available in the Premier League also allow for greater opportunities for coaches to build sustainable careers. The remuneration packages are significantly different compared to the A-League, providing a stable foundation for those working in football.

You are now the Chief Commercial Officer at iReel. How did that transition come about?

Scott Miller: Coaching has been a significant part of my life since I was 24, but after nearly two decades, I felt the need for a new challenge. I wanted to innovate, develop new skills, and contribute to a space that is pioneering and future-focused. The opportunity to join iReel came at the perfect time.

James Doyle, the founder of iReel, reached out to me, and knowing him for some time, I was excited to join the venture. iReel is at the forefront of Gen AI in sports, and the chance to build technology that can transform the sporting industry was too good to pass up. It’s a different kind of challenge but one that’s equally rewarding.

Why would you recommend a career in sports technology for post-playing careers?

Scott Miller: Sports technology offers a unique opportunity for players looking to transition after their playing careers. The skills developed in sports, such as communication, leadership, and performance, are highly transferable to the tech space.

The sports tech industry allows you to stay involved in the sport while also building its future. Unlike coaching or analysis roles that are often dependent on performance results, a career in sports tech lets you create something from the ground up. It's a powerful and fulfilling path that I highly recommend to anyone looking to stay connected to sports in a meaningful way.

For full information on iReel and to contact the team, you can do so here.

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In nearly every profession, workplace safety is a basic right, supported by regulatory and legal frameworks designed to protect employees from accidents and injuries on the job.

However, for footballers, these basic rights are frequently disregarded, as players face abuse, violence, and threats globally.

A football player's workplace extends beyond the pitch, where visible acts of violence can also occur, to other areas such as the stadium, changing rooms, bus rides to matches, training grounds, and even their family homes.

A FIFPRO report from November underscores the extent and consequences of fan violence and abuse towards professional male footballers, while proposing measures to enhance workplace safety and safeguard player well-being.

The report titled ‘FIFPRO Men’s Football Workplace Safety Report: The Impact of Violence Towards Footballers in Their Workplace,’ is based on player interviews, a survey of 41 national player unions, and media analyses. The report is supported by an academic research paper authored by Dr. Joel Rookwood, Director of the Sport & Exercise Management degree at University College Dublin.

Although 85 percent of player unions believe that the relationship between fans and players is generally very positive and valuable, 76 percent expressed concern over the growing issue of workplace safety for professional footballers, and 66 percent noted that certain aspects of fan culture have become increasingly violent and abusive in recent years.

The survey results are backed by a Council of Europe committee report, published in November under the Saint-Denis Convention, which states that the number of arrests at sports events, especially in top-tier football leagues, is significant and increasingly problematic.

Particular concerns include the use of flares or projectiles, but violence also extends to players being attacked by pitch invaders or targeted from the stands with verbal abuse, which can be discriminatory or directed at their families. Many instances of abuse remain hidden and unreported, as threats and aggression become increasingly normalised.

Abuse and violence have concerning effects: 88 percent of unions reported that the threat of violence negatively impacts player performance, while 83 percent noted its contribution to mental health issues.

Unions support greater use of technology to identify and deter offenders: 98 percent believe that devices like security scanners and facial recognition would enhance player safety; 88 percent think clubs should do more to ban violent fans, and most agree that additional efforts are needed to engage with fans about how abuse and violence affect player well-being.

One anonymous men’s footballer in the report mentioned the media is complicit because they constantly criticise players, which sets a negative example for others.

Some notable cases include Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr facing repeated racial abuse on the field, including during a game against Valencia last year in May. Several fans directed racist gestures at the Brazilian player, resulting in Valencia’s stadium being closed for three matches and a €27,000 fine.

The report also mentions an insight into women’s football, while it becomes more professionally globally and fan rivalries intensify, concerns about workplace safety and security are becoming increasingly relevant.

Initial survey results reveal that 34% of unions have observed an increase in workplace violence in women’s football, highlighting the rise of match day safety concerns in the women’s game.

Players, unions, clubs, and legislators have suggested a range of solutions to address violence against players, including enhanced awareness of occupational health and safety in professional football and its application to players, enhanced in-stadium policing, stewarding, and surveillance and Collaboration among key stakeholders.

The report has been created by FIFPRO Player IQ, a player-centric knowledge centre designed to influence decision-making in the football industry to safeguard and enhance the careers and working conditions of professional footballers.

To read the full FIFPRO report, click here.

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Football Australia has confirmed that Paramount Australia, the parent company of Network 10 and Paramount+, will be the official broadcaster for the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos in Australia. This deal includes the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ hosted in Australia and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™.

Over 100 international matches featuring the Matildas and Socceroos will be broadcast live, with at least 50 available on free-to-air TV.

Paramount has also secured exclusive rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™, in a partnership with IMG.

The agreement extends through 2028, encompassing all CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos friendly matches, AFC tournaments, and Australia Cup Finals. This deal, specifically with ING, also consolidates broadcasting rights under a single platform, ensuring extensive coverage across 96% of Australian households.

With the CommBank Young Matildas opener in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ kicking off on September 1st, 2024, fans will immediately benefit from this deal.

James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia, remarked: “This landmark agreement with Paramount Australia is a pivotal moment for Australian football. It brings unprecedented exposure to our national teams and provides fans with unparalleled access to the CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos.

“Innovation is the cornerstone of our approach to sustaining and expanding the influence of Australian football. Reacquiring the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) National Team rights and securing the broadcast rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ are strategic moves designed to maximise control over our content, enhance fan accessibility, and unlock new revenue streams.

"These rights are integral to our strategy to secure a transformative broadcast deal that we anticipate will set new benchmarks in the valuation of football media rights in Australia. Bringing as much national team content as possible to a multi-platform partner was a key objective from a fan's perspective, and we are thrilled to achieve this.

"We look forward to our continued partnership with Paramount Australia, a relationship that has been pivotal in delivering high-quality football matches to our fans. This ongoing collaboration will be crucial as we navigate future opportunities and challenges in the dynamic media landscape.

"We also extend our gratitude to the IMG team for their invaluable support in navigating this complex negotiation with all parties involved and our friends at FIFA and AFC for their tremendous support and collaboration," concluded Mr. Johnson.

This agreement reinforces Paramount Australia's commitment to Australian football, which boasts the highest participation rate of club sport in the country and is the leading organized sport for children under 14.

With exclusive coverage of the A-Leagues, Paramount has been involved in Australian football for many years and continue to provide football fans with local broadcasts.

“Australian football fans are the winners here,” said Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Paramount Australia’s Head of Streaming and Regional Lead.

“Never before have fans had such incredible access to the sport they love, ranging from the A-Leagues all the way through to premium international games broadcast on one free-to-air network and one of Australia’s fastest-growing streaming platforms.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of the Paramount Australia agreement, which we see as an exciting extension of our coverage of the A-Leagues, is the opportunity for women’s football.

“All CommBank Matildas’ games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will be telecast by Network 10 on free-to-air television, as will all Matildas’ games in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™,” Ms. McGarvey said.

Fans can access the broadcasts via Network 10 and/or Paramount+ subscriptions, exactly like the A-Leagues coverage.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive fan engagement opportunities, and social media initiatives will be part of this comprehensive coverage.

The full list of rights included in the agreement are:

• AFC Asian Qualifiers (FIFA World Cup 2026™ Asian Qualifiers Final Round)
  5 Sep 24 - Australia v Bahrain on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Sep 24 - Indonesia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  10 Oct 24 - Australia v China PR on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  15 Oct 24 - Japan v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  14 Nov 24 - Australia v Saudi Arabia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  19 Nov 24 - Bahrain v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  20 Mar 25 - Australia v Indonesia on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  25 Mar 25 - China PR v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
  5 Jun 25 - Australia v Japan on Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount+.
  10 Jun 25 - Saudi Arabia v Australia exclusive on Paramount+.
• FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ (15 matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ (six matches on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ (all matches exclusively on Paramount+).
• AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ and 2028™.
• All CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos International Friendlies 2025 to 2028 (15 CommBank Matildas Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+ and 10 Subway Socceroos’ Friendlies on Network 10, all matches on Paramount+).
• Australia Cup Finals 2025 to 2028.

The post Football Australia and Paramount Australia confirm historic multi-year media rights deal appeared first on Soccerscene.

Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) has created a working group for a strategy of the implementation of the men’s and women’s regional premier competitions for either the 2025 or 2026 season.

This league will try and represent the regional talent of NNSWF and give regional areas a more structured pathway for their talent and ensure that they can compete at a higher level without the need for relocation.

The working group will be made up of regional club representatives, regional zone representatives and NNSWF staff members.

The Term of Reference explains the main objectives of the working group are:

1. To develop a sustainable model for the RPC that complements existing community football structures.
2. To ensure the model aligns with NNSWF's strategic goals and benefits all stakeholders involved.
3. To consult with key stakeholders to gather insights and ensure broad support for the proposed competition.
4. To present a detailed model for the RPC to the NNSWF Board of Directors for approval, with an aim for implementation in 2025 or 2026.

There will be regular meetings, surveys, and public forums. with stakeholders throughout the process where they will be engaged in the creation of the draft plans for the competitions.

Some of these important progress dates are:

1. September 2024 they will have conducted stakeholder consultations develop a draft operating model and presented it to the regional Member Zones.
2. Present the final model to the NNSWF Board of Directors for approval by October 2024.
3. Implement the approved RPC model for the 2025 or 2026 football season, if they have Board approval.

This initiative strongly supports the strategic pillars outlined in the NNSWF Strategic Plan 2024-2026 which include: Talent Development for All, Participation for All and Showcasing our Game.

This working group is a positive and collaborative approach to the creation of an important new milestone competition for the huge regional areas in the NNSWF.

The working group is a diverse group of people with expertise in the region, this is so important for making sure the voices of the actual regional players and communities are heard, and the design of these big association developments can be moulded by the people most affected.

It will be interesting to see how this development continues in one of the most unique Australian footballing associations and its efforts to tackle the isolation of regional football in Australia.

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John Tsatsimas, Chief Executive Officer of Football New South Wales, experienced the joys of football at an early age when he was exposed to NSW State League competition by his father.

The memories of the first national competition (NSL) launched in 1977 on the Australian sporting landscape are still transfixed in his mind.

His first official post was as General Counsel at Newcastle Jets before he assumed the role of CEO at the club from 2007-2011.

Perhaps his finest hour was as CEO of Western Sydney Wanderers when the club won the Asian Cup in 2014 under the astute guidance of senior coach, Tony Popovic.

Significantly, he also presided over the establishment of major infrastructure innovations at the Wanderers base in Rooty Hill between 2012-2022, including the creation of multiple football fields and amenities which are the envy of most sports in Australia.

[caption id="attachment_26147" align="aligncenter" width="808"] Match action in the 2024 Football NSW Men's Waratah Cup Final between Rockdale Illiden and APIA Leichhardt at Jubilee Stadium (Photos: Damian Briggs/FNSW)[/caption]

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the experienced administrator at the Wanderers as he witnessed the changing of the coaching guard five times and the failure of the club to make finals football in the last four seasons , prior to his departure in May, 2022.

Nevertheless, John Tsatsimas is a resilient football administrator and since his appointment as CEO at FNSW in November 2022, he has applied all his skills in guiding the organisation on a steady course of stability.

In this interview with Roger Sleeman, John Tsatsimas discusses all things football.

ROGER SLEEMAN

You’ve held CEO positions at Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Football N.S.W.

Do you think the game is making sufficient progress?

JOHN TSATSIMAS

The game has evolved over the last twenty years and we’ve seen a lot of changes at a professional level.

It has grown exponentially in playing numbers in this period but there are always challenges re-emerging in different ways.

Also, the presence of a multitude of sports played in the country which compete for funding is a major challenge to the amateur and professional game

R.S.

Football has enjoyed large participation rates since the mid 1960’s.

How can this be translated into support at senior level?

J.T.

That’s the million dollar question as the game has historically been a  gateway for young people to play sport ,and trying to retain their support is the biggest issue in the face of increasing demand for infrastructure and the large choice of activities available to them.

Therefore, we need to provide better coaching, improved training facilities and more effective  engagement with an emphasis on providing pathways for players to compete at the highest level and increasing their appetite to follow senior football.

R.S.

NPL Men’s and Women’s football competitions are poorly attended.

In contrast, three weeks ago, Canterbury v Canberra in the NRL drew a crowd of 18,000 at Belmore Oval, while Sydney Olympic are lucky to get attendances of 500 at that ground.

What is  FNSW doing to address this situation?

J.T.

Rugby League has been entrenched since 1908 on the Eastern seaboard but they have very small playing numbers compared to football.

Also, we have competitions where matches are played at the same time due to the large fixture schedule.

People who attend NRL in the main don’t play the game as opposed to our constituents who either coach, play , are spectators or are involved  with transport assistance or fulfil volunteer roles.

Consequently, our sport has large numbers of people who are involved at grass roots while senior football is being played which reduces the spectator pool significantly.

[caption id="attachment_26146" align="aligncenter" width="891"] John Tsatsimas handing out the awards at the Gala event[/caption]

R.S.

Are you satisfied with the level of promotion for NPL football, in view of the very high standard of football produced this season?

J.T.

Certainly, the standard this year has been very high and we must give full credit to coaches and players.

However, it’s not the A-League and in the winter months the presence of the established senior codes, NRL and AFL and the blanket media coverage they receive, is more than challenging.

We are continually looking at ways to improve spectator numbers but there has also been a record number of viewers watching YouTube television this year so the interest in the competition is definitely there.

Also, people can watch up to six games through this medium which proves we are accessing the target markets.

R.S.

Match times for the NPL Men’s competition range from 3 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Why can’t we go back to the traditional 3 p.m kick off times for all first team games?

J.T.

The women’s programs are mainly played on Sunday and with the exploding growth of their game, it does create great pressure on facility availability.

Ideally, 3 p.m. kick offs as in former times would be welcome but ultimately the NPL clubs can make their own decisions about playing schedules without direction from FNSW.

R.S.

What is FNSW doing to reduce playing fees for elite football and other amateur participants?

