Capital Football appoint Ivan Slavich as CEO

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Ivan Slavich
Image via Capital Football

Capital Football has announced that Ivan Slavich will take over as CEO of the organisation from December onwards.

Slavich, a local Canberran, is vastly experienced across business, community, and sports and will unite those skills to help take Capital Football to the next level.

The incumbent CEO has been keenly involved in Canberra’s football community for over 20 years, having played the game and served for over three years on the Capital Football board.

Moreover, Slavich has also sponsored the Junior League and supported the A-League women’s team through his previous corporate interests, contributing $5m to establish an A-League men’s team in Canberra during their bid to join the league.

“We are delighted to announce Ivan Slavich as the new CEO of Capital Football,” Capital Football Board Chair, Angelo Konstantinou, said in a statement.

“Ivan is no stranger to football in Canberra and brings a wealth of knowledge of the game and of running high-level businesses. He has previously been the CEO of TransACT, PARASOL and ASX listed Energy Action. He was a General Manager at ActewAGL for nine years and was a senior executive with iiNet as Head of Federal Government and ACT.

“Ivan has also been very active in the Canberra community, helping to raise more than $25m for community organisations and charity groups over the past decade. Recently, as the CEO of Soldier On, he grew the number of veterans supported from 3,000 to 8,000 tripling the size of the organisation.

“He is also a very strong supporter of Camp Quality who help kids up to the age of 15 impacted by cancer and was the highest fundraiser in the world for Movember who help with men’s health.”

Ivan was the inaugural Chair of the Canberra Cavalry baseball team who won the Claxton Shield for the first time and has been involved with many sporting organisations across Canberra and Sydney.

He is currently the Chair of the Capital region’s very own Service One Alliance Bank, which emerged out of the various Credit Unions in Canberra, the Snowy Mountains, and the NSW South Coast.

He has a Business Degree from UTS, post graduate qualifications from the Securities Institute of Australia, Mt Eliza Business School, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors where he is a graduate and a Fellow (FAICD).

“Ivan brings with him strong Strategic, Leadership and Business Development skills and a passion for Football,” Konstantinou added via press release.

“He will listen to the football community in the Capital region, work out what is working well, what needs to change, and what needs to be implemented.

“Ivan is particularly interested in growing Football in Canberra beyond the current 35,000 participants, focusing on football skills, team development and helping football clubs achieve financial strength and already has plans to achieve this.”

Ivan Slavich will replace current CEO Chris Gardiner, who stepped into the vacant position as the hunt for a new CEO continued.

He has also welcomed the appointment, having stepped into the CEO position to assist Capital Football in 2022.

“2023 will be a crucial year for Football with the impact of the Men’s and Women’s World Cups, and an energised Canberra United in the Liberty A-League,” Gardiner said via press release.

“Ivan is very much the right person to ensure Football can grow and strengthen in Canberra going forward.”

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Spain’s Domestic and Global Success: What can Australia Learn?

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Image credit: Destination NSW

Spain has now won back-to-back UEFA Women’s Nations League titles following their decisive victory over Germany in the final on Tuesday. Goals from Vicky Lopez and Claudia Pina helped ‘La Roja’ to their third international trophy in three consecutive years, prolonging the team’s dominant status within the women’s game. The achievement not only solidifies Spain’s standing at the top of international football, but displays an essential model for other nations to follow when developing women’s football.

In Australia, as the excitement of hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 builds and the buzz around women’s football is reignited, looking to Spain’s investments could be the first crucial step in ensuring both short and long-term success for women’s football across the country.

International Investment

Just a week before Spain achieved its second consecutive Nations League trophy, multinational renewable energy company, Iberdrola, reaffirmed its dedication to supporting the women’s game both on and off the pitch.

Since 2016, Iberdrola has cemented its position as the main supporter of women’s football in Spain. Its partnership with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has led to member numbers reaching over 100,000, as well as fan attendance and viewership skyrocketing in recent years.

Television viewership has seen similar momentum, increasing by 90%. The final of the most recent European Championship against England reached a 42% audience share and peaked at almost 6.5 million viewers.

