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Adelaide United and 1KOMMA5° Strengthen Ties Through Shared Values
The new one-year partnership further strengthens the strong relationship between the two organisations, which first began in the summer of 2024.
During the 2024/25 campaign, the clean energy innovator featured on the back of the club’s home and away shorts.
Nathan Kosmina, Adelaide United’s Chief Executive Officer said that the collaboration represents both of the organisations shared values on South Australian expertise.
“To have a partner so deeply invested in renewable energy and built on South Australian expertise is something we’re truly proud of,” Kosmina said in a press release. “It aligns perfectly with Adelaide United’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and community impact. “We’re proud to showcase the 1KOMMA5° brand on our away shirt and thank them for their continued support of the Reds.”
Founded in 2019 and formerly known as Kozco, 1KOMMA5° Adelaide has earned global recognition as a pioneer in the clean energy sector.
The company continues to set new benchmarks for innovation, driving the transition toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. Its vision is to empower individuals to take control of their own energy, living from the sun and wind, forever, for free.
Beyond shirt branding, the partnership confirms 1KOMMA5° as one of Adelaide United’s key commercial partners, focused on creating shared value through community engagement and positive environmental impact.
The agreement also includes a player partnership with Amlani Tatu, one of the Club’s most exciting emerging talents.
Danny Mudronja & Wayne Faranda, 1KOMMA5° Adelaide directors commented on the deal.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Adelaide United and to have our brand represented on the away shirt this season,” they said in a statement.
“Like the Reds, we’re proud to call South Australia home and to champion innovation, sustainability, and progress for future generations.”
Together, the collaboration highlights how sport and business can unite to promote positive environmental change and celebrate South Australian excellence on and off the field.
Soccerex will bring the global football industry to Miami in September 2026, with the organisation announcing Nu Stadium as the host venue for its flagship international gathering.
The leading global football business platform will stage Soccerex Miami from September 23–25, 2026, bringing together senior executives, investors, clubs, leagues, federations, brands, media organisations, technology companies and other commercial stakeholders from across the international game.
The event will take place at Nu Stadium within the Miami Freedom Park site, positioning Soccerex at the centre of one of football’s fastest-growing markets as the sport continues to expand its influence across North America.
For nearly three decades, Soccerex has served as a meeting point for the global football industry. The 2026 event represents a further step in the organisation’s evolution towards a year-round platform focused on creating strategic connections, commercial opportunities and long-term value across the game.
Soccerex Miami 2026 will feature conferences, curated networking opportunities, strategic business meetings and industry programming designed to connect decision-makers and facilitate new partnerships.
A key component of the event will be Soccerex’s expanding Deal Network platform, which is designed to create more targeted connections between investors, rights holders, decision-makers and strategic partners throughout the year.
The gathering will also continue the expansion of HerSoccerex, Soccerex’s dedicated initiative focused on increasing investment, visibility, leadership opportunities and commercial growth across women’s football.
Soccerex CEO Garrett Navia said Miami represented an increasingly important location for the global football industry.
“Miami has become one of the most important crossroads in global football,” Navia said.
“The city sits at the intersection of the Americas, international business, culture, investment and the future growth of the sport itself.
“Bringing Soccerex to Nu Stadium is not just about hosting another event, it is about establishing a long-term home for the global football industry in one of the most dynamic football markets anywhere in the world.”
Navia said Soccerex was focused on expanding its role beyond traditional events and developing a platform capable of creating measurable outcomes across the football ecosystem.
“For nearly 30 years, Soccerex has connected the global game,” he said.
“What we are building now is much bigger, a year-round platform designed to create business opportunities, strategic relationships and measurable outcomes across football while also using the reach and influence of the sport to create meaningful impact and lasting legacy within the communities it touches.”
Soccerex Miami 2026 will also place an emphasis on community engagement and impact initiatives, with the organisation aiming to use football as a vehicle to create opportunities and leave a positive legacy in the communities connected to the event.
Nu Stadium, which opened in April 2026 as the home of Inter Miami CF, will provide the backdrop for discussions around some of the most significant issues shaping football’s future.
Investment, infrastructure, sponsorship, media, technology, innovation, fan engagement, women’s football and the continued globalisation of the game are all expected to feature prominently across the three-day gathering.
Located within the wider Miami Freedom Park development, the 26,700-seat venue represents one of South Florida’s newest major football and entertainment destinations.
Additional announcements regarding speakers, strategic partners, community initiatives and industry activations are expected in the lead-up to the event.
Soccerex was founded in 1996 and has since developed into one of football’s leading business platforms, connecting clubs, leagues, federations, brands, investors, media companies, technology providers and rights holders from across the global game.
Through its international events, executive experiences, Deal Network and HerSoccerex initiatives, the organisation is seeking to expand its role as a year-round platform connecting capital, commerce, innovation and leadership across the football industry.
Soccerex Miami 2026 will take place from September 23–25, 2026, at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida.
South Melbourne is knocking on the A-League’s door again. The four-time National Soccer League champions formally signalled their intention to enter the A-Leagues earlier this month, opening discussions with the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) over potential A-League Men’s and Women’s licences. The timing was significant; the announcement came a day after the APL terminated Western United’s licence.
But South Melbourne’s ambitions are bigger than simply replacing Western United. The club and its co-president, Bill Papastergiadis, believe its recent success has demonstrated that it is ready for professional football once again. South won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025, is competing professionally in the Oceania Professional League and has continued to make its mark in the Australia Cup, including a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in July.
Time to open up
For co-president Bill Papastergiadis, however, the push is ultimately about something bigger than South Melbourne.
