Ronaldo a no show in Korea – Do players truly care for pre-season trips?

Juve's Portguese star Cristiano Ronaldo didn't play a single minute during his side's pre-season friendly in South Korea

Imagine being a soccer fan in South Korea.

You have your local sides such as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Seoul FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. But you prefer the higher quality leagues of Europe.

Your national team’s stars play there, including Heung Min-Son, Lee Jae-sung and Hwang Hee-chan. You dream of one day, seeing some of the world’s best play live.

Then, Italian champions Juventus are announced as the headline pre-season tournament side. You’d be pretty darn excited wouldn’t you?

Australian soccer fans would be over the moon if Juventus came Down Under for a few pre-season friendlies.

Understandably, you want tickets to see one of the greatest clubs in world football strut their stuff.

Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic, Giorgio Chiellini and Cristiano Ronaldo, just to name a few, will be kicking about in your own backyard.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Usually, this is where you’d see the phrase, ‘If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.”

The only difference this time is that in this instance, it shouldn’t be.

We’ve seen international superstars play pre-season matches across the globe before. English clubs Arsenal, Manchester United and Leeds United sent strong squads to their respective tours.

Granted, younger and lesser-known players were given priority but these stars such as Paul Pogba, Mesut Ozil and Pablo Hernandez still played in front of fans who paid their dues.

Heck, even Real Madrid took new star signing Eden Hazard on their tour of the United States.

They understood and respected how far some fans go for their teams, and that some fans can’t travel to watch league or cup fixtures. They tried giving them lifelong memories.

Autographs, selfies and just the experience of having your heroes out there will do that for fans of these clubs.

Juventus, however and specifically Ronaldo, didn’t seem to care.

Not only was Ronaldo barely sighted during signing and photograph sessions with fans, he didn’t even play!

Imagine taking one the most highly decorated and talented footballers to a country filled with passionate soccer fans, for him to sit on the bench. That’s ludicrous enough.

Now imagine paying to see this match with the promise that he’d be out there playing. That’s where the line is drawn.

Understandably, fans are suing as a result of not getting what they were promised.

The event has gone from a harmless, pre-season friendly to a dumpster fire that the Italian giants have only themselves to blame.

But this begs the question. Do some players genuinely care for their pre-season tours?

Combined with this Ronaldo incident, Arsenal skipper Laurent Koscielny refused to travel with the squad on the Gunners’ trip across the United States.

It is becoming increasingly commonplace in the elite world of soccer and only time will tell if it becomes an unfortunately commonality.

We understand that some players may not want to risk injury and that’s fine. Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea injured his Achilles tendon during a friendly match and is set for a huge stint on the sidelines.

He is one of many examples where a player jeopardises the side after an injury during a non-competitive fixture.

If clubs and/or the players themselves come out and say that they don’t want to risk injuries to their stars, that’s totally acceptable.

But don’t give fans hope for it to be taken away when they least expect it.

Imagine the uproar if Paul Pogba didn’t play any minutes for Manchester United in the Australian tour. Fans would be left feeling totally ripped off, right?

That’s how all South Korean soccer fans feel right now. Trust me, it’s not an enviable feeling.

 

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A-League Transfer Revenue Soars as Youth Development Takes Centre Stage

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Image credit: Imago

The A-League reported last week that Australia’s international transfer revenue has increased by a staggering 1344% over the past three years.

With 2023/24 recording transfer revenue of $16.5 million and 2024/25 reaching $16.9 million, these figures represent a significant improvement compared to the 2022 season, which recorded just $4.17 million in revenue.

This growth coincides with recent data from the A-League showing that the 2024/25 season has seen 39% of A-League minutes played by under-23 players, compared to just 18% in the 2023/24 season and 13% in the 2022/23 season.

This indicates that this season alone has seen a 26% increase in overall minutes played by young players since 2022.

The result of this rise in youth talent is evident with Australia qualifying for the Under-20 Men’s World Cup for the first time in more than a decade and, just last week, lifting the trophy at the Under-20 Asian Cup.

The A-League’s recent success in youth playing time is directly intertwined with the rise in transfer revenue.

This increase in youth participation has emerged as a silver lining from tough times in the league.

In the most recent “Off the Pitch” podcast from Soccerscene, guest speaker Gary Cole, current president of Football Coaches Australia, provided his professional insight into one of these situations.

He explained that the COVID-19 crisis and the financial constraints placed on A-League clubs forced them to look inwards for talent.

Another recent catalyst has been the reduction in funding from the Australian Professional Leagues.

With funding decreasing from $2 million to $500,000 in 2024, clubs have faced difficult financial decisions regarding their budgets.

Players from club academies or even NPL clubs are far more cost-effective for club budgets than more expensive signings.

Additionally, their selling and transfer value provides a huge boost to club revenues.

These events are not coincidental but are catalysts for the rise in homegrown talent testing their skills and showcasing their quality on the big stage.

It demonstrates how, during tough times for the league, supporting youth development has become a key part of the league’s success and represents a profitable and dynamic opportunity for the future.

This opportunity to produce and showcase players to increase Australian youth football standards and therefore transfer value is a proven strategy in football.

Ajax’s Academy is renowned for developing class players and has for many years been a funnel for building their academy graduates and selling players for a profit.

In South America, Brazilian and Argentinian clubs such as River Plate, Boca Juniors, Fluminense and Flamengo have been persistent sources of footballing talent.

