St. Louis City stadium becomes Citypark ahead of MLS debut

Shramith Surya30/11/2022 5:55 am30/11/2022

Image credit: Major League Soccer

St. Louis City Soccer Club, the latest franchise expansion of Major League Soccer (MLS), will play in a renamed home ground of Citypark as they approach their inaugural season in the MLS.

Previously known as Centene stadium, the features of Citypark include a safe standing section for over 3000 supporters and all seats are within 120 feet of the pitch. Three training pitches, two-story retail pavilions, the WashU orthopaedics high-performance centre and the club’s corporate offices are all part of the 30-plus acre surrounding district, which is highlighted by the venue being a soccer-specific facility.

The announcement to rename the state-of-the-art 22,500 seating capacity venue was finalised eight months after the initial naming rights agreement.

Carolyn Kindle, St. Louis City SC President and CEO, said via press release:

“After discussions with Centene, we have agreed to reshape the current partnership with them and the focus moving forward will be on developing community health and wellness programming throughout the region.”

Citypark and its 30-plus acre surrounding stadium facilities is the largest urban professional sports campus in the United States and with Centene no longer the stadium’s naming right sponsor, they have decided to collaborate with St. Louis City SC to build resources for the wellbeing of the community, along with initiatives promoting youth soccer and fitness.

Speaking further about the announcement, Carolyn Kindle added via press release:

“We’ve always been about more than soccer and I’m so proud of how far we’ve come over the last two years. Our vision of building something to showcase what a world-class city like St. Louis has to offer is about to be unveiled to the world. I truly believe Citypark is something everyone in St. Louis will want to be a part of once we open our doors.”

In the rollout of its inaugural season, St. Louis SC has managed to sell out its season tickets indicating its drive and commitment to ensure Citypark is something for everyone in the Louisiana community to be proud of.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.