J.T.

It’s a long standing issue but other sports have large broadcasting assistance and obviously a smaller cost base to subsidise their amateur players.

Amateur football clubs aren’t running a business and the costs are infinite, e.g. coaching, field hire council lighting, football gear and insurance.

If we had a silver bullet to change the situation, there would be reform where funding was provided from top down to support amateur football.

However, if we have players who haven’t the means to play at elite level we will attempt to assist them, just as amateur clubs will do if necessary.

R.S.

What is your opinion of the proposed National Second Tier?

J.T.

It’s been long talked about but we’re focusing on our competition.

We certainly won’t stand in the way of any club which has the aspiration to play in a higher level of competition.

As long as our existing clubs are fully invested in NPL football at the present time, we aren’t making any judgement on their desire to participate in the National Second Tier.

Critically, if there is going to be a successful NST, there really has to be representation from all states and a framework for promotion and relegation.

The problem is, the current model for the APL stipulates there won’t be any promotion and relegation until 2034.

[caption id="attachment_26152" align="aligncenter" width="911"] Match action in the NPLNSW Women’s Grand Final between Bulls Academy FC and Macarthur Rams at Valentine Sports Park (Photos: Damian Briggs/Speedmedia)[/caption]

R.S.

After your extensive involvement in the A-league, what is your opinion of its current standing?

J.T.

Challenging times, but I’d like to thing those in charge would give it direction and provide aspiration for junior players to progress through the ranks of NPL to A-League, to Matilda and Socceroo status and then seek out opportunities overseas which will boost the strength of the Socceroos and Matildas.

This can’t be achieved without a functional and successful APL which needs support from everybody in the game.

R.S.

How can we get more former players involved in the game?

J.T.

It’s often a case of creating positions but not every former player wants to stay in the game after their playing career has finished.

It’s a work in progress which has to be considered carefully because former players can definitely add so much to many areas of the game.

R.S.

Can the F.A. show better leadership?

J.T.

Those at the helm of the F.A. join the organisation with the best of intentions and similarly the APL.

However, the sport needs to move away from the pockets of success and grow the game on a consistent basis.

This is the greatest challenge for the governing body and after the success of the Women’s World Cup, the announcement by the Federal government of $200 million funding for women’s sport, with only a small portion allocated  to women’s football, was unexplainable.

These are the issues which require serious attention and strong leadership.

The post John Tsatsimas – Leading the Charge at Football New South Wales appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football Australia has partnered with the Australian Government to support the growth of elite football in the neighbouring Pacific nations.

Through the four-year investment deal delivered by PacificAus Sports, this new partnership will focus primarily on regular international competitions between Australian and Pacific Island international teams.

The outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific.

These competitions will include both men’s and women’s teams from all age groups.

The renewed partnership follows a number of successful initiatives involving Pacific nations, starting with the 2019 Pacific Tour to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga by Australia’s Junior Matildas, before expanding to include Australian age-group men’s and women’s national football teams.

Furthermore, this will include futsal national teams and competitions and allow for regular competitive games for pacific nations against upcoming and experienced Australian teams.

This partnership will also aim to deliver capacity building initiatives for the development of players, officials and administrators in the Pacific.

In conjunction with this, PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’.

Though Australia left the Oceania Football federation (OFC) for the Asian Federation in 2006, due to the geographical proximity of the pacific nations, Football Australia has always tried to maintain a strong and supportive relationship with its island neighbours.

Football Australia’s Chair Anter Issac commented:

“Australian football has many natural connections and intersections with the Pacific through a long-shared history of the game in this region. The surge in interest and inspiration for the game across the Pacific, particularly after our co-hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand™, is undeniable,” he said via media release.

“Our relationship with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is a cornerstone of our regional strategy.

“The collaborative efforts between Football Australia and OFC and Member Associations across the region have been critical in strengthening our ties within the Pacific, allowing us to work together towards common objectives and ensuring the continued development of football in the region.”

Australia’s wealth and talent in football is a massive asset for its neighbours and one which they count on for a lot of support.

It will also help to try and bring connection and personal links with the sport and the local communities to help with the growing support of the sport in the region.

Additionally, there is opportunity for investors and sponsors to gain huge benefits form this partnership and its future.

For Australia, this initiative in supporting the Pacific Island’s football both helps develop Pacific footballing quality, and connects the entire region closer.

The post Football Australia joins with the Australian Government in supporting Pacific football appeared first on Soccerscene.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have released their annual Player Development Program (PDP) Report for 2023/2024.

This is an overall summary of the achievements and breakdown of data form the PFA  Programs with recognition of their important figures and feedback.

Established by the PFA in 2013, the PDP is the PFA’s approach to player development. The PDP is supported by the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) between the PFA, on behalf of the players, the Australian Professional Leagues and Football Australia.

Jackson Irvine, current Socceroo and PFA President sets the tone of the PFA mission.

“I firmly believe in the importance of footballers balancing their careers on the pitch with pursuits and interests off it. Personally, I’ve always felt that my identity and passions extend beyond football, enabling me to maintain a healthy balance off the field and be well-prepared for the inevitable transition after I hang up my boots.”

The Program’s overall objectives cover the 3 program sections of supporting players in their Career, Wellbeing and Retirement.

These objectives are:

1. To deliver high quality, evidence-based programs and services to ensure that players have access to the best education, information and practical skill building.
2. Empowering players to ensure a successful transition and retirement into a meaningful and fulfilling life.
3. To ensure the connection between players, the PFA and the game continues beyond their retirement as a player.
4. Establishing and foster industry commitment and awareness of player development.

Career:

This program is to ensure players develop an understanding of the industry, including their rights and responsibilities while transitioning into new environments in professional football.

Some of the resulting data includes:

• 203 Education grants provided to players.
• 211 players undertook PDP induction.
• 435 A-Leagues players attended PFA skill development workshops.
• 47 National Team players attended a financial education, tax and superannuation workshop.

Wellbeing

Player’s wellbeing has been the most evident growing part of the PDP.

The PFA PDP provides players access to a variety of programs and services to support their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Through the PFA’s Mental Health Referral Network players and family members have been able to get confidential access to a selection psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists.

Through then PFA’s new partnership with Sporting Chance Clinic UK the PFA can now deliver UK base Clinical support for players in the European leagues.

This network has been used to fight the many wellbeing areas in need of support

Some of these involve:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Relationship breakdown
• Addiction
• Grief
• Body issues
• Performance anxiety

The PFA has recorded that 1,082 Confidential counselling sessions were provided to players in the 23/24 season.

A massive increase if you compared to just 773 sessions in the 22/23 season and 141 in 20/21 season.

Rita Mankowska, the PFA Head of Player Development, comments: “The new partnership with UK-based Sporting Chance Clinic will enhance the PFA’s mental health services available to players based overseas.

“The new partnership will positively impact over 150 of the PFA’s overseas based members and their partners, granting them access to receive emotional or mental health support by accredited expert practitioners in European-friendly time zones.”

Also, within the Wellbeing Program there has been:

• 10 GameReady recovery machines provided to players to support their recovery from injury.
• 30 Heart Health, Concussion and Skin Cancer Checks for Past Players.
• 45 Skin Cancer Checks for National Team Players.
• 115 players that undertook concussion, betting and match fixing education.

Retirement

A source of immense pressure for players in their relatively short careers is their eventual retirement opportunities.

The PFA focuses on fully preparing players for their eventual retirement by exploring post football careers and incentivising off field development and education.

In this season:

• 150 players joined the PFA Past Player Program.
• 18 past player events held across most major cities including 6 Women's World Cup special events.
• 76 players attended PFA centralised coaching courses.
• 16 players entered the PFA x Deloitte Salesforce Career Training Program.

Before the conclusion of each A-League season, the PFA invited all members to give feedback on the PFA PDP and staff.

The result of this review is a massive success:

• 97% of players were either slightly or extremely satisfied with the PDP.
• 97% satisfaction of PFA skill development workshops.
• 97% satisfaction of PFA education grants.
• 95% satisfaction of the PFA's Mental Health Referral Network.

These results solidify the healthy support the PFA receives in their effective programs and integral place in the Australian Footballing framework.

The PFA’s expansion into the UK with their Mental Health Referral Network also indicates their drive for expansion and still delivering top quality support for Australians who want to follow a career overseas.

This Player Development Program shows great promise and a rewarding metric for the PFA to try and exceed in the coming 2024/25 season.

You can read the PDP Report 2024 in full by visiting the link here.

The post Professional Footballers Australia’s 2023/2024 Player Development Program Report highlights continued growth in mental health and education support appeared first on Soccerscene.

South Melbourne FC is one of the most successful and famous Australian clubs, a powerhouse in the National Soccer League and Victorian NPL and is now set to be part of the establishment for the National Second Tier (NST) to arrive in 2025.

David Clarkson is a hall of famer at South Melbourne and one of the prominent players during the golden years of their dominance in the NSL from 1996-2003.

After years in the A-League within development, he has recently returned to the club to become their Head of Community Football Programs.

Soccerscene recently sat down with Clarkson, alongside South Melbourne FC President Nicholas Maikousis, to ask about why he joined the club, what are some of the new initiatives, and how these fit into the club's position in the NST and also the local community.

Congratulations on your new role David, what made you return to this club?

David Clarkson: I had played before with the club for seven years and had an amazing time. What we did speaks for itself with a great bunch of people on and off the pitch.

Nick’s been at the club for 35 years and he was around when I was playing, we have had a strong relationship and we’ve remained friends.

Why do you think you wanted to participate in this initiative?

David Clarkson: I do my best thinking when I'm running and one day I was out and thought I wanted to speak to Nick again, and I wanted to put another proposal.

Nick said that ultimately it was the timing that worked.

I've learned a lot over the journey and for many years I worked in the A-League.

As the football environment changed, I believe I'm able to bring those learnings back to this club which is part of my DNA and always in my heart; I know it sounds cliché but it’s the truth.

Where I feel I can add benefit to the club is in this community space, working with juniors and bringing people back. South Melbourne is a big brand, and a big brand must deliver.

I'm really excited about the opportunity for myself and the club.

What are the initiatives and strategies you were planning to roll out?

David Clarkson: We wanted to start with the basics and that is setting up holiday camps. We know in this day and age that parents are looking for things for their kids to do during the school holidays.

Why not go to your local football club and do something you enjoy?

We had very little lead-in time for these school holidays, and we got around 50 boys and girls each doing the program.

From these camps, we plan to grow and add in more initiatives, including things such as pre-academy programs and squad development programs.

Nicholas Maikousis: Due to our history, we have a lot of community clubs that are South Melbourne-friendly clubs for decades.

As a resource, David will be able to further support the relationship with these community clubs, so his role is critical in managing those relationships and adding value to those South Melbourne community clubs.

David Clarkson: On top of that, we must respect our past. This Club has an unbelievably rich history with not just players but terrific individuals.

We won four national championships over the journey and for these individuals, South Melbourne is still who they are. I want to reach out to those old members and bring them back, and I feel that’s an important part of this role.

South Melbourne is one of the establishment clubs for the upcoming National Second Tier. With the announcement of this community initiative, we were wondering how these two projects are connected.

Nicholas Maikousis: Unlike the A-League franchises, we are still a members-based club, our community owns this club and so the value we add to the NST can really take us back to our roots.

The national second division allows us to add resources back into the club. If we are truly back onto the national stage, then there are certain parts of the business that need to be strengthened – with the community support program being one of those areas.

David Clarkson: On that, we have a wonderful opportunity to create something special; the foundation is what you build on, we need a strong foundation for the future.

The NST is a pathway for young players, they don’t need to look elsewhere and they can come into the South Melbourne system that is structured and set up and now they can play in a national competition.

This really takes the ceiling off for the club to progress.

Nicholas Maikousis: We were Australia’s biggest club before the turn of the century and although we maintained momentum for years, thanks primarily to David's team, we are only recently seeing that diminishing.

I believe the National Second Tier will be a renaissance for us.

The opportunity lets us play on the national stage and still maintain relationships with the clubs that are from the broader South Melbourne family. This will be key to David's role.

Are these initiatives going to engage with these partner clubs and will it be solely football or aspects of the business be involved as well?

David Clarkson: Everything we do with our partner clubs has to be a 50/50 benefit for both. This is the way I've set up these programs before in the A-League. Because the question you need to ask is if there's no profit, why are these clubs sending the kids to us?

What we plan to do is run programs in conjunction with the clubs, including player development programs which means the money that comes in will go to the club's players, parents, and the registration.

This grows the game, and the money coming in from this can be reinvested back into football, new facilities and new equipment, and scholarship programs. These are really important to us.

From what you guys have said currently, do you think the National Second Tier is allowing the club to be more ambitious?

Nicholas Maikousis: The reality is we got to invest in the club and build its resources; the NST will double our expenses and revenue streams.

South Melbourne will turn into a four-million-dollar business from a two-million-dollar business right now including expenses.

In the old NSL days, we had about 4-5 individuals in the administrative team, and that is where we are going to be in this new second tier.

Also, the amount of talent these old clubs produced was because kids got an opportunity in the old NSL. We’d sell players overseas, it’s good for the game to have this back.

We only tick the basic boxes now, so much more we could and should be doing, David’s appointment is an example of that progression.

David Clarkson: There is money in football, the NST just needs to be supported and it will grow.

On the other hand, with the new NST in conjunction with these community initiatives, do you think South Melbourne and other NST clubs will be able to bridge the gap in Australian football between community clubs and the A-League?

Nicholas Maikousis: Football Australia has talked about building a proper football pyramid, which has been lacking because of the gap between the A-League and state competitions.

Our clubs in the NSD will be able to bridge that gap.

With the history and heritage of the club, is there a sense of responsibility for South Melbourne to deliver development to the community and the game in the NST?

Nicholas Maikousis: I’ve heard this argument before, of trustworthiness and integrity which is critical to us and something unique to us.

We have a responsibility to our own community and the broader footballing community because we have delivered before on so many levels.

So many of the great stories and personnel for the A-League and Australian football are from South Melbourne, the greatest of all of course is Ange Postecoglou.