“The aspirations of South Melbourne, regarding A-League football, are not just a story about South Melbourne. It’s a story for the football public and the football community,” Papastergiadis said.
“It’s a story for all of us because football is a metaphor for life’s aspirations and football revolves around the ability to inspire, to improve, and to succeed.”
Papastergiadis believes the current structure of Australian football has created a ceiling for clubs outside the A-Leagues, one that limits ambition and, ultimately, competition.
“At the moment, the glass ceiling stifles that competition and stifles those aspirations, and at that upper level, and it’s to its detriment,” he said.
South Melbourne’s argument is closely tied to the history of the NSL, when clubs could be promoted and relegated based on their performances rather than being permanently separated into different tiers. Papastergiadis remembers the intensity that came with that system when South resided in the top flight of Australian football.
“I myself remember the intensity of the matches for the clubs that were in the relegation zone. Back then during the National Soccer League,” he said.
“It keeps clubs on their toes. Everyone is engaged when they know that there are ramifications for their actions and conduct. If there are no ramifications for that, how do you have accountability?”
That philosophy sits at the heart of South Melbourne’s A-League push. The club does not simply want to join the existing system; it wants to challenge the idea that the highest level of Australian football should be closed off from the rest of the pyramid. South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship but, unlike in other systems, is not rewarded with top-flight football. The club has continued strongly in 2026, knocking out A-League side Adelaide United in the Australia Cup.
South Melbourne and Bill Papastergiadis celebrate a win in the Australia Cup Image Credits: Bill Papastergiadis
“Where is it in the football dictionary that winning a title doesn’t give you the opportunity to progress within the football pyramid?” Papastergiadis asked.
“All of the matches involving A-League clubs have been incredibly tight, and the majority of them were knocked out in the earlier rounds by numerous NPL clubs.
“So we can compete on the field; our crowds in the Australian Championship were more than comparable to the A-League crowds, quite often far better.”
That, he argues, makes South Melbourne a viable proposition.
“We are a viable option. It’s time to open up football and give it back to the public. The public deserves it, and it belongs to everyone.”
A familiar ambition
This is not the first time South Melbourne has tried to enter the A-League.
The club was overlooked when the competition was established in the mid-2000s and again in 2018, when the licence ultimately went to Western United. The latest attempt therefore carries history. The club that missed out on the opportunity to join the A-League in 2018 is now pursuing a place in the competition following Western United’s exit. But Papastergiadis is reluctant to predict what happens next. For now, South Melbourne has done what it believes it needs to do: start the conversation.
“It’s very early for me to comment on our prospects in relation to the A-League at this point,” he said.
“What we’ve simply done is done the appropriate thing, which is to write to the APL. Advise of our intention, advise of our interest.
“It’s in their hands to tell us if they’re interested in this story, if they’re interested in this outcome, and if they’re interested in this conversation.”
Papastergiadis has already spoken with APL chief executive Steve Rosich, who responded to South Melbourne’s initial approach.
“I had a conversation with Steve Rosich. He responded immediately, and we spoke on the phone, and it was appropriate, courteous, and responding quickly is what I’m trying to say,” Papastergiadis said.
“We advised of our intention. He thanked us for that. I indicated that we would progress to an even more formal document and he said he’ll wait to see that.
South Melbourne is ready to make their bid Image Credits: Greek Herald
There is no guarantee that South Melbourne will receive a licence, and Papastergiadis is clear that the next step is not entirely in the club’s hands.
“There is no certainty in this process,” Papastergiadis said.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s up to Football Australia too, to show us the path forward. We need a path forward, and it’s up to the governing body to also work with us.”
The sustainability for Melbourne
The collapse of Western United has inevitably changed the context around South Melbourne’s bid.
Western United announced that the APL had terminated its participation agreement on August 10, while saying it would seek new ownership and a pathway back into the A-League. The club also emphasised the importance of maintaining a professional football presence in Melbourne’s west and continuing its academy and community programs. South Melbourne is now one of the clubs looking towards the opening created by Western United’s departure. But Papastergiadis does not celebrate another club’s demise.
Western United’s fans are left without an A-League club Image Credits: AAP
“I do want to make the point that I’m not happy about any club folding,” he said.
“I believe in football and in the football product, and I believe in football clubs.
For the players from juniors to senior levels, they must be gutted at Western United. Their administration staff, their coaching staff, they must all be gutted. So I feel for them.”
It is a notable distinction. South Melbourne’s ambition may have been reignited by the circumstances surrounding Western United. But for South there is a new opportunity to add to Melbourne football rather than take something away from it. The prospect of South Melbourne joining Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory in the A-League would immediately raise questions about whether the market could sustain another club.
A benefit to all
Papastergiadis has little doubt and points to Melbourne’s size, sporting culture and existing interest in football as reasons for optimism.
“Absolutely. We won’t cannibalise the football-attending public. We will increase it.” He said.
“There is significant potential within the Melbourne market. We reside in the largest city in Australia, and we reside in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world.
“We will add to the fabric of football and will increase the attendance through derbies. It’s a positive.”
That is ultimately the argument behind South Melbourne’s latest attempt to break into the A-League. The club believes the benefits would extend beyond Lakeside Stadium. South Melbourne’s recent Australian Championship success, professional status in Oceania and strong performances against A-League opposition strengthen it’s case. NPL clubs can compete at the highest level, even if promotion and relegation remain off the table.
For now, South Melbourne can only wait. The APL and Football Australia will determine whether that football product has earned it a place at the top table. But Papastergiadis believes the question is worth asking, not just for South Melbourne, but for Australian football itself.
“Whatever South can achieve in regards to breaking through that glass barrier, then that’s not just the win for South, but it’s a win for football across the board.”
