New Football West charity headed by former Perth Glory owner

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Nick Tana

Football West has announced the launch of its new charity, the Football Futures Foundation.

Arriving during a game-changing period for football in Western Australia, the charity will support, mentor and invest in people from diverse and priority backgrounds through football. These people include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and those disadvantaged through economic, cultural, social, health or educational factors.

Leading the charity is former Perth Glory owner and experienced businessman Nick Tana, who has been appointed by Football West as the Foundation’s inaugural chair.

It will be Tana’s first official involvement in anything football-related since he relinquished his Perth Glory licence to Football Australia in 2006, following 11 hugely successful years at the helm of the two-times national champions.

“I am genuinely excited to be the chairman of Football Futures Foundation, a charity which will have a positive impact in the most in-need areas of society in Western Australia,” Tana said.

“My time at Perth Glory was special and it was great to share that adventure with so many people. But leading Football Futures Foundation is an even more exciting opportunity.

“It is a fantastic privilege to know you can help change people’s lives for the better. Which is why I am calling on leaders in business and Government to get involved with Football Futures Foundation so together we can make a difference.”

Football West Chairman Sherif Andrawes was delighted to announce Tana as the Foundation’s Chairman.

“It is an honour to have Nick on board to lead the Foundation from day one,” he said.

“He is a person who helped change the landscape of WA football, so it is only fitting that he is at the forefront of a venture of this magnitude.

“There has never been a better time to be involved in football in Western Australia. We have worked hard to secure the State Football Centre and the Women’s World Cup in Perth in 2023. And with the establishment of the Football Futures Foundation, we are creating a legacy for Western Australian football.

“It is about making a difference and ensuring people get the chance to improve their physical and mental health, or are not left behind in terms of education or miss out on job opportunities simply because of who they are or where they are from.”

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LaLiga and CANAL+ strengthen anti-piracy alliance across nearly 50 countries

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LaLiga and CANAL+ have strengthened their partnership with a new anti-piracy agreement covering almost 50 countries. The deal spans Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. It brings together the league’s anti-piracy capabilities with CANAL+’s technology, intelligence and enforcement resources. The move reflects a growing commercial priority for sports rights holders. Protecting live content has become essential to protecting the value of broadcasting deals.

LaLiga and CANAL+ will share intelligence and coordinate their response to illegal distribution networks. They will also work on joint investigations and enforcement activity. The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the two organisations. CANAL+ distributes LaLiga content across multiple international markets. The new agreement now takes their relationship beyond broadcasting.

The partnership creates a joint focus on protecting the underlying value of the rights being sold. While broadcasters invest heavily in football rights, illegal streaming undermines revenue and weakens the commercial proposition of legitimate broadcasters.

LaLiga’s latest figures highlight the importance of audiovisual income to professional clubs. Broadcast revenue across Spanish professional football fell 5.2% to $2.3 billion (1.43 billion Euros) in the 2024/25 season. Commercial revenue reached $2.4 billion (1.58 billion Euros) and became the largest revenue source.

Piracy therefore represents a direct business risk. Illegal access can reduce the value broadcasters place on future rights packages, ultimately affecting the money flowing back into clubs and competitions.

LaLiga and CANAL+ are responding by pooling resources. For CANAL+, the agreement also protects its investment in international sports rights. The broadcaster operates in nearly 70 countries and has expanded its relationship with LaLiga alongside its international growth. For LaLiga, stronger enforcement can help protect the value of its global media proposition.

The partnership also carries implications for the wider sports industry. Rights holders increasingly need technology, legal expertise and cross-border cooperation to tackle illegal distribution. The message is clear. Winning a rights deal is only part of the commercial battle. Sports organisations and broadcasters must also protect the content once it reaches the market.

LaLiga and CANAL+ are betting that closer cooperation can make that protection more effective. This agreement may provide a model for other leagues and broadcasters facing the same challenge.

Bordeaux face uncertain future after American investor withdrawal

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Girondins de Bordeaux face their biggest crisis yet after their exclusion from France’s national competitions was upheld and proposed investor Park Bench walked away from a takeover. The club is on the brink of liquidation after poor financial management and failed ownership takeovers. The Paris Administrative Court rejected Bordeaux’s appeal in August. The court backed the decision that prevents the club from playing in national competitions for the 2026-27 season. Bordeaux will therefore this season remain in Régional 1, the sixth tier of French football.

The ruling followed a financial dispute with French football’s financial regulator, the DNCG. Bordeaux had presented additional financial guarantees after its previous hearing. The court ruled that those commitments could not be considered as part of that procedure.

The decision has now had a major impact on the club’s ownership plans. Park Bench, the US investment group working with Sparta Capital, has withdrawn from its proposed takeover. The group said its offer depended on Bordeaux remaining in the national championships. With that condition no longer possible, Park Bench decided not to proceed.

The withdrawal leaves Bordeaux in a difficult position. The club had hoped new investment would provide financial stability and help rebuild its sporting operation. Instead, the failure of the takeover leaves the future of the six-time French champions uncertain. Bordeaux has already endured several years of financial problems. The club lost its professional status in 2024 after bankruptcy proceedings and a previous administrative relegation. It then rebuilt its senior team in the second and third tiers of French football.

The latest exclusion represents another major setback. Bordeaux now needs to find a way to keep the club operating outside the national leagues. That means securing funding, meeting its financial obligations and establishing a sustainable ownership structure. The threat of judicial liquidation now hangs over the club.

In a statement issued in late August, Bordeaux said it would explore every remaining legal option after the administrative court ruling. But with Park Bench no longer backing the proposed takeover, the club has fewer options available.

The next priority will be survival. Bordeaux must find new financial backing or another solution to protect the club from liquidation. For one of France’s most historic and successful clubs, the immediate target is no longer a return to Ligue 1. It is simply making sure there is a club left to climb back.

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