Any final messages about your initiative and goals?

David Clarkson: South Melbourne is a club of the people, serving the community, girls, boys, and persons with disabilities, you are welcome at our football club.

We are going to provide programs and look after people, players and parents to try and give them everything from their first experience into football, to playing for the Matildas or Socceroos.

This badge means a lot to people but only if it keeps delivering and that’s what we intend to do.

David Clarkson and Nicholas Maikousis are proud of their club and ambitious about their new goals combining both community initiatives with their rise to the National Second Division.

More will come in the coming months from the “Oceania Club of the Century” both in the community and wider footballing spheres.

The post David Clarkson on returning to South Melbourne FC with Nicholas Maikousis at the helm appeared first on Soccerscene.

Sydney FC has announced a new partnership with cybersecurity platform Acronis, to be the official cybersecurity provider.

Acronis is a data security and cyber safety leader in the world, and this will be its first football partnership in Australia with this 3-year contract with the Sky Blues.

The Acronis system will be working in collaboration with the exclusive cyber protection partner of Sydney FC Hyperix;  managed services provider (MSP).

Founded in 2019, Hyperix is an MSP based in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

Acronis can deliver advanced data security systems such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to counter any cyber threats.

The collaboration marks Acronis' 15th #Team-up with professional football clubs worldwide and the second sporting team-up in Australia.

This partnership isn’t just one-sided with major branding opportunities for Acronis and Hyperix including networking events and co-naming rights on the Allianz Stadium Sydney FC Business Club and the ‘Sky Blue Lounge’.

They will also gain an advertisement spot on the A-League Men’s and Women’s coach’s polo collar.

As said by Kelly Johnson, General Manager ANZ at Acronis.

“This partnership is a winning play, fortifying the club’s digital defence with our advanced cybersecurity solutions," she stated via media release.

“By joining forces, we’re not only reinforcing our dedication to protecting organizations but also underlining our support for the sports community in our region and across the globe.”

In modern sporting clubs’ cybersecurity is a must for those who want to increase their image of professionalism, effectiveness and importantly trust in their supporters and potential investors. Not to mention this also includes a very profitable exercise for both parties involved.

For companies in the cyber security industry, the exposure given to them by football clubs is a huge bonus and an important part of the sponsorship system in the Sport.

There is no shortage of clubs needing an upgrade in cybersecurity and with the recent rise in Australian footballing viewership, this is an untouched sector and a massive exposure opportunity for cybersecurity businesses.

Both clubs and investors in the cybersecurity business should be looking to do similar expansions.

The post Sydney FC welcomes cyber security platform Acronis appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci is steadfast in capitalising on the World Cup hype, as lofty goals are at the heart of his success metrics within the member federation.

His ambition of football becoming the number one sport of choice in Queensland is backed by strategic objectives that focus on all facets of the game, all released within the last few months.

In a wide-ranging chat with Soccerscene, Cavallucci discusses the 2024-2026 Game Development Strategy, 2024-2026 Referee Strategy, 2023-2026 One Football Strategic Plan and his perspective on the National Second Tier situation in Queensland.

[caption id="attachment_25557" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Matildas celebrate Cortnee Vine's decisive penalty.[/caption]

How was the 2024-2026 Game Development Strategy developed with forming objectives? 

Robert Cavallucci: Our strategic plan mirrors Football Australia’s, but translates directly into a Queensland context; the KPIs, planning structure, priorities and pillars are the same, but we break it down into what the Queensland contribution to the national objectives are.

My role as CEO is to operationalise that plan. If you look at it and see a whole bunch of things in here – such as gender parity, referees, fans, coaches and pathways that should be in a plan – my job is to see what tasks are needed and what organisational design is required to deliver these objectives.

We’ve constructed 11 operational plans which includes the game development plan, futsal, referees, coach education, women & girls, elite pathway government relations and stadium strategy.

Within each of those 11 plans, it’s got all that we need to do over the next four years across each of the 10 regions of Queensland to realise these goals.

How we do it is working with our game development team, GMs and stakeholders across the state.

All KPIs are broken down across each of the 10 regions - each of our region managers understand what to do for their area: including Far North, Wide Bay, South Coast or Darling Downs.

Knowing what we’re meant to do in a region means that it can translate to successful outcomes which delivered over the last four years. Without those frameworks in place, you really are just a rudderless ship and you're very unlikely to achieve anything.

We've got a good framework behind us with our budgets around it and therefore across all those strategic objectives, we're absolutely making material differences which is good.

When you're out there working with stakeholders such as schools, community groups, or clubs to drive interest in the game, we must translate that in through several different channels and mechanisms.

We then translate that into decisions to move them into clubs within their community and then we can bring them through the different programs at a club level – which includes social engagement, social interaction and social participation.

Whether it's multicultural, women & girls, school or indoor, there's dozens of different programs that we have that make it possible – and we've expanded that even more with the Brisbane Roar in new community programs that we're doing under their brand.

[caption id="attachment_25553" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Game Development Strategy is across 10 regions of Queensland.[/caption]

How is the general interest in the game across the regions?

Robert Cavallucci: I don't think I’ve ever seen it as extensive as it is now in Queensland, the interest is off the charts.

It's easy to have interest but you must have the programs to match that interest. Events will come and go such as World Cups, but if you don't have the mechanisms in place to keep that interest thriving and to transition it into active participation, then the interest is not relevant and it's wasted.

One of the primary jobs of a member federation is to do that, it's one of our key obligations to generate interest and bring active participation.

[caption id="attachment_25550" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] World Cup tournaments have been a key driver for participation rates.[/caption]

The 2024-2026 Referee Strategy has been created, what are some of the differences to support officials?

Robert Cavallucci: The Referee Strategy is one of the most important ones, but one of the more complex as well.

You can put on a thousand courses, and you can drive interest, but there's so many other factors outside of our control that severely impact referee numbers.

We have broader issues in our society that has nothing to do with football, but relates with interpersonal relationships - how do people treat and talk to each other?

What's acceptable in levels of aggression or abuse? There is none, but people might have differing opinions about what that is. What are the factors that people believe that, in a sporting context, they’re allowed to drop societal rules from general discourse with someone and abuse someone in the middle of the field?

To support referees, we have the three strikes policy and it’s probably the hardest in Australia, but they're built on collective responsibility. Everyone at a club is responsible for the actions of every participant and player at the club.

You can't just disassociate yourself and go, he or she is a bad egg, everyone else is fine. No, if you see abuse, you are obligated to say that behaviour is not welcome here.

Until we have collective responsibility over these issues where they are some positive outcomes, I don't think we're going to be able to reset the behavioural norms at a football field.

That’s what it will take to see a meaningful change in the number and quality of referees.

If the churn rate is so high, how do you have someone in a system developing for 3, 5 or 10 years when they're barely lasting just a few years? It's a broader issue, but ultimately, we can only solve societal issues to a certain point within the context of a football club.

Social media is a significant issue and challenge for us. That's another mechanism by which people can aggregate in groups, large or otherwise, and disassociate themselves from societal norms, and treat people appallingly.

Who wants to be a referee when you see people behaving like that and criticising or diminishing referees in a cruel way, particularly under 18 referees? It’s just unacceptable.

We can have whatever strategies we like around referees and numbers, but they're always going to be constrained by our ability to address social issues.

The strategy itself was constructed with the same methodology as all the other 11, but it's what do we need to do within our control as a member federation to get more referees interested, support them and keep them in the game longer.

[caption id="attachment_25555" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Building and maintaining respect for officials is the number one priority for the Referee Strategy.[/caption]

You mention churn being a key issue, what measures have you implemented so far?

Robert Cavallucci: We're trialling video cameras on the chest with Football Australia, so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

The intent for doing it is to develop better solutions to some of those issues in a game setting. It’s also to support transitioning to a single point of accountability in a team, such as a captain.

It’s done in other codes, and it always seems to work well. When it comes to officiating, there's some lessons to be learned.

Rugby Union has extraordinary levels of respect being commanded by referees. I don't think there's any code that does it as well as they do in terms of senior, national and international levels. It’s just incredible and that's where we want to get to as a sport.

All it takes is a small minority to ruin any progress we’ve made from an investment or participation point of view. Everyone, whether it be A-League or NPL level, needs to understand what good behaviour looks like.

Gender parity is the theme of the 2023-2026 One Football Strategic Plan, how is that tracking?

Robert Cavallucci: Gender parity is everyone getting involved; including referees, coaches, players, boards, club boards, club committees and FQ committees. It's parity across the board, so it's not exclusive to participation on the field.

We’ve seen some significant success in participation – we’re 44% higher this year in female growth.

We're well on track to hit gender parity in 2027-2028 and we’ve pushed that out slightly only because we've had a lot more growth in the boys than we thought we would. Whilst we hit our targets with the girls, we got more boys than we thought.

Ultimately that brings the curve back together slightly. It's making a lot of progress, as we're about 69% for boys now. Only a couple of years ago, we were at ratios of 80:20 and now it’s moved to 69:31.

We're pulling it back by 4-5 percent each year, so over the next three or four years we absolutely want to be as close to 50:50 as we can and that meets our participation targets as well; particularly in Queensland we'll be in a good spot as a as a code.

We'll not only be the largest male code, but the largest women's sporting code in Queensland. We're not far off it now and in turn netball but we're hunting them down at a great rate of knots.

Our objective is ambitious, but we've absolutely been tracking there the last three years at incredible speed so it's staggering what can be achieved when you do have extremely well thought out documented plans. It's been very carefully constructed over the last three or four years and it presents one of our greatest challenges which is infrastructure, but at the same time it's a challenge that we want and we are solving with government - that was a challenge of our own doing as a sport.

For 20 previous years we did a poor job of working with government of all persuasions and didn’t articulate the needs of football. We never had the confidence to tell the football story in Queensland or Australia for that matter and we always pushed ourselves down the ranks, and I don't know why. Maybe because we were embarrassed about the disarray of the governance that the game was in, or the administration, and didn’t think we had the right to stand up and be counted in years gone by.

We are a massive global sport and the biggest in Queensland & Australia. We're the fastest growing and have global events such as World Cups and Olympics. Which part of any of that story should we not be overwhelmingly proud and feel like we've got every right to take our place as the most dominant code in Australia?

It's just unbelievable that we haven't had the leaders who felt that way and absolutely by design say football's not ready to do that yet.

If you don't tell people who you are, everyone else will say who you are and that's the football story over the last 20 years.

My aim is to reposition that which has occurred over the last three or four years, as we have an excellent relationship with government and communicate with them weekly; we've had some massive outcomes in a funding shift, but we've still got a long way to. From where we started, the difference is staggering.

[caption id="attachment_25554" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Gender parity targets are promoting the game in Queensland to be inclusive for all.[/caption]

What has been observed in participation rates post men's and women's World Cups?

Robert Cavallucci: The important thing to recognise is football doesn't want anything that it doesn't deserve based on its representation in the community. Any government funding, no matter what it is, should be based on community need.

If there's a community need from a football perspective, then that needs to be addressed; it’s not like we want something that is over and above, it's just meeting some minimum basic standards of what the community needs to be active and healthy.

What I think often gets lost is the way that some within the game put that argument forward that they give the impression that they're entitled to things over and above what other sports have been getting.

Other sports have just done a better job historically at demonstrating their needs, whereas we've done a bad job and we're not patient enough to know the turnaround will take time and no one wants to wait.

As a sport, we shouldn’t be asking for the world, but there is a need and its data-driven need for the community. Other sports have gotten away with socialising their costs and privatising their profits for the last 20 years, which has allowed them to be in a very strong position of their professional game, and that has never been afforded to football.

I see the football community being annoyed that other massive codes with billion-dollar incomes have had the bulk of their cost base for infrastructure paid by the public taxpayer, which has allowed them to be in a position of strength at a professional level.

No one plays those sports at a community level, but at a professional level where it's privately owned, they've done a very good job of socialising their costs. And that provides a huge advantage at that level of the game that we see the A-League suffering the consequences from because of the absence of relevant infrastructure.

It's going to be a very volatile next 10 years as we work through that. I'm not saying that football should be funded by the taxpayer at all, but there's got to be a better share of reasonable outcomes from governments of all persuasions at all levels.

[caption id="attachment_25552" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Infrastructure is one of the key challenges that Football Queensland are addressing.[/caption]

Tell us about the Equaliser campaign and what you’ve seen to date?

Robert Cavallucci: The #EQUALISER State Election campaign is an initiative driven by the need of our Queensland football community. Data gathered by Football Queensland shows that 71% of greenspaces and football fields across the state suffer from inadequate drainage and only 42% of fields with lighting meet minimum playing and safety standards. These statistics highlight just a few key areas of infrastructure that have suffered from lack of investment and are now holding football in Queensland back from thriving.

With the state election approaching in October, the timing of the #EQUALISER initiative couldn't be more crucial. We’ve gathered survey responses from more than 6,000 members of the Queensland football community and over 76% of respondents indicated that their voting preferences could be swayed by political candidates' commitments to investing in football clubs.

It is with this information that FQ is driving the #EQUALISER campaign, engaging in conversations with government officials to advocate for greater investment that will ensure safe and accessible green spaces for the more than 300,000 football participants across the state, both now and into the future.

[caption id="attachment_25551" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Equaliser campaign is designed to collate the needs and requirements of the football community.[/caption]

You’ve been working closely with Brisbane Roar; do they relay some of their challenges?

Robert Cavallucci: We’ve got a great working relationship now with the Roar and it's how it should be. About 10-15 years ago it was there but not really and then it just descended quite badly in recent years. Since I've been at Football Queensland and since Kaz Patafta and Zac Anderson have been at the Roar, we're all had a similar mindset about uniting the game and coming up with the best way of making that happen. That means not everyone has to do everything and we'd look at each other's strengths and what we're investing in.

We address what we want out of it and figure out strategies. For example, supporting academies which makes sense for Football Queensland to do.

Instead of the Roar having to deliver something not as optimally as they should, we can do it because we're already doing it 10 times bigger.

