Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Tony Gustavsson to lead Matildas

FFA has tonight announced Tony Gustavsson has been appointed as the 14th Head Coach of the Westfield Matildas.

The Swede has enjoyed a storied 21-year coaching career, including winning two FIFA Women’s World Cups as Assistant Coach of the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT).

Gustavsson was formally welcomed to the role on Australian soil on Tuesday, visiting Australia House in London.

“I am extremely proud and happy to have been appointed Head Coach of the Westfield Matildas. I feel that my 21 years of coaching experience has put me in the position to be ready for this,” Gustavsson said.

“I have always said that the Matildas have the potential to be one of the best teams in the world and that is one of the reasons that I wanted to get on board with this job. I have been in the pressure cooker a lot of times and in an environments that demand success. These experiences will be beneficial as we do this together with the fans, the stakeholders, the players, and the staff as a team.”

The 47 year old has also enjoyed success at club level, leading Swedish club Tyresö FF to the domestic title in 2012, runner’s up in 2013, and to the UEFA 2014 Women’s Champions League Final in 2014.

FFA Chairman Chris Nikou was thrilled to welcome Gustavsson to the role, which in addition to the World Cup in 2023 will involve leading the Matildas to two Olympic Campaigns and the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India.

“We are delighted to have secured the services of Tony Gustavsson, who has been appointed following a robust and well-governed process, which was administered by a selection panel with strong football acumen and expertise in the women’s game and sport more broadly,” Nikou said.

FFA Chief Executive Officer James Johnson was also pleased to announce the appointment, saying that Gustavsson’s intimate knowledge of global football, experience at major tournaments, and strong history of success would be invaluable factors to lead the team forward.

“Tony arrives at the Westfield Matildas and FFA boasting a wealth of experiences in the international game and a strong track record of success,” Johnson said.

“Having worked closely with some of the best female footballers and coaches in the world and, through his time with the USWNT, he has developed an excellent understanding of what it takes to prepare for and perform in the intense, high-expectation environments of major international tournaments. We believe that in Tony, we have appointed a coach who will not only surpass the benchmarks and criteria we set as an organisation, but the standards that are expected by our players, football community and fans.”

“Throughout the process it was evident that Tony is eager to buy in to what we are working to build with the Westfield Matildas – an uniquely Australian team with a strong identity that is recognised as world class both on and off the pitch. We want to elevate our Westfield Matildas even further as a unifying symbol of the game to inspire all Australians, young and old. We believe that the combination of Tony’s persona and his experience make him the right person to help us do this. Importantly, Tony has also demonstrated a strong desire to positively influence the broader Australian football landscape by working closely with elite Australian coaches including Mel Andreatta, Rae Dower, and Leah Blayney to enhance their skillsets and help bring the next generation of female players through the development pathway over the crucial four year period ahead.”

 

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New board appointments and regulatory reform announced by APL

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have announced the appointment of two new Club Directors to the APL Board, as well as updates to the salary cap structure which will be implemented from the 2025/26 season.

At an Extraordinary General Meeting held earlier today, Club Unitholders voted to appoint John Dovaston, Chairman of Melbourne Victory, and Kaz Patafta, Chairman and CEO of Brisbane Roar, as new Club Directors to the APL Board.

Both bring a strong mix of football, business, and governance experience to the table, drawn from their work both within and outside the sport.

The rest of the Board — including the Chair, a Silver Lake Director, the FA-appointed Director, and three existing Club Directors — remains unchanged, as they were not up for election.

After consulting with the Board, Club Unitholders, and club reps, the APL also announced it will introduce a new financial