The growing number of fans attending live matches was evident at the final on Tuesday evening in Madrid, where the Riyadh Air Metropolitano witnessed a record-breaking crowd of 55,843 fans. Given that the previous record was 32,657, it is clear to see that women’s football in Spain is attracting fans on scales far beyond the numbers currently seen in the A-League Women. According to the ALW Report, the league saw an average attendance of 1,559 last season.

Although the gap may appear impossible to overcome, it shows that women’s football is more than capable of attracting crowds large enough to rival the men’s game when backed by meaningul investment.

Domestic Developments 

It is not only the national team which has seen the benefits of continued investment into women’s football over the last decade. Clubs like Barcelona have seen their women’s team achieve huge success both in La Liga and in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, winning two of the last three competitions.

However, one of the crowning achievements of the last decade for women’s football in Spain was a world record set at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in 2022, where 91,648 fans were present for a UEFA Women’s Champions League match against Wolfsburg.

Although there are few clubs on the planet with both the infrastructure and football culture to match Barcelona, it nevertheless, shows that when resources and attention are directed towards the women’s game, it can encourage success on the pitch alongside a strong community of dedicated fans off it.

The Women’s Game in Australia – Time for Change?  

Last month’s A-League Women Report, released by the PFA, underlined a desperate need for investment if the ALW is to keep pace with foreign leagues.

The report highlighted that the increasing talent drain, falling attendances and financial insecurity for players are some of the main issues negatively impacting the growth of the ALW. Following the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, attendances dropped by 26%, showing a failure to capitalise on the buzz surrounding the tournament jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Furthermore, with player dissatisfaction increasing and calls to professionalise the women’s game growing louder, the need for change is becoming more and more desperate. If Australia is to ensure the sustained success of women’s football on both the international and national stage, then looking at the work of the RFEF in Spain could be a valuable first step.

How do we Move Forward?

In the last decade, Spain has shown that consistent investment into the women’s game can bring huge success both domestically and globally. Therefore, by following this example, governing bodies can see how long-term commitment and meaningful investments could improve the structure of Australia’s domestic leagues and ultimately raise the profile of Australian women’s football on the global stage.

While women’s football in Australia has reached a decisive moment, recent developments still indicate reasons to remain optimistic. CommBank’s renewed support for the Matildas ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ due to be held in Australia in March 2026 displays their intention to continue backing the development of the women’s game.

Ensuring this support is acknowledged and then followed through after the tournament has heard the final whistle will be crucial.

PFA and Fans Association Unite to Bring Fans Closer to Players

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Image credit: PFA

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and the Football Supporters Association Australia (FSAA) have confirmed a new partnership aimed at establishing an official link between professional players and their fans.

The agreement sets out for the two organisations to work together on initiatives that:

  • Foster stronger, more genuine connections between players and supporters

  • Enhance the involvement of players and fans in football decision-making

  • Produce data-driven insights to support the long-term growth of the game

Founded in 2023, the FSAA is a volunteer organisation created to provide a unified, independent voice for Australian football supporters, prioritising a supporter-first approach.

The FSAA represents the interests of fans across all levels of the game and has recently submitted supporter-focused recommendations to Football Australia (FA) and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).

PFA Chief Executive, Beau Busch highlighted the significance of the new strong foundation already established with the FSAA and the potential for future collaboration.

“Since the establishment of FSAA, we have been able to build an effective working relationship, and this agreement represents another step forward in our shared pursuit of building the game,” he said via PFA press release.

“Globally, we have seen firsthand the benefits of strong collaboration between fan groups and player unions.

“Together we believe we are better equipped to shape the future of Australian football and ensure that the voices of fans and players are heard and respected.”

FSAA Chair, Patrick Clancy described the accord with the PFA as a natural connection between the organisations representing Australian football’s two key groups, players and supporters.

“Australia’s professional players have an inextricable connection with supporters. Many have grown up on the terraces and in the stands and then progress to taking on the game as a career,” he said via FSAA official media release.

“For supporters, there is that strong emotional connection with the players of the club they support week in, week out.

“FSAA wants to continue to foster and grow this important relationship, leverage off our mutual understandings and improve the game in Australia for players and supporters alike.”

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 20 October 2025 by PFA CEO Beau Busch and FSAA Chair Patrick Clancy, formalising the partnership.

This represents the FSAA’s first MoU with another organisation, with the expectation of establishing additional partnerships in the near future.

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