Together, it means integrated staff, integrated systems and good technical outcomes. We've already got 11 offices across the state, 100 casual staff and thousands of programs. The Roar trying to do similar is disjointed and doesn't deliver outcomes for them or us. It's getting together and saying, how can we do this better together?

We just want to make things simple and streamline it, so the Roar get the outcomes they want – such as more kids at games, more memberships, and greater interest in the A-League.

Those things are all essentially what we want and it's what the Roar wants as well. If there’s good governance and oversight, the game wins.

Ultimately that's a best practice scenario with how we should be looking at this right across the country to change the delivery model of many parts of the game.

[caption id="attachment_25556" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The 'FQ & Roar Football in the Community’ program was introduced this year.[/caption]

Can you shed some light on the National Second Tier (NST) situation in Queensland?

Rob Cavallucci: I love how people view Football Queensland negatively because clubs in Queensland have common sense; there seems to be this rationale that if a club chooses not to participate in the NST, then there must be something wrong with Football Queensland.

The logic escapes me, it's an egotistical perspective; surely your ego as a club is so extravagant that you can't help but want to be in the NST competition.

There are massive clubs such as the Queensland Lions that say they are not interested.

The reality of the decision-making process for Queensland clubs is how they view success – do they want to sacrifice 100+ teams for one men’s team?

It's a simple, rational decision made by logical people that whilst in principle they would they think it’s great to have a NST and compete at a higher level, the reality is none of them are willing to sacrifice 100 teams and their success just on the basis of one.

There are 10 possible models and there's two or three logical models that could be used to start the league with different permutations from there.

I don't think that the clubs have an interest in the current design based on the risk and the barriers to entry and that's a risk that none of them can process in a way that doesn't expose the club to any form of harm or detriment whether it be financial or otherwise.

Had it been another model or format, then it's quite likely that they would participate for sure. It might appeal to Victorian or New South Wales clubs, but it certainly doesn't appeal to the broader Queensland environment.

You can't understate the experience of the Queensland clubs; we've been doing planes and travel weekly for NPL and otherwise for nearly 10 years.

They know what it's like and they're doing it now. We've got flights every weekend, with clubs going all over the state for Champions League, the Kappa Pro Series, and the Queensland Cup. They're doing that and have done so for a decade.

Therefore, it's not a foreign concept to them and they know what the travel’s like. It’s not the same as Sydney or Melbourne where everyone's within a few kilometres or an hour's travel time.

It’s a conscious decision from Queensland clubs who would rather not, and we shouldn’t be throwing criticism at them, but rather accept the fact that not all clubs want to take this kind of risk.

They aren’t ruling out ever being part of the NST, but when the time is right; Presidents and GMs absolutely love the concept.

The post Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci: “We’ve got every right to take our place as the most dominant code in Australia” appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football Australia has confirmed a multi-year partnership with Allianz Australia to be their Official Insurance Partner.

Allianz has a strong history of supporting sports, especially football in Australia, such as having a stadium named after the insurance company in Sydney and showing support through major sporting initiatives such as the ‘Grassroots Champions’ which encourages young athletes to continue playing sport.

This agreed partnership showcases a significant investment in the ongoing growth and development of football in Australia.

CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson, commented on the collaboration with Allianz Australia:

“We are delighted to welcome Allianz to the growing Football Australia family. Their commitment to inclusivity and community empowerment mirrors our own values and vision for football in Australia. This partnership will not only provide crucial support for our national teams but also inspire the next generation of Australian talent. We look forward to a successful and collaborative partnership,” he said in a statement from Football Australia.

“Allianz joins a suite of other commercial partners who have partnered with Football Australia over the last four years. We are delighted to add another global brand to our network of strong partnerships, further enhancing our ability to grow the game and support our teams."

Managing Director of Allianz Australia, Richard Feledy, has expressed his excitement about the multi-year partnership with Football Australia:

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Football Australia, further highlighting our global commitment to sport and the incredible value it brings to the communities in which we operate. This partnership is a natural fit for us, given Allianz's global family of stadiums and our commitment to football internationally. We believe sport promotes diversity, supports mental and physical health, and fosters a sense of unity and belonging. Through this partnership with Football Australia, we hope to inspire future generations of footballers,” he said in an Allianz media release.

Football Australia has outlined some other key highlights of their partnership:

• Major Branded Assets: Allianz Australia will have logo branding on the back of the training and off-field apparel for Socceroos, Matildas, ParaMatildas, and Pararoos teams.
• Support for Para-athletes: Allianz Australia strengthens its commitment to para-athletes as the Official Partner of the ParaMatildas and Pararoos.
• Global and Local Presence: The partnership builds on Allianz Australia’s rich history in football globally, which includes collaborations with FC Bayern and Allianz Stadium (Sydney Football Stadium). Since 2021, Football Australia’s National Teams have played 39 nations across 16 countries on four continents.
• Inclusive, Diverse, and Accessible: According to Cultural Pulse, football represents over 200 cultures, spanning 2,300 grassroots clubs across Australia. This rich cultural diversity enhances the sport and creates a welcoming, supportive environment for players, fans, and communities.
• Empowering Individuals and Communities: According to Cultural Pulse, football is the top sport for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia.

Furthermore, Allianz Australia will launch a major marketing campaign for Paris 2024 ahead of the Matildas' opening Olympic match on July 25.

After this announcement, the partnership is bound to bring excitement to the broad Australian football community and will provide benefits to many different cultural and diverse groups to support the growth and development of the beautiful game. 

The post Football Australia and Allianz Australia unveil a multi-year deal appeared first on Soccerscene.

APIA Leichhardt President Tony Raciti has weighed in on recent developments about the National Second Tier (NST), following uncertainty about its proposed format.

It has been reported that there has been a stall in talks about the formatting and schedule of the new NST.

However, speculation about turbulent recent meetings between founding clubs and Football Australia is not backed up by one of the leading football clubs in the NST.

Raciti has been the president of APIA for 40 years and uses that vast time and experience to bring a sense of calm to the dialogue around the talk of the NST.

Speaking with Soccerscene, as Raciti sees it, he needs to be the wise head at times to calm the storm.

“APIA Leichhardt have had no issues with the recent conversations with the FA over the Second League, a lot of what is going around is disingenuous and deceptive,” he said.

“If the league has to wait another year and start later, it only means the clubs care enough about the league that we want to do it right, more time for sponsorship deals, more time to build the league and talk to Football Australia about the future, I don’t see any of this as a bad process.

“With extra preparation, I'm confident more clubs can reach the standard to join the league. In my opinion, a team in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmanian and another in Melbourne is a must and possible.

“Our expectations for this league and the impact it'll have on Australian football has not diminished.”

Raciti voiced the positive developments at his club as evidence of continued progress.

“APIA is not hoping the league will be good, we know it will. We are confident we will sell 2500 seated tickets 2-3 months before the league begins,” he stated.

“There is sponsorship out there and there is money when we need it.

“APIA is still kicking - we are out finding 15-20 signage sponsors, a $100,000 major sponsor deal and a three-year sportswear deal for all ages from the professional league teams down to the youth development and also in amateur older leagues.

“If all the clubs were broke, we wouldn’t exist now! But we are strong clubs with history and importance in the Australian Football sphere and we understand that.

“Saying support in the clubs is diminishing is ridiculous, APIA is cooking with gas and many other clubs are doing the same.”

Raciti was realistic with the questions on the A-League and the pushback of promotion and relegation. A man in the game this long knows that respect and time builds leagues and competition.

“The A-Leagues have their professional licences for a few more years until they run out. When that’s done, the conversation for promotion and relegation will expand. We are supportive of their leagues as well,” he said.

“We want a strong A-League just like we want a strong Matildas and Socceroos; there is unity in football right now.

“All the clubs have been very supportive, and the FA have been in open conversation. We need the legislative body for the league they are imperative.

“Whenever the league starts and how its presented, you can be sure that APIA will be the first on the dancefloor.”

Raciti has shown he is a strong figure with drive and ambition. This confidence coming from the head of one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia gives a potent counterargument to the current negative press coming out of negotiations.

When information is thrown around, the words of an experienced campaigner like Raciti should never be taken lightly.

The post APIA Leichhardt President Tony Raciti calls for calm as National Second Tier speculation emerges appeared first on Soccerscene.

Copa America 2024 has kicked off the knockout stages with plenty of goals and drama on the pitch, but that has quickly been overshadowed by low attendances, poor pitch quality and sky high ticket prices leaving many fans, players and coaches stranded and confused.

In what can be seen as a prelude to a landmark 2026 FIFA World Cup, the USA have already shown signs of failing to host a major football event in a country where grassroots participation and attendances for the sport desperately need a revival.

These have been the main issues so far at the event that are in the spotlight if the US want to correctly co-host the biggest tournament with Mexico and Canada in the sport.

Attendance numbers

If the sweltering heat and embarrassing broadcast camera angles weren't already bad enough, the US Men's national team failed to sell out any of their three group stage matches, with a controversial 47,873 crowd for the opener against Bolivia in an 80,000 seat AT&T Stadium.

The comparison is to put it side-by-side with the Euros currently in Germany, where there have been no issues packing out stadiums with capacities of up to 75,000 and tickets selling out months in advance.

Fan culture is rife with many fan zones and packed watching venues keeping the streets busy with football fandom which is just completely non-existent in the US.

But there is a reason for all of this, and it can't be for a lack of interest after Fox Sports confirmed that the must-win USA-Uruguay contest attracted an average of 3.78 million viewers on FS1.

According to Fox Sports, that was the largest audience to see a a match that isn't a World Cup on FS1 and the highest-ever English-language viewership total in the United States for a Copa America match.

It smashed previous Copa America games so far, but it never translated to support in the stadium which gives the hosts slight encouragement on finding a solution to fix this problem.

Ticket Prices

Fans at the event are consistently being priced out, leading directly to the poor attendance numbers and lack of atmosphere.

The lowest ticket price for the quarterfinal matches of the Euros were as low as $96 to watch world-class teams such as Spain, Germany and France whilst in the Copa America, Ticketmaster and Seat Geek in the US had fans pay minimum of $163 for quarterfinal tickets.

This is without factoring in the travel expenses going from state to state versus the easily accessible matches in Germany that can be travelled via affordable public transport.

The NFL and NBA have some of the highest average ticket prices in all of domestic sporting leagues across the world, but the demand and entertainment offered gives fans a reason to accept its value. A sport like soccer in the US would thrive from its affordability and encourage any sports fan to give it a go.

Pitch Quality

Players and coaches have come out in the media to criticise the pitch quality in the Copa America so far, claiming the inconsistencies have negatively affected team performance and the way teams prepare for matches.

Emi Martinez and Weston McKennie's harsh words after matchday 1 forced a statement out of CONMEBOL who defended the state of the pitches, too much controversy.

It simply has to change for 2026 if it wants to remain fit to host football's grandest event.

With the 2026 World Cup set to be played in many of the same venues across the United States, each new controversy over pitch conditions at Copa América accentuates the ongoing concerns about the quality of the venues and the difficulty of using NFL stadiums for football.

Conclusion

Affordability is the biggest issue needing to change going into the 2026 World Cup.

Ticket prices must be affordable to account for the hike in prices across the country for travel and accommodation.

With the 2026 World Cup held in three geographically large countries, fans will be forked to shell out thousands on travel if scheduled to play in differing countries and states.

However, overall, this World Cup has real potential to live up to the success of 1994 that saw the sport boom in popularity in North America and that surge in popularity is definitely required for the future of the sport in the US.

The post America must fix issues before co-hosting 2026 World Cup appeared first on Soccerscene.

LALIGA's Academy Plan, which was introduced in 2023, has grown 30% from the previous year and where clubs had already seen 20% growth since its implementation.

With over half of the clubs achieving 60-70% of the goals in the initial phase of the Plan, this collaborative effort solidifies the expectations for this 10-year project, showcasing LALIGA's global leadership in grassroots football development.

LALIGA introduced this plan to reinforce their commitment to creating a sustainable model of youth development that would help the clubs in both La Liga and Segunda Division make profit in the transfer market thanks to the high market value of home-grown players.

Not surprising considering the dire financial situation of many Spanish clubs and leagues.

This Academy Meeting discussed many important factors of the plan and served as a setting for the presentation of two new developments: the results of a questionnaire shared with the clubs themselves showing their most important requirements, and a study containing data on youth players in Spanish professional football.

These were the results:

• Participation in LALIGA First Division of youth players registered in reserve teams increased by 33% compared to last season.
• Over the last two seasons, youth players registered in reserve teams generated a market value of $452.31 million in their debut season in the LALIGA First Division alone.
• Youth players generated $278.21 million in LALIGA First Division and $69.78 million in LALIGA 2 through transfers to other clubs. This data only takes into account youth players playing for the first team.
• 95% of the youth players registered in reserve teams and participating with the first team are of Spanish nationality, something that will have a positive impact on the national team.

The Plan's success is evident with youth players contributing significantly to the league's competitiveness and market value.

As the country impresses on the Euros stage with homegrown talent like Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Pedri just to name a few, it’s imperative for future success that this plan continues to grow and showcase the country's best talent that is evidently out there.

This initiative is proving that LALIGA remains a global leader in nurturing homegrown talent, with a high percentage of youth players participating in top European leagues and boosting national team performance, which is helping with their goal of a sustainable development system.

The post LALIGA’s 10-year academy plan showing early signs of success appeared first on Soccerscene.

FIFA has unveiled its new strategy with Infront Sports & Media to directly sell tournament media rights in the South and Southeast Asian markets following the conclusion of the latest FIFA World Cup sales cycle in Asia.

This approach allows FIFA to take full control over its media rights sales while building innovative and sustainable media partnerships for its rights across the region.

Currently, FIFA has only sold rights in Asia directly with Korea, Japan and Malaysia and they have recently appointed Infront to provide advisory support during the transition period of the new sales structure in South and Southeast Asia specifically.

Infront is a sports marketing company based in Zug, Switzerland - handling media and marketing rights for international sports events and federations while also providing sports services such as advertising and sponsorships.

The new advisory role will see Infront provide extensive market knowledge, established relationships and experience in selling FIFA and other premium rights throughout Asia. They will also show support throughout the 2024-2027 media rights sales cycle which will include the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

FIFA Chief Business Officer Romy Gai spoke about new strategy with the Asian markets:

“The Asian market is a highly specific and strategically important region for FIFA and the new approach demonstrates our commitment to fully controlling our media right sales processes,” he said via media release.

“Our efforts will be complemented by our long-term partner Infront who will draw on its experience and track record in the region to support our go-to-market approach in selected key markets.”

Head of Football at Infront, Andreas Kaeshammer, discussed their collaboration with FIFA:

“Supporting the commercialisation of the most prestigious association football tournaments in the worlds is recognition of the quality of services we provide to top tier partners,” he added via media release.

“After being involved in the distribution of FIFA’s media rights for more than two decades in the new media advisory service role combines our global football rightsholder capabilities with our outstanding media sales experience in Asia.”

“We’re excited to help deliver FIFA’s events to an audience of over 2.5 billion people, underscoring the immense reach and impact of these tournaments in the Asian market.”

The post FIFA outlines future plans with media rights sales in Asia appeared first on Soccerscene.

Football Australia are strategically commencing a global search to fill four newly established leadership roles within its National Teams' set-up.

Reporting into Head of National Teams, Gary Moretti, the positions include:

General Manager – Women’s National Teams

General Manager – Men’s National Teams

General Manager – Football Data & Analysis

General Manager – High Performance.

The FA are underscoring its commitment on delivering national team excellence and believe these roles will be pivotal in the ongoing improvement of the game in Australia at the professional level.

Each role is essential for the development, management and the long-term success of all high performance and national team programs and initiatives in both the men's and women's teams.

Under Moretti's leadership, Football Australia's National Teams will operate concurrently with the oversight of the governing body's Technical Department, headed by Chief Football Officer Ernie Merrick. Later this month, they will reveal a new 10-year Technical Strategy for Australian Football.

Upon announcing these additions to the National Teams structure, Football Australia CEO, James Johnson explained the additions to the National Team structure and what it means for the future.

"The realignment and increased number of specialised resources for our senior and youth national teams stem from a comprehensive internal review of our current high performance structure when benchmarked against leading football and sporting organisations globally," he said in a statement.

"We are a football first organisation, and this heightened focus and investment in our national teams is a reflection of our ambition. These new roles are designed to ensure everything possible is being done to deliver our strategic goal of being a leading football nation within the Asian Football Confederation and that all ages groups, men’s and women’s, are qualifying for every FIFA senior and youth World Cup.”

The recruitment process will be thorough and will be conducted by specialist recruitment firms to secure the most qualified candidates for these crucial roles.

It's a great proactive approach by the FA to ensure the future of the national teams is consistently improving and matching Asia's best such as Japan and South Korea who have fantastic national team structures in place.

Details of all positions will be available on the Football Australia website from Tuesday, 14 May 2024.

The post Football Australia targeting new leadership appointments appeared first on Soccerscene.

WOW HYDRATE launched its first-ever co-created ‘Red Cherry’ flavoured drink, working alongside one of the world’s biggest football clubs – demonstrating the shared mission of the two organisations that started with a multi-year global sponsorship from November last year.

WOW HYDRATE is a sports drink brand influencing the future of sports and fitness hydration, through its health benefits in the products.

Their range contains drinks with four essential electrolytes and vitamins B6, C & D – while also being sugar, fat and gluten free.

England and Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire is a brand ambassador for WOW HYDRATE, who also partner with world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, UK boxing promotion company BOXXER, West Ham United Women’s team, rugby club Castleford Tigers and Essex Cricket.

At the heart of these collaborations is WOW HYDRATE Managing Director Queenie Porter, who shared how the new ‘Red Cherry’ drink came about.

[caption id="attachment_23948" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Harry Maguire is an ambassador from Manchester United.[/caption]

“We had a board meeting last summer and we have some great individual ambassadors while also prominent in the world of boxing, so we asked how can we take the next step,” she told Soccerscene.

“We were wondering how we can resonate with the sport world and touch base with the consumer.

“When looking at football clubs, the number one priority was Manchester United because they are the biggest in the world.

“It was a mutual connection because they were looking for a hydration partner, and we were of course looking for a football club. The deal happened so quickly not in a rush, but because our values aligned so well – Manchester United are fan first, whereas we are consumer first.

“The way that Manchester United run their business is like one big family – from a receptionist all the way up to CEO.

“Both of us operate in the same manner and we just clicked as a result.”

While the sports drinks are prominent in UK-based Tesco stores, we will expect to see a greater expansion in the near future.

Porter shared what we can look forward to.

“We are planning to rollout WOW HYDRATE into 600 Woolworths stores in Australia from late April this year,” she said.

“It adds to our existing reach in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, while this year will also see the push into Europe including Spain and France – while we’ll also enter the United States towards the backend of 2024.

“We want to ensure that everything will be aligned and Manchester United will be a key part of that – whenever we venture somewhere new, the Club will be involved in the launch.”

[caption id="attachment_23949" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Porter on the touchline of Old Trafford with the 'Red Cherry' drink.[/caption]

In her role, Porter is passionate about getting the very best out of women’s sport.

Rather than competing, she sees it from a different lens when assessing fan demographics.

“Naturally I’m really passionate about women’s sport, particularly in football,” she said.

“What I want to use my platform for is to support the women’s game in its own identity.

“There’s a lot around people wanting to make the men’s and women’s game equal, but I just want to focus on making the women’s game the best it can be in its own standing.

“It brings in a much more family audience, so from a brand perspective you can tap into what you otherwise would not have before.

“Women have different needs to men such as in recovery, so I want to ensure that women have the support there.

“For example with ACL injuries, our protein drink is one of the best ways to recover white muscle tissues.”

[caption id="attachment_23950" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Porter with the Manchester United home shirt.[/caption]

A key orchestrator of the collaboration was Victoria Timpson, Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships.

The Red Devils will support WOW HYDRATE in promoting all the benefits they offer.

“We are very proud to have welcomed WOW HYDRATE as Manchester United’s official sports hydration partner and excited to work with the brand on educating our fans on the importance of hydration and the science behind its products,” she said exclusively to Soccerscene.

“WOW HYDRATE’s ability to work with the club to collaborate on the dual branded Red Cherry hydration drink and make it available to our fans within months of announcing the partnership, demonstrates its strong position within the global market. WOW HYDRATE has been well received by our fans and we look forward to building on this throughout the partnership.”

WOW HYDRATE’s health benefits in its drinks allow a club like Manchester United to rest and recover from strenuous schedules including the Premier League and European competition.

The household name that is Manchester United, coupled with international expansion, makes WOW HYDRATE a name that’s one to watch.

For full details and its products, you can view WOW HYDRATE’s website here.

The post WOW HYDRATE and Manchester United’s ‘Red Cherry’ drink aligned with mutual values appeared first on Soccerscene.

Melbourne City have proudly showcased their clubs latest project through the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art-facility, located at Casey Fields in Cranbourne.

The City Football Academy Melbourne continues to push the already established high-standards in which football across Australia are beginning to reach. The facility will host the men's and women's teams, as well as the club's grassroot program, and an administration office is also involved in the newly developed location.

The Melbourne based club were inspired by their British parent and European juggernauts Manchester City have some of, if not the best facilities in world football. Melbourne City’s latest facility was developed in accordance to the structure and framework relating to Manchester City.

Within the newly furnished building, it’s features are acknowledged to stand out amongst other rival A-League entity’s. A 60-seat theatre and community classroom was installed to host club officials and guests, 16 changerooms combined with Hydrotherapy pools and two gyms, all designed to propel their playing personnel in achieving their peak athletic condition. Administration spaces where also created for Sports Science, Sports Medicine and club officials to all reside in.

[caption id="attachment_23854" align="aligncenter" width="752"] The official opening took place on April 10 by City of Casey Chair of Administrators Noelene Duff PSM, and Melbourne City FC Vice Chairman Simon Pearce.[/caption]

Located at the Casey Fields Sporting precinct in which is building quite the resume within the tenants it has acquired in various codes of sport across the state. The 5,900m2 facility that City now possess in their arsenal sits on eleven hectares of land, upon it they have five different football pitches, with varying surfaces.

The opportunities in which this facility presents to football fans and participants alike, are in abundance, 3,500 aspiring young football participants will be able to use the facilities on offer, with many more able to spectate City matches in which may be played at their Academy.

Melbourne City FC CEO Brad Rowse stated via press release:

"This amazing facility will be the new home to our Men’s, Women’s, Academy, and Administration teams, and will allow us to come together under the one roof to train, share ideas and challenge each other every single day.

"We’re setting new standards for football in Australia and laying the foundations for sustainable growth, on and off the pitch."

With the latest edition of the McDonald's City Cup being played at the newly launched facility, the tournament was a token showcasing that the clubs elite are not the only ones who will benefit from the facility but also local footballing communities in addition.

The post Melbourne City proudly unveil their state-of-the-art-facilities appeared first on Soccerscene.

Aston Villa has struck an important sponsorship deal with Greek online betting company Betano worth £40m (AU$77.4 mil) over the next two seasons.

This would become the club's most lucrative front-of-shirt sponsor in their history and comes at a crucial time where Villa need to drive commercial revenue given the strain on Premier League clubs from Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Villa announced losses of nearly £120million (AU$232.3 million) across 2023, which UEFA claim was the highest in Europe. The mega-deal with Betano coincides with club's new partnership with Adidas, who will take over from Castore as Villa's kit manufacturer.

Whilst the club have claimed that the huge financial losses are "in line with their strategic business plan", there is no doubt they wanted to find the best suitor out of this new deal.

Aston Villa were only allowed to strike a two year deal which runs until 2026 because the Premier League have introduced a ban on gambling companies becoming front of shirt sponsors which comes into effect from the start of the 2026/27 season.

Betano are quickly expanding in the European football market, with UEFA added the company as a global sponsor for the 2024 Euros alongside their current deals with huge Portuguese clubs FC Porto and Sporting CP.

Aston Villa currently have a deal with gambling firm BK8 who sit at the front of their shirts from the 2023/24 season, and the club are doubling down on gambling sponsors with this Betano deal, something that is controversial amongst their own fans.

Following the BK8 deal, Aston Villa fan groups protested the team allying with a company from a taboo sector such as gambling and it remains to be seen what the reaction will be when the club officially announces this new deal.

The main aim for Villa is to boost their commercial revenue as they push for Champions League qualification which would rid the club of some financial stress.

The deal is controversial but a required one for Aston Villa and the club that is taking the right steps to ensure they avoid a point deduction or a fine as the Premier League looks to really clamp down on the Profit & Sustainability rules.

The post Aston Villa strike lucrative front-of-shirt deal with Betano appeared first on Soccerscene.

German electronics retailer MediaMarkt will become the new shirt sponsor of Dutch club Feyenoord for the 2024-25 season in a record multi-year deal.

The two parties have agreed a three-year deal – through to the conclusion of 2026-27 – believed to be worth around €20 million (AU$33.1 million) in total, according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.

The company will replace EuroParcs which has been featured on the front of the Eredivisie club shirts since 2021.

MediaMarkt is a German multinational chain of stores selling consumer electronics with over 1000 stores in ten countries in Europe. The company is one of the largest sellers of electronics in Europe with a total of nearly 2.1 million products sold in 2023.

MediaMarkt's head office is in Rotterdam and the company became convinced of the collaboration after gaining insight into various data about Feyenoord that suggests large growth is imminent.

It became attractive for the company because Feyenoord has gained a greater reputation not only nationally, but also internationally through long, reasonably successful participations in the Conference League, the Europa League and also the group stages of the Champions League.

As a result of this on-field success, the MediaMarkt partnership would be the Dutch clubs most lucrative shirt sponsorship deal which follows on from a record kit supply deal signed by Feyenoord last year with Castore, a UK sportswear brand.

Feyenoord have been winning off the field as well, recording record net revenue numbers in two of the last four years, including the 2022/2023 season which amounted to €99 mil (AU$164.2 mil), a thirteen percent increase on the previous year.

In domestic shirt sales, they ranked third last season behind PSV and Ajax but are projected to overtake PSV in 2023/24 after their recent league success.

Feyenoord has a tradition of long-term contracts with main sponsors, MediaMarkt will only be the eighth big name on the shirt. More than half a century ago in 1982, the Gouden Gids was the first shirt sponsor.

This deal is proof of Feyenoord’s incredible growth on and off the pitch with their marketing and trophy successes. MediaMarkt hopes to grow further by investing in Feyenoord’s upward trajectory, located right near their main headquarters.

The post Feyenoord secure record shirt sponsorship deal with MediaMarkt appeared first on Soccerscene.

Genius Sports has won the bidding war to extend its official betting data partnership with Football DataCo (FDC), which holds data rights to the English Premier League (EPL).

The deal – which is set to expire this year – is close to being extended by an additional five-year term from 2025 to 2029.

With this deal, Genius will continue to collect, license and distribute official live betting data from the English Premier League.

Genius Sports is a UK based sports data company that provides data management, video streaming and integrity services to sports leagues, bookmakers and media companies.

The company was founded in 2016 and very quickly rose to prominence with huge deals in multiple countries across many sports. These include NCAA Basketball, NASCAR and NFL in America on top of their deals with FIBA and Canadian Football League. The company specialise in Football, controlling multiple leagues in the UK as well as the Argentina Superliga and all three German Football divisions.

Genius Sports in collaboration with FDC will continue to take over data in all FDC-licenced leagues such as the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all leagues overseen by the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), including the Scottish Premiership.

This new deal will see Genius Sports continue to distribute data from over 4,000 UK football fixtures per season in both the media and betting sectors.

Opta currently also have a partnership with Football DataCo, and they deal with distributing data to league media teams to use but they don't delve in the betting market like Genius does.

In 2023, Genius Data saw a 31.1% rise in revenue in their Betting Technology, Content & Services segment which was responsible for over AU$418.8 mil in total revenue.

The sports data and technology business said the deal is still subject to approval from the leagues and their respective clubs.

Whilst the gambling data distribution has moral implications in itself, this deal isn't all negative for viewers, with Genius also continuing to work hand in hand with Premier League Productions to enhance live broadcasts for fans with a range of interesting analytics that will heighten the overall viewing experience.

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Fast food giant McDonald's are edging ever closer to securing a three-year deal that would make them title sponsor of French football's top-flight Ligue 1.

The deal will see the top division be renamed as ‘Ligue 1 McDonald’s’ and all branding of McDonald’s will be included in uses of the league logo.

The Professional Football League (LFP) currently has a title sponsorship deal with Uber Eats, that was last extended in November 2021 until the end of the 2023/24 season, which sees the food delivery platform pay around €17 million (AU$28.1 million) a year.

Reports suggested however that Uber Eats were looking to extend the deal but on cut-price deal due to the apparent lack of competition.

However, now McDonald's has entered the bidding war, it's believed to have made an offer worth €60 million (AU$99.3 million) over three years – a significant €3 million (AU$4.96 million) a year increase on the league’s current deal.

Reports also added that the Ligue 1 media team are in the process of writing up a press release for the deal with expected backlash. Whilst the leagues potential deal has been the butt of all jokes on social media, it is also expected to receive criticism due to the league associating itself with a brand known for its unhealthy foods.

McDonald's are extremely involved in football, especially in Australia with the company partnered with FIFA for both the men's and women's world cups on top of the APL and multiple state federations locally.

Also important to note that this title sponsor deal with an expected revenue increase would net some vital additional income for the LFP with the organisation yet to lock down Ligue 1’s domestic broadcast rights for the 2024 to 2029 cycle after a long, gruelling standstill from multiple companies that has affected the league's profits.

This naming rights deal has an element of risk to it with the potential for poor reputation and harsh criticism but the increase in funds per year will be a nice touch for the organisation.

It is imperative that the LFP manage communications correctly to ensure it goes smoothly and continue on their journey to improving league growth through the media division as they outlined back in mid-2023.

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Borussia Dortmund confirm PRIME hydration as the club's official hydration partner in a bid to improve the club's standing in North America.

Since its inception in 2022, PRIME Hydration is a sports drink alternative that has disrupted norms and completely blown up into the mainstream. Led by popular influencers KSI and Logan Paul, the brand has huge appeal in the US and now are expanding abroad.

In football, PRIME currently has deals with the biggest clubs in the world including Barcelona, Arsenal and Bayern Munich with a clear indication that PRIME are solely focused on attracting European consumers.

On social media, Dortmund's fan base comprises more than 53 million people and the club have the highest average stadium attendance in world football. PRIME's innovative hydration solutions and brand will be exposed worldwide to football fans.

Carsten Cramer, Chief Marketing Officer of BVB explained the move to target that huge US market through PRIME.

“BVB is very excited and proud that two ambitious brands have joined forces. PRIME is an upcoming brand with popular products, especially for younger people – a significant target audience for BVB to manifest its continuous growth," Cramer said in a club statement.

"Therefore, we’re convinced that both brands will benefit tremendously through this partnership. BVB on the one hand will help Prime to conquer the German market and beyond whereas Prime will further elevate BVB’s brand especially in the US, its home market.”

PRIME co-founders KSI and Logan Paul expressed their excitement on adding another club to their portfolio.

“Witnessing the exponential growth of PRIME has been truly remarkable, and none of it would be possible without visionary partners like Borussia Dortmund. We are thrilled to align with such a prestigious and successful sports club, and we eagerly anticipate creating unforgettable moments with the club and for fans.” they said in a statement.

Borussia Dortmund also recently opened a New York office to further boost the brand's presence in the North American continent.

This move isn't as straightforward as other big leagues have made expansion look because of the German football fan culture.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke suggested that despite the German football fans' opposition to outside investors, they wouldn't be against expansion or new sources of revenue.

This deal with PRIME is a strategic long-term move by Borussia Dortmund to crack into the top clubs in world football on revenue and brand exposure by targeting an underutilised big market in the United States on the eve of a groundbreaking host 2026 World Cup.

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LAFC and BMO confirmed an expansion of their multi-year partnership, unveiling BMO as the Club’s “Official Jersey Sponsor” on the 2024 primary and secondary jersey.

BMO currently have a fantastic relationship with LAFC and the community with the national bank firm being the Official Bank of LAFC as well as the naming rights to the team's home stadium, named BMO Stadium right in the heart of Los Angeles.

According to the club, the new LAFC 2024 primary jersey represents strength, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

It features a minimalist look with gold pinstripes on LAFC's primary black home colour. BMO will be front and centre on both jerseys in gold to match the club's colour scheme and jersey aesthetic.

BMO Financial Group is a large national bank in North America that has served customers for over 200 years. The team of highly engaged employees provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally.

BMO Chief Marketing Officer Catherine Roche expanded on the company’s drive to improve the sport in the local area and continue their great deal with LAFC.

“As The Bank of Soccer, BMO is excited to expand this wonderful partnership with LAFC, which   further strengthens our commitment to growing the game of soccer across North America,” she said in a BMO statement.

“This not only reflects our passion for soccer but also underscores our support of the Los Angeles community. Together, we’re crafting a blueprint for community empowerment, leveraging the power of sport to make progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society. We look forward to supporting LAFC and its fans this season and beyond.”

LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman expressed a similar excitement to this deal.

“From the beginning, this has always been an incredible partnership that has united two organizations with a shared vision and commitment to what it means to be a force for good in our community,” he added in an LAFC press release.

“We are so excited to expand and strengthen this special relationship as we work together to grow the game in Los Angeles and beyond.”

BMO has been a major contributor to the MLS and North American football for many years, with over a decade of experience partnering with other MLS teams including Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. BMO has also invested over C$25 million ($28.3mil AUD) to engage, develop and cultivate youth soccer at every level of competition across Canada since 2005, supporting over one million youth athletes in the sport.

Both parties share the same values and have very similar cultures when it comes to developing the sport and MLS in North America which should see significant progress in this sector.

Through multiple partnerships, both BMO and LAFC are quickly working towards becoming a powerhouse of their own as they try to conquer the huge Los Angeles entertainment and sports market.

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Football Victoria (FV) released their Regional Football Review, aimed at giving regional football stakeholders the platform to voice their feedback about the delivery of football in their local community.

FV’s overarching aim for the review is to assess the current health of regional football, and determine its future influence in areas of the regional game, such as governance, participation, infrastructure, and pathways.

These sporting communities battle a unique set of challenges to operate sustainably, but the ultimate goal for FV - like any governing sports body - is to bridge gaps between regional and metropolitan areas.

412 participants took part in the report, including parents, coaches, players and association members (paid and voluntary). In addition, 24 in-depth interviews took place with “key identified” stakeholders.

FV sought the assistance of consultancy company Solucio to independently facilitate the review.

Governance and Administration

Regional Victoria’s football landscape includes 12 associations and leagues, and 130 clubs. Some of these clubs do compete in metropolitan competitions run by FV, but remain based in regional locations.

The governance of most regional associations follow a club representative model, which the report describes as “not in line with current best industry practice,” and leads to inconsistencies in football delivery.

The model is favoured because of the primitive nature of clubs within regional associations, and the assistance associations can guarantee from club members.

However, stakeholders believe that areas such as competition management and future project planning suffer as clubs place their own interests ahead of others.

Administration is also considered a problem area, with paid staff members at regional associations stating that a lack of additional support from volunteers increases their workload into overtime.

When volunteers were surveyed about the health of regional football, 25% of them believed the game to be in ‘very poor’ health.

Yet, over 50% of team managers, association board members and staff, and club committee members say the game is in a ‘fair’ or ‘very good’ state.

A lack of strategic planning, and clear assignment of roles between paid staff and volunteers, is likely causing this disconnect between regional football stakeholders.

Contradictory though it may seem, stakeholders continue to support the club representative model.

Participation and Infrastructure

Participation in regional football is slowly growing again, returning closer to levels of growth prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A reduced player registration fee for regional areas helps this growth, though, FV asserts that a levelling of regional player registration fees with metropolitan rates would create an extra $1.36 million in revenue.

This could be spent on improvements to the regional game, but a rise in registration fees is not in the best interests of growing football in regional communities.

Regarding female participation in football, there was negative but constructive feedback from stakeholders. Regional associations believe there is a lack of funding and resources to help them lead programs built for growing female participation.

FV is in the midst of its ambitious ‘FootballHerWay’ plan that aims to achieve 50/50 gender participation by 2027. Therefore, it makes sense for the organisation to consider more involvement in the delivery of female football programs to regional areas.

Regional school participation represents an area for improvement for FV, admitting in the report that the Australian Rules model (Auskick) is outperforming its efforts in terms of clinics and programs.

Recent investment in up-to-date football infrastructure, though, has been well-received, with most stakeholders considering future developments in infrastructure to be of less importance, despite the high satisfaction it provides communities.

The report acknowledges, though, that a gap exists between clubs and associations that have received upgrades, and those who have not.

According to regional NPL clubs, this gap is illuminated when visiting the facilities of metro NPL clubs.

Coaches

Coaches represent the most disgruntled stakeholder demographic, with 43% of those interviewed believing the health of regional football to be ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

There was negative feedback about pathways for coaches - particularly first-timers - who either do not have the capacity to attend accreditation courses, or are unmotivated to attain their licenses.

Some participants believe the approach to coach education is too metro-centric, citing additional expenses such as travel, food, and accommodation, just to attend a coaching accreditation course.

A wider problem exists in the marketing and promotion of coaching courses, with many regional associations lamenting the fact that courses are often cancelled due to small numbers.

One stakeholder floated a recommendation to subsidise Melbourne-based coaches to partake in regional-based courses to improve numbers.

This issue transcends into school participation, where stakeholders believe opportunities to grow participation are being neglected.

There is an over-reliance on unqualified parents or teachers passionate about the game to pioneer clinics or programs, and whilst participation is higher when this occurs, it is not sustainable in the long-term.

Players

A lack of motivated or accredited coaches inevitably impacts the morale of players, and this trend is consistent with the review’s findings, where 39% of players consider the health of regional football to be poor or very poor.

The pathway to elite football for junior players in regional areas, which is well-documented as being an all-encompassing, often sacrificial experience, that asks players and parents to spend large amounts of time and money.

Most stakeholders surveyed recognise the provision of elite-level football education within their communities as a key area for improvement. This helps to keep players grounded, and less susceptible to burnout at younger ages.

Further to this, Football Australia’s recent unveiling of the National Talent Development Scheme (NTDS) should provide a more level-playing field for players in regional areas to access elite pathways.

Again, better conditions and resources for coaches is recommended to help regional players. Some stakeholders recommend the provision of more metro-based coaches to deliver training to players in regional areas.

For senior players, there is a greater level of satisfaction among regional NPL clubs based closer to Melbourne than those playing in regional competitions.

Short season length (due to a small number of clubs) for regional competitions is cited as an issue in the review, which is likely to dissatisfy players.

Stakeholders suggest alternative competitions could be organised to lengthen the season and further engagement, but this could exasperate association staff members and volunteers.

Referees

Referees are a more satisfied demographic than players and coaches, and this is reflected by an increase in numbers across regional Victoria.

The review acknowledges that whilst this is positive, it stretches association resources for referee development.

Similarly to players and coaches, there is an expectation that more accessible pathways be provided to referees to upskill.

Specifically, existing referees desire more practical education in the form of officiating more metropolitan NPL games. Not only would this improve their ability, it provides more opportunities for mentoring and promotion to the elite.

Beyond the Review

The qualitative feedback provided by participants will be considered for FV’s regional football plan from 2025 onwards. Head of Growth & Development at FV, Lachlan Cole, reflected further on this.

"The engagement and contributions from Regional Victorians have been invaluable in putting the needs of Regional Football at the forefront of this project,” he told the FV website.

"The Discussion Paper and Survey Results provide a real snapshot of our current landscape, from several different perspectives, and will guide the formulation of really positive and meaningful recommendations."

The Regional Football Review’s assessment of the health of football in rural Victoria shines a light on the difficulties regional football faces across the country.

There is a growing desire for better pathways and programs for players, coaches, and referees, as well as a greater provision of resources to maintain the standard of football delivery for the future.

Whether FV as an organisation chooses to involve themselves more in the governance and administration of regional football associations will be a topic for discussion in the near future.

The Regional Football Review Discussion Paper can be viewed in full here.

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City Football Group (CFG) announced a “football collaboration agreement” with Turkish Süper Lig side İstanbul Başakşehir to expand on their current portfolio of worldwide football clubs.

CFG is the owner of Premier League giants Manchester City and the group also own majority shareholder status in a further seven clubs around the world including A-League side Melbourne City.

Under this agreement, CFG will provide Başakşehir with guidance on transfers, academy development and data-driven insights. The group will also offer support with player screening and football strategy.

This strategy used by CFG has been rather successful for all the clubs under the consortium and Melbourne City in particular have used this connection to make some big transfers in and outgoings. David Villa was the first significant loan move from CFG club New York City FC which started a practice of players and coaches rotating between the group’s clubs.

It has seen players like Daniel Arzani and Aaron Mooy move to Manchester City temporarily to be loaned out to other European clubs. Recently, Patrick Kisnorbo earned a move to fellow CFG club ESTAC Troyes to become the first ever Australian manager in a top five European league.

Göksel Gümüşdağ, Majority Owner and Club President of Başakşehir, explained that this move is immense for the club.

“İstanbul Başakşehir FK has achieved many firsts in Turkish football despite its young age and today, with this collaboration with the leading football group in the world, it marks another milestone for İstanbul Başakşehir and Turkish football,” he said in a club statement.

“From the very beginning, we have reiterated at every opportunity that our vision and goals are different and today underlines this expression again. We are very happy, proud and excited. I would like to thank all the people in City Football Group for their approach and support in the process. I hope it will be beneficial for Başakşehir FK and Turkish football.”

City Football Group released their own statement regarding the new addition to their family and the future plans for the club.

"This collaboration will help CFG grow knowledge and develop relationships in Turkey, an ambitious football nation and developer of talent. This will also provide CFG with an opportunity to collaborate across emerging football areas with a club that has a shared vision.” a CFG statement read.

City Football Group, INEOS and Red Bull in particular have figured out a way to potentially 'game the system' to their advantage before FIFA or UEFA had ever thought of cracking down on this potentially threatening move for football.

İstanbul Başakşehir is just another club adding to the growing list of clubs involved in a multi-club structure which is said to be over 180 clubs across the world in total. Modern football is transforming like never before.

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The Football Association has agreed a four-year deal with UK broadcaster TNT Sports to broadcast the FA Cup from the 2025-26 season.

TNT will share rights with a free-to-air broadcaster, whose identity hasn't been announced yet but will be confirmed at a later date. In the current deal, both the BBC and ITV share rights to show the competition with all games free to the UK audience.

TNT Sports will showcase live matches from the first round, with every game from the third round outside of 3pm kick offs on display through to the final whilst selected matches from every round will be available free-to-air, and highlights of every game will be made available free on YouTube.

In addition to the Emirates FA Cup ties, TNT Sports will also broadcast the English football season’s traditional curtain raiser, the FA Community Shield, and the FA Youth Cup semi-finals and final. They join the Vanarama National League, which TNT Sports also has the rights to in a long-standing commitment.

The FA Chief Executive, Mark Bullingham, explained the decision behind pay walling a chunk of the FA Cup fixtures.

“The Emirates FA Cup is our crown jewel, and it helps us to provide vital investment across every level of English football, supporting clubs, communities, facilities and the wider grassroots game." he said in a press release.

“TNT Sports are an outstanding broadcaster with an impressive record of showing some of the biggest and best sporting events around the world, so we are delighted to be working with them on our shared commitment and long-term vision that will ensure the Emirates FA Cup continues to thrive over the coming years.”

In a rather controversial move, the FA has opted to paywall matches from the oldest football club competition in the world in order to earn and utilise more money to invest in English football's future.

Whilst it is wildly unpopular with the fans, it does showcase just how quickly the whole sport is being monetised, and unfortunately just how little say the fans get in having their desires met when it comes to free access to watch football.

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Premier League club bosses are holding further talks regarding cost control measures for clubs competing in European football and additional funding for the EFL.

The top flight is examining the introduction of a model along similar lines to UEFA's squad cost ratio, which by 2025-26 will cap the spending of clubs involved in European competitions on wages, transfer fees and agent costs at 70 per cent of revenue.

It is understood that clubs in the Premier League not competing in European competitions will be allowed more leeway on spending, with a ratio of around 85 per cent of revenue having been discussed. This is potentially to ensure a more level playing field for mid table Premier League clubs who are struggling to break that barrier.

There is a major roadblock, however, in these talks with relegated Premier League clubs still earning parachute payments in their first season back in the Championship and being able to continue working to the 85 per cent ratio whilst the bottom half Championship clubs are working on a much tighter budget, closer to the 70 per cent UEFA mark.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters spoke about these talks advancing and what it means for the future of both leagues.

"We have some proposals out for consultation with our clubs about moving and aligning more with the UEFA system," Masters said at the Culture, Media and Sport committee.

"Some of the issues that are still at debate between the EFL and the Premier League and internally within the Premier League itself are about trying to find a resolution on exactly how the financial regulatory system will work in the future.

"There's an area of disagreement between us on how cost controls are going to work. Because obviously if you're going to put more money into a system, that system has to be properly regulated. That system has yet to be fully agreed on how Championship clubs, how relegated clubs and how Premier League clubs operate a common system." he concluded.

In terms of the extra funding agreement being discussed, EFL Chairman Rick Parry announced that his competition was prepared to accept an amount that would equate to 14.75 per cent of the two competitions' net media revenues, which he said worked out at an extra £125million ($240 million) a year.

Whilst this is a huge positive for the footballing ladder in England, there is still a debate amongst clubs and representatives over how the extra funding to the EFL should be paid out.

Recently relegated sides are already working on a bigger budget, whilst sides in the bottom half are struggling to pay player wages with this disparity being completely unacceptable.

So it definitely begs the question, does majority of the extra £125million ($240 million) a year go towards helping bottom clubs compete in the long term? or would that be a stain on the league's integrity and fair play values?

Votes were not casted in last week's meetings regarding cost control measures or extra funding, but reports suggest that a conclusion is being made swiftly with both parties eager to agree on a fair deal.

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Wellington Phoenix have partnered with Chinese Super League team Tianjin Tiger to boost football growth in both nations.

As part of the Wellington Phoenix Tianjin Tiger Sister City Friendship, the clubs have agreed to hold an annual encounter between their men's first teams.

The inaugural Wellington Phoenix F.C. vs. Tianjin Tiger F.C. Sister City Shield match is set to take place in Tianjin this September, with the second in Wellington next year.

The strategic collaboration was formed after Phoenix general manager David Dome visited Tianjin in September as part of a business delegation headed by Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau.

The club hosted a delegation from Tianjin, and the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding at the Mayor's office.

Phoenix general manager David Dome was thrilled with the partnership going through.

“The mayoral delegation to China last year was invaluable and I’m thrilled about this partnership with Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, which will be of benefit to the club on multiple levels,” he said via press release.

“Not only will the men get to play a Chinese Super League side as part of their A-League pre-season each year, but the academy will soon benefit from an influx of footballers from Tianjin.

“We’re looking to grow our academy to have an international component and Tianjin Jinmen have committed to sending some young players to Wellington to attend training camps in July and we’re discussing the possibility of their juniors being part of a new international academy annual programme.

“International students are essential for the secondary and tertiary education sector in Wellington and we are evaluating how an elite international academy focused on football can be part of New Zealand’s international education offering.”

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau added that the city is excited about the opportunity. 

“I’d like to congratulate David Dome and the wider team for the work they’ve done on this MoU,” he stated via press release.

“I’m beyond stoked that the delegation last September has resulted in this MoU between the Wellington Phoenix and Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. 

“The development opportunities for both the clubs will be invaluable to not only football but also our cities.”

The Phoenix are enjoying a successful A-league campaign where they currently sit top of the table 18 games into the season.

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Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been a roaring success that has symbolised the bright future of the world game in Africa. Record number of goals, booming social media channels and incredible upsets set up a future-defining campaign for all African football enthusiasts.

In a press conference before the final of the competition, Patrick Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football, claimed nearly 2 billion people watched the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 over the past month. This indicates an over 300% growth from AFCON 2021 in Cameroon which reached around 600 million viewers across 160 different nations.

This incredible reach was made possible due to many significant factors, most being extremely positive and setting a tremendous foundation due to the continent's steep rise in football popularity across the last few years.

Record prize money and revenue earned

Before the tournament started, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced a 40% increase in the prize money for winning Afcon. The winning national team, hosts Ivory Coast, took home AUD$10.7 million while runners-up Nigeria took AUD$6.1 million, third place South Africa took AUD$3.8 million and the fourth placed D.R Congo team took home AUD$1.9 million.

AFCON this campaign had a record 17 commercial partners, and the competition is estimated to also smash the previous revenue record of AUD$93.4 million. CAF is estimated to be earning around AUD$114.6 million in sponsorship revenue from this year’s AFCON according to London-based market research firm GlobalData.

Global viewership and increased media coverage

Matches were shown in about 180 countries through deals with partner broadcasters like Sky, Canal+, beIN Sport, BBC, and MultiChoice, as well as 45 Free To Air broadcasters.

Australians were afforded the opportunity to watch every AFCON 2024 game live and in HD thanks to beIN Sports.

Media accreditation at the event was more than doubled from the last AFCON, with over 6,000 journalists applying for accreditation from all over the world. The increased coverage on social media platforms played a huge role in its international popularity.

Star attractions

There is no denying the enormous role played by star players who featured in this stacked AFCON tournament which is also proving that Africa as a continent is turning over elite talent like never before.

Huge international names like Victor Osimhen, Achraf Hakimi, Mohamed Salah and Mohammed Kudus are just four names out of many that most football fans would consider quite entertaining to watch. This erray of talent makes any football fan excited to tune into matches, even as a complete neutral.

World class facilities

Côte d'Ivoire really stepped up their game in preparation for this tournament, with planning years in advance to host a world class event.

AUD$1.53 billion was estimated to have been spent on renovating roads, stadiums, hospitals and other infrastructure in preparation for the tournament. Beyond renovating existing stadiums, the country built three new venues, two with a 20,000 capacity and the new Alassane Ouattara stadium, named after the president of the country, which seats over 60,000 spectators and was used for the Final of the tournament.

A fairytale ending for the hosts Côte d'Ivoire capped off a groundbreaking tournament that is proven to the world just how serious Africa is about its footballing development. With a host of exciting youngsters and more funding going directly into grassroots and professional football, there is only one trajectory that we can expect for the continent, and that is straight up.

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The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 successfully managed to cover the Group Stage matches with almost 60 media partners and more than 120 channels providing enthralling action featuring Asia’s top 24 teams for viewers around the world.

By already securing its place as the most extensively covered and accessible edition ever for television right to over 160 territories, the Group Stage games was the first time it marked its broadcast in markets other than Asia, including the USA, Europe, Latin America and Africa.

With Vietnam being one of the best performing markets - over 200 million TV reach watching the Group Stage matches on VTV5 and other local channels - it represents an 84% increase in TV ratings from 2019 edition.

Having not participated in the competition since 2007, Indonesia returned to the AFC Asian Cup and also qualified to the Knockout Stage for the first, drawing a colossal 154 million TV reach on RCTI and various other domestic channels.

Viewership saw a huge leap on the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s digital engagement in the global aspect, as for the views of the highlights for the Group Stage on YouTube was up 120% from the whole of the 2019 tournament.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John mentioned this growth via press release:

“The preliminary eye-catching TV viewership figures reinforce the growing demand for AFC football and reiterates the world-class platform of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 for our players, teams and passionate fans alike,” he said.

“In addition to a truly global audience outreach so far, we look forward towards working hand in hand with our valued media and broadcast partners as we strive to scale the volume of TV coverage and engage with the hundreds of millions of Asian football fans like never before.”

Meanwhile, sponsorships proved to be huge factor for the competition, Qatar Airways, having served as the highest quality FIFA partner since 2017, and Visit Saudi signed on the dotted line as official global partners ahead of the tournament, also VISA tagged along as a regional sponsor.

It will be expected the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly take the competition to new heights as well.

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Melbourne Victory has announced that ASICS Australia will be the Club’s Official Footwear Partner for the 2023/24 A-Leagues season.

ASICS is at the forefront of the world performance sports market as the leading running shoe brand for enthusiasts and professional athletes alike. Whether at professional sporting events, the Olympics or an everyday run around a park, ASICS is the runner's choice, providing comfort, support and a superior ride.

The deal is fitting for both organisations as Melbourne Victory are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, club in the A-league. While ASICS are also one of the largest footwear companies in Australia, two powerhouses in the country collaborate to create what should become a successful partnership.

The global sports brand will supply Melbourne Victory Club’s staff with footwear for the upcoming season.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director Caroline Carnegie is looking forward to having ASICS on board as a partner for the season.

“We’re thrilled to have ASICS on board with us at Melbourne Victory and we can’t wait to be able to showcase their range to our members and fans,” she stated via press release.

“ASICS is a global brand that produces some of the world’s best footwear and we believe our partnership will give our players and staff the cutting edge heading into the upcoming season.”

ASICS Oceania MD, Mark Brunton, said he was thrilled to collaborate with Melbourne Victory when they expanded into the worldwide football market with their innovative new football-specific line.

“We are proud of the high-quality range of performance footwear that ASICS has in the market and are excited to tie in a relationship with Melbourne Victory with the release of our new Swift Strike football boot,” he added via media release.

“We are looking forward to seeing Victory’s players performing at the highest level in our footwear.”

Melbourne Victory will next face local rivals Melbourne City on the February 17 in one of the biggest fixtures in the A-League season.

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Enilive, the sustainable energy subsidiary of Italian energy company Eni, has secured title sponsorship rights to Italian men’s football's top-tier Serie A until the end of the 2026-27 season.

The Italian energy firm agreed to pay €22 million ($36.4 million AUD) per year and the deal also included an option to further extend for two seasons past 2026-27. This deal is a slight upgrade on the €20 million ($33.1 million AUD) annually that TIM were paying in its recent contract.

Under this agreement, the league will be now known as the Serie A Enilive from 2024/25 and similarly to TIM, the company's logo will be placed under the official Serie A one for branding.

The deal ends a longstanding partnership between Serie A and current title sponsor telecommunications giant TIM, which has held the naming rights since the 1998-99 season. Its latest contract ends after the ongoing 2023-24 campaign and Serie A confirmed earlier that they were exploring its options for a new title sponsor.

Eni explained the impact this huge deal with the Italian top division would have for the company's environmental ambitions.

"Through the partnership, Enilive will contribute to the world of football by introducing increasingly sustainable mobility solutions. Enilive is enthusiastic about the partnership with Lega Serie A, which will make the company and its new brand closer to all Italians," the company said in a press release.

"Enilive has a network of over 5,000 service stations across Europe, of which around 4,000 are located in Italy. Every day, they welcome more than 1.5 million people on the move, not only to refuel but also to enjoy a wide range of services."

For both parties this partnership is seen as a win with Serie A improving on their previous title sponsor deal and Enilive creating more awareness of its sustainable mobility solutions across Europe with this exposure.

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LaLiga confirmed that Telefonica take domestic LaLiga rights commitment back to the end of 2026-27. Telefonica will pay €1.29 billion ($2.12 billion AUD) for the next three and a half seasons and will continue to share domestic rights with streaming giant DAZN.

Telefonica will cover five of the 10 LaLiga games per week, across the latter half of 2024-25 and each of the next two campaigns in full. It will also cover three full game weeks in each of 2025-26 and 2026-27.

In 2021, the broadcaster was awarded five seasons of coverage from 2022/23 to 2026/27. However, at the end of last year La Liga put half of its package up for auction. This happened after an the CNMC, the Spanish competition regulator, urged La Liga to cut the contract by this season's end.

This has obviously reversed with the telecommunications company successfully re-purchasing the rights after going through a lengthy process which adds the league to its existing UEFA competitions exclusive deal in Spain.

Telefónica stated in a media release:

“With this (deal), Telefónica consolidates its football offer, so that customers of Movistar Plus+ will continue to enjoy 100 per cent of the League matches as well as UEFA Competitions until 2027.”

"The re-purchasing of rights is vital for Telefonica's vision of being a long-term broadcaster of this league."

LaLiga have shown that a move to a full paid-TV broadcast setup can be successful in domestic football. This has allowed the league to collect more revenue through his deals for the clubs in the league and still maintain strong viewership numbers. In 202/23, La Liga reported an average of 340,000 average viewers per broadcasted match which places them 3rd amongst domestic leagues in Europe.

LaLiga have successfully chosen Movistar+ and DAZN to broadcast league matches with both streaming platforms being extremely popular and offering more to a consumer. With the A-Leagues huge Paramount+ failure, it is certainly time to start thinking of selling the rights to a more popular streaming service that will get more eyeballs on the product.

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Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid have signed their first sleeve sponsorship contract with computer hardware company HP.

HP is a top-tier brand with a limited number of premium sports collaborations. Coming on board with Real Madrid confirms the club's status as one of soccer's leading brands and validates the choice to hold out for a deal on favourable terms.

The sponsorship includes the men's and women's teams, as well as youth programmes. For the first time in its 121-year existence, the men's team will have two brands on its jersey, with HP joining front-of-shirt sponsor Emirates.

In addition, HP will become the club's newest technology partner, delivering services such as AI-enabled gadgets at the newly refurbished Santiago Bernabeu stadium, as well as in-person experiences, gaming, and club operations.

According to Spanish news agencies, the agreement is worth up to $75.7 million every season and will include the HP brand on one of the team's jersey sleeves. With sleeve sponsors becoming more popular amongst the football world, it was only a matter of time before the club introduced the additional partnership.

HP Chief Marketing and Corporate Affairs officer Antonio Lucio was pleased to finalise the new partnership.

“We are honoured to partner with Real Madrid and see many exciting opportunities to harness the power of HP’s technology and brand to create amazing new experiences for fans while empowering the communities we share,” he stated via press release.

Real Madrid's shirt sponsorship arrangements amount more than $270 million, with the majority coming from kit maker adidas, which has a $193 million per year deal until 2028. The club's Emirates contract is also worth $75 million each season until 2026.

Real Madrid’s next home game will take place on the February 11 where they will wear their iconic white shirts against Girona.

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Central Coast Mariners announced a partnership with Liga Portugal club Portimonense SAD.

The club, which now competes in the Portuguese first division, has a long history of generating top-tier players via both its academy and first-team programmes.

This collaboration is intended to mutually benefit young development for both teams, as well as general progress for Portimonense and the Mariners, making it a strategically smart move from Mariners who also have a history of producing young talent.

The contract would allow prospective Central Coast players to transfer into Portuguese first division football, one of Europe's best divisions, while the Mariners will receive access to outstanding players from Portimonense SAD to enhance their team.

This has already begun with Mariners signing Ronald Barcellos on loan, with the goal of assisting both teams in their respective divisions while also allowing our players to continue their football growth.

Central Coast Mariners' Sporting Director Matt Simon is eager to be working with Portimonense.

“To be able to work closely with a club of Portimonense’s pedigree is extremely exciting and an opportunity that we are greatly looking forward to,” he said via press release.

“We are clubs who see youth development as extremely important and to be able to work together on this will only benefit us both.”

Central Coast Mariners Chairman Richard Peil also commented on the partnership outlining the importance of the alliance.

“We’d love to own a network of clubs to be able to help players progress their careers and maximise their value, but that is just not realistic,” he stated via press release.

“This is the next best thing. The relationship with Portimonense is an important step in our progression to becoming a self-funding football club.”

Officials from Portimonense's elite coaching squad are scheduled to visit the Central Coast Mariners Centre of Excellence this month (February) to begin work on the relationship.

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Birmingham City confirmed that it has entered a major multi-year naming rights agreement with Shelby Companies Limited, which is mainly owned by Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company.

As a result of this deal, the club's stadium will now be called "St Andrews @ Knighthead Park", the Club’s Wast Hills training ground will be renamed The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds and a new fan ‘entertainment zone’ @ Knighthead Park, will be built on club-owned land nearby.

Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company (“Knighthead Annuity”) is an insurance and reinsurance company established in 2014 to serve global clients seeking financial products that provide both principal protection and guaranteed rates, as well as reinsure similar liabilities for U.S. insurance companies.

Tom Wagner is the Chairman of both the club and Knighthead and has helped to finance this deal with a long-term commitment in mind. Knighthead took over the Blues in mid-July when the club was in financial crisis and Wagner has promised that there is a slow process in place to bring the club back on its feet, with this deal being the first big step.

The value of the agreement is based on an annual sponsorship fee, a Men’s First Team performance-related bonus and a Club wide social media performance-related bonus. For the remainder of the 2023/24 season, the value to the Club with incentives could reach £6,241,666 ($12,021,211 AUD). In 2024/25, the first full year of the partnership, the value to Birmingham City, with incentives, could reach £9,450,000 ($18,200,339 AUD)

Knighthead will receive physical and digital branding rights across the stadium, training grounds and all club-owned channels. Knighthead has also committed to donate from the start of the 2024/25 season, to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation.

Knighthead Park will provide consistent brand exposure to a global audience at a key time in Knighthead’s growth plans, as well as inject important revenue into Birmingham City FC.

Tom Wagner explained the overall plan he has for the club.

“St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park is step one in our plan to create a world-renowned ‘Sports Quarter’ in Birmingham,” he said via media release.

“We invested in Blues because of the opportunity to not only transform a football club but to also be a catalyst for change in the city itself. Our ambition is bold.

“It is for the Club to become a beacon of excellence for Birmingham. We are at an early stage in the journey, but we have already started to capture the imagination of a global audience. It is only going to grow. That is why the timing of the multi-year naming rights partnership is perfect and why it is so important to Knighthead.

“We continue to invest heavily in the Stadium and training grounds to make them fit for purpose. The process will continue as we pursue the development of the broader Knighthead Park.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to enter into a partnership that will grow the brands of both Knighthead and BCFC, while remaining true to our goal of achieving excellence across both enterprises.”

Birmingham City Chief Executive Officer Garry Cook expressed his excitement at what this means for the club's future.

“Birmingham is now a global story, and the Club is at its epicentre,” he added via press release.

“A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible.

“St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park and the ambitious plan for a ‘Sports Quarter’ will become a proxy brand for Knighthead. It will be world class and a clear statement of intent.”

“Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the Club and the city itself. New thinking and approaches are required for football clubs to grow and compete. Our partnership is an example of this,”

The value of this partnership for both parties is not to be understated and the very positive reaction by fans is a key indicator. There is a clear plan in place to improve Birmingham's financial situation eventually to then build better facilities and improve the squad with a long-term goal of going back to the top flight.

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Royal Caribbean International will be the Official Jersey Partner for Inter Miami, beginning with the upcoming 2024 campaign.

With the world's largest cruise company already the Main Partner and Official Vacation Partner, this is a new era for both parties.

La Noche, the Club's away shirt, was on full show, along with the cruise line's iconic crown and anchor insignia, at a celebration for the upcoming much awaited holiday, Icon of the Seas. Mario Lopez, a four-time Emmy-winning host, was joined by Royal Caribbean and Inter Miami ownership and management, as well as players, staff, and fans, for the surprise announcement.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty commented on what joining forces meant for the company.

“Both Royal Caribbean Group and Inter Miami share the values of dreaming and determination – and the highs of the unbelievable moments when those dreams come true,” he stated via press release.

“It’s exciting to now combine forces, and I can’t wait for the future that our two organisations will forge for our industries, for our fans around the world, and of course, for our local communities here in South Florida.”

Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi also addressed the collaboration:

“Today marks a significant moment in an authentic partnership between two South Florida-based powerhouses, both deeply committed to the community we proudly call home,” he said via press release.

“We eagerly anticipate our players taking the field and sporting the Royal Caribbean logo on our iconic jerseys in front of our incredible fans at our stadium, across the country and around the globe.”

Icon is a one-of-a-kind blend of every holiday, from resort retreat to beach escape and theme park experience, as well as the cruise line's best-selling ship.

Icon offers a variety of activities for all types of families and vacationers to create memories together and on their own journeys without compromising. Tourists can discover more about Icon by visiting the Royal Caribbean website.

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Arsenal confirmed a multi-year agreement with car manufacturer MG Motor UK who is the Official Automotive Partner.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, MG will be there for Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams, and supporters will see their brand showcased on LED boards and screens at Emirates Stadium and Meadow Park.

A key component of this partnership is that both parties will work together to create engaging content designed to engage the club’s global supporter base. This is the most direct way to build up both brands and increase exposure which is the ambition of both organisations.

It becomes the third current car sponsorship in the league after Man City & Nissan as well as Man United and Chevrolet. Interestingly, it is only the seventh time ever a car company has sponsored a Premier League club, making it a rarity in this space.

MG Motor UK Commercial Director Guy Pigounakis spoke on the company's focus on sports and in particular growing the women's game.

“Joining Arsenal in our centenary year marks a significant chapter in MG's story. We’re not just supporting a world-famous club; but aiming to drive forward the future of football by championing the growth of the women’s professional game and showing our passion for the greatest game on earth,” he said via www.arsenal.com

Juliet Slot, Arsenal’s Chief Commercial Officer, explained how congruent both organisations were with each other's long-term plans.

“We’re delighted to welcome MG to our family of partners. It’s a brand renowned for its history and heritage, but they also bring a forward-thinking mindset that aligns with our club’s ambitions,” she added via www.arsenal.com.

“In their centenary year, we’re excited that MG can become part of our own long-term growth journey, and we look forward to working with them to promote their range of leading sustainable electric vehicles.”

This is MG's second partnership with a club in the Premier League after first announcing their collaboration with Liverpool in 2016. The manufacturer however is this time covering both the Gunners' men's and women's team with their vision of playing a role in the growth of women's football in the UK.

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The city of Milan is seemingly ready to offer a $498.5m AUD proposal to reconstruct the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, in what is being considered as a last attempt to persuade AC Milan and Inter Milan that their futures will rest at their current home.

Arco Associati, an architectural firm, is claimed to be behind the concept, which would see a new-look Meazza with a capacity of 75,000 - 5,000 more than the two stadia Milan and Inter are presently working on and around 800 less than the San Siro.

The city's appeal is set to be heard on March 14, and any future attempts to reconstruct the Meazza would also need to persuade the two clubs. Both Milan and Inter have always been dubious of such a proposal, citing worries about how a restoration would fit in with the requirement to organise games, as well as whether a new-look Meazza would meet their goal of having a stadium capable of competing with the finest in Europe.

Inter started a fan feedback campaign last month in preparation for their anticipated transfer to a new 70,000-seat stadium in the town of Rozzano. In October, Inter provided a preview of life beyond the San Siro by showing preliminary concept renderings from Populous of a new stadium that it hopes will open ahead of the 2028-29 season.

In an address to shareholders as Inter disclosed record matchday revenues, CEO Alessandro Antonello said the delivery of a new stadium owned by Inter is "crucial" in accomplishing the club's larger mid-to-long-term aims.

Inter has already won the exclusive right to conduct a feasibility study on the prospective building of a stadium on the property. The club has until the end of April 2024 to investigate the concept. In September, first proposals were submitted to the Mayors of Rozzano and Assago.

Inter and its local rival had previously collaborated on a combined Nuovo Stadio Milan project on the site of the Meazza, but continuous delays forced both to reconsider their plans.

Milan declared its first profit in over two decades in October, with record sales of over $670 million, as the club revealed that its owners had already committed $66.27 million in pushing plans to build a new stadium in San Donato.

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24 clubs will participate in the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase of the National Second Tier (NST) selection process, as Football Australia edges closer to an official start date for the competition.

Only two or four clubs will join the eight foundation clubs for the inaugural competition, which is planned to start in March/April 2025.

Within their submission, clubs will need to demonstrate their operational and commercial readiness, alignment with strategic objectives, and a commitment to developing talent and engaging communities.

To assess clubs’ financial readiness, Football Australia has again sought the services of Australian financial services firm, BDO, to deliver analysis that will be crucial to the sustainability of the NST and its member clubs.

Clubs must submit their RFP by mid-April for assessment. The ‘Completion Phase’, where potential clubs will learn their fate, has been set for June 2024.

Speaking via press release, Football Australia CEO James Johnson believes the refined second phase represents a great opportunity for Australian football clubs.

"The RFP phase is a cornerstone in our journey towards a more dynamic and competitive National Second Tier as we look for clubs which will elevate the game, contribute to their communities, and embody the spirit of inclusivity and excellence," Johnson said.

Football Australia is yet to decide on the format for the inaugural competition, which will be affected by whether it chooses two or four teams from the RFP phase. The two proposed formats are:

• A 10-team competition with two rounds plus a Finals Series, totalling 18 regular season matches.
• A 12-team competition with two rounds plus a Finals Series, totalling 22 regular season matches.

Last November, eight clubs from New South Wales and Victoria were successful in the first phase of the NST selection phase. These clubs include:

New South Wales

• APIA Leichhardt FC
• Marconi Stallions FC
• Sydney Olympic FC
• Sydney United 58 FC
• Wollongong Wolves FC

Victoria

• Avondale FC
• Preston Lions FC
• South Melbourne FC

Clubs from states outside New South Wales and Victoria will be hopeful of their inclusion to make the second tier truly national, but as CEO Johnson eludes, the selection process will not be sentimental.

"Our goal is clear: to identify clubs that align with our strategic objectives and are ready to rise to the occasion. The clubs that join us in this journey will play a crucial role in enriching the tapestry of Australian football," Johnson added via media release.

The NST represents an exciting opportunity for Australian football to evolve on an unprecedented scale. Football fans should be reassured by Football Australia’s commitment to delivering a careful and considered selection process that ensures the safety of Australia’s most significant football institutions.

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