Football Coaches Australia presents ‘The Football Coaching Life Podcast’ S2 Ep 5 with Gary Cole interviewing Catherine Cannuli

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Football Life Podcast Cannuli

Catherine Cannuli has recently been appointed as Head Coach of the W-League team at Western Sydney Wanderers after spending a number of years as Assistant Coach after she finished up her playing career at the Club.

Cath had a terrific playing career as a junior and senior player, becoming a 15-year-old first-team player at Marconi before also playing W-League football with Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar, as well as receiving four caps for the Matildas.

Her coaching career began at Southern Districts with the Raiders before quickly adding the U14’s and eventually the Technical Director role. Catherine is open in discussing how great the Association have been in helping her grow and develop as a coach and in allowing her to juggle her coaching role at WSW whilst learning to understand the demands of full-time coaching.

We discuss the impact that Alen Stajcic has had on her career as both a player and a coach as well as how he helped her ‘fall back in love with the game’ after she walked away from the game and the national junior teams.

In her role as TD with Southern Districts she is focused on helping players love the game first as well as trying to fit in more games and training sessions to provide more learning opportunities for players and coaches.

It becomes very evident that Catherine wants to leave a legacy for the W-League program at Wanderers where all players, coaches and staff are full-time.

Please join me in sharing Catherine Cannuli’s Football Coaching Life.

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Kansas City Current receive financial backing for stadium expansion

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Image credit: CPKC Stadium

The CPKC Stadium, home to NWSL side KC Current, will see a major financial injection transform its capacity from 11,500 to 18,000.

 

Leading by example

Amid the excitement, chaos and attention on the FIFA World Cup this summer, the football industry in the US has, once again, come into the spotlight.

But one story which truly represents the progress and development of football in the US is not within the men’s game, but the women’s.

Kansas City Current – a team who privately funded the world’s first purpose-built football stadium for a women’s professional team – is once again leading by example for women’s football in the US.

Only this time, their stadium plans will have the backing not just of the club, but of the Kansas City Council. A recently approved package of AUD 336 million (USD 235 million) will add 6,500 seats to the venue, an expansion which comes as a welcome development for fans who regularly fill the CPKC Stadium to capacity.

 

Big investment, fast expansion

The CPKC Stadium, however, is little over two years old, having reached its project completion in 2024. But after matches consistently sold out, expansion was always the next step in the inspirational journey of the KC Current.

Co-founders and co-owners, Angie and Chris Long, outlined what the coming investment will mean for both club and community.

“We are proud to continue investing in Kansas City’s future and grateful for the partnership that makes this chapter possible,” the Longs said.

“The success of the Current and the Riverfront benefit our entire community, and we are honoured to help create a lasting legacy for a city that has given so much to us.”

The public funding for the project takes it to AUD 2 billion (USD 1.4 billion). Such financial commitment, of course, reflects the welcome backing from the Kansas City Council.

Yet, more importantly, it shows that women’s football is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the sporting world. In just a few years, the KC Current went from a 3,200 capacity stadium to one which boasts 18,000.

Who knows, in the coming seasons, where this rapid rise will lead to next.

Australian Sports Group unveiled as new owners of Canberra United

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Image Credits: A-League

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has confirmed Canberra United’s new owners will be the Australian Sports Group (ASG), securing the future of the A-League Women’s side with the potential for an A-League men’s team to be introduced for the 2028/2029 season.

The announcement marks a significant milestone for football in the nation’s capital, ending a prolonged period of uncertainty surrounding Canberra United’s future in the Ninja A-League Women competition.

Beyond ensuring the club’s ongoing participation in Australia’s premier women’s domestic league, the acquisition provides a pathway towards the potential introduction of an A-League Men club in Canberra, subject to the completion of regulatory requirements; the club could exercise an exclusive licence agreement in the Australian Capital Territory.

Australian Sports Group has outlined an ambitious vision centred on strengthening football throughout the ACT, with plans to invest in player development pathways, community engagement and football infrastructure while working alongside key stakeholders across the region.

The ownership transition has been welcomed by the Australian Professional Leagues, which described the outcome as an important step in expanding the game’s footprint in Canberra and reinforcing the long-term sustainability of professional football in the region.

Canberra United has long been regarded as one of Australia’s most successful and respected women’s clubs, playing a pivotal role in developing elite players and contributing to the growth of women’s football nationally. The confirmation of new ownership provides greater certainty for players, staff, supporters and commercial partners ahead of the upcoming season.

The licence transfer will continue through Football Australia’s regulatory processes, including the required fit and proper persons assessment, while operational planning for the 2026-27 campaign is already underway with support from both the APL and Capital Football.

 

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