Selling stars like Vinicius and Julian Alvarez to Europe for significant financial benefits while still maintaining a healthy domestic talent structure and international success.

Importantly, the common factor in these successful systems is regular first-team minutes at their clubs and even on the international stage.

The evidence from A-League transfer revenues is fitting this pattern.

One must point out that, though this is a great revenue source and a way to place Australian football on the map, this focus can have an adverse effect on the domestic scene.

Football fans are passionate about their clubs, and nothing brings out more pride than watching one of their own prospects grow and play for them.

To use academy players primarily as revenue-building prospects can undermine the important place they have at the club and the overall goal of academies.

This could potentially alienate fan bases, impacting popularity and therefore the quality and financial interests of the league.

Transfer revenue should not be the central response to the league’s current financial burdens.

Being realistic about the position of the A-League in the international football hierarchy is crucial, though ambitions for the league to climb cannot be sidelined.

The rise in player transfer revenue presents an enticing prospect for investment and brings increased popularity.

Players themselves also have their own dreams and aspirations that must be taken into account, which can also encourage transfers and revenue.

Currently, the A-League has the unique opportunity to give its promising young players the chance to play top-level football while producing significant revenue and attracting sponsorship.

Australians playing overseas and at home, puts Australia on the map and solidifies our rise in the footballing scene.

If the focus on homegrown talent is managed well, Australian football will reap huge rewards.

Melbourne should have been apart of Women’s Asia Cup 2026

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Image credit: Shutterstock.com / Dans Destinations

On Wednesday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will ratify Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast as hosts of the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup 2026. Games will be played across Stadium Australia and Western Sydney Stadium, the Perth Rectangular Arena, Perth Stadium, and the Gold Coast Stadium.

While the Women’s Asian Cup is a momentous occasion for Australian football, the exclusion of Melbourne stands as a missed opportunity.

Known as the sporting capital of the nation, Melbourne holds an incredibly passionate soccer fanbase and has continually delivered excellence on the pitch.

Zealous and Loyal Fanbase 

Most recently, Melbourne hosted six Women’s World Cup games at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, otherwise known as AAMI Park, in 2023 for hungry audiences. Of the six games, five reached over 90% capacity according to AuStadiums, illustrating the desire Melbournians and Victorians have for more football.

Furthermore, Victorians have consistently shown up to support their teams across both the men’s and women’s A-Leagues. According to AuStadiums, in last year’s ALW season, AAMI Park was on average the most attended stadium of the grounds which had hosted 10 or more games, averaging 3,500 people per game. This accomplishment built off of the 22/23 season where AAMI Park had also averaged the largest crowds for stadiums for which had hosted multiple games.

In the men’s competition, AAMI Park has been by far the most played at stadium, with more than 30 games played at the stadium each season since the 21/22 season. Through this, AAMI Park has consistently achieved the highest total attendance of any A-League stadium and has additionally maintained strong crowd averages.

AAMI Park was the third most attended ground on average last year for stadiums which had hosted multiple games. Additionally, AAMI Park also appeared the most in the top 10 attended games of the year, hosting four of the largest crowds of the 23/24 season.

To deny such a passionate fanbase the opportunity to see their national team, and other elite Asian teams, locally, would be a travesty. Compounding it, the decision to neglect one of Australia’s most beloved, professional and modern stadiums on a global stage is another disappointment.

World Class Facilities

In the latest Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) 2023-24 A-League Men Report insights from players, executive teams and coaches, AAMI Park was one of the highest scoring stadiums across Australia and New Zealand.

In terms of pitch quality, measured by the pace, smoothness, hardness and overall quality of the surface, AAMI Park scored above average. Depending on the hosting team, the stadium was rated between 3.5 stars to 4 stars placing it above the 3.2 average across the league.

Additionally, AAMI Park recorded the best atmosphere leaguewide when Melbourne Victory played, achieving a 4.4-star rating. Nearly half a star higher than the second-best atmospheric stadium.

These sentiments were similarly echoed in the most recent PFA A-League Women Report from the 2023-24 season. The report illustrated AAMI Park as one of the premier stadiums in the country, with the ground achieving a 4-star and near perfect 4.9-star rating, across its two hosts.

Australia’s Most Liveable City 

In combination with providing a world class stadium for some of the world’s best teams, hosting games at AAMI Park in Melbourne at the Women’s Asia Cup would have propelled Australia’s image on the global stage by highlighting one of the world’s most liveable cities. Ranked fourth in the world for most liveable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2024, Melbourne continues to showcase the very best of Australia.

Travelling fans would get to enjoy the cultural events and sights Melbourne has to offer, while also finding their way to and from games easily due to Melbourne’s simple public transport system.

Furthermore, Melbourne would not only highlight the best of Australia to travellers, but to an ever-increasing global audience. With the rise of interest in women’s football, the amount of people watching and interacting with games has increased exponentially.

According to FIFA, over two billion people engaged with the Women’s World Cup in 2023. Furthermore, the tournament produced over 2.72 billion viewer hours, a 9.2% increase in consumption from the 2019 Women’s World Cup. With so many eyes now on women’s football, it makes sense to put forth Australia’s best.

Conclusion 

Fortunately, as Australia’s most loved team, the Matildas will draw crowds wherever they play, having now sold out 16 home games in a row.

Yet the neglect of Melbourne from the Women’s Asia Cup will prevent one of the country’s most fervent fanbases, which has repeatedly supported the national team and the A-Leagues, from witnessing one of Australia’s most important sporting events.

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