Football Australia targeting new leadership appointments

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.

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Mbappé move from Nike to On signals new battle for Football’s sponsorship market

Kylian Mbappe UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier

Kylian Mbappé’s decision to leave Nike after almost 20 years has opened a new chapter in the commercial battle for football’s biggest names. The Real Madrid and France star has joined Swiss sportswear brand On, a significant boon for the company on entry into the football market.

Mbappé’s departure is a significant commercial loss for Nike. The forward joined the company as a nine-year-old and grew into one of its leading football figures. His loss compounds the recent transition of Spanish star Lamine Yamal to long-time rival Adidas.

On built its reputation in running, before expanding into tennis via Roger Federer. It will now use Mbappé’s experience as it develops football products, with its first boots expected to become widely available in the near future. Former France star Thierry Henry has also joined On as its football director and is a shareholder.

On has confirmed that Mbappé’s agreement includes both cash and equity, although the financial details have not been released, gives the partnership a deeper commercial connection than a traditional endorsement deal. Nike still holds significant football contracts, including long-term partnership with numerous national teams.

However, Mbappé’s move gives On an opportunity to challenge the established order, including Nike, Adidas, Puma and other emerging competitors. But will they turn this prized signature into lasting football credibility? To do so, the brand must now deliver products that can compete on performance, design and price.

Mbappé’s switch is therefore more than a sponsorship change. It signals an increasingly competitive fight for football’s most influential athletes and the billions of fans who follow them.

SBS expands Australian Championship broadcast coverage for 2026

The Australian Championship will enter its second season with an expanded broadcast partnership between Football Australia and SBS. The 2026 competition will feature two live SBS broadcasts in every round, marking an increase from the tournament’s debut season.

Thursday night football will form a key part of the new broadcast schedule. The opening match will see Preston Lions face Wollongong Wolves on October 15th, with the game broadcast live on SBS2 and SBS On Demand. Saturday football will also remain part of the free-to-air schedule; first up, Sutherland Sharks’ clash with South Melbourne on October 17th will be shown live on SBS and SBS On Demand.

The expanded agreement gives the competition a greater presence across SBS’s linear channels while retaining its full streaming coverage, with every match across the 2026 Australian Championship available live on SBS On Demand. The platform also provides full replays and highlights for viewers to access at their discretion.

In addition to SBS’ coverage, Football Australia will also stream the competition via YouTube.

The Australian Championship consists of a six-round group stage, finals beginning at quarter-finals from November 26, and a Grand Final scheduled currently between December 10-12.

It features 16 clubs from seven states and territories. The broadcast schedule places several historic fixtures in front of a national audience: South Melbourne will meet Sydney United 58 in a repeat of the 1999 NSL Grand Final, and Sydney Olympic and Marconi Stallions will also renew a rivalry that includes NSL Grand Final meetings in 1989 and 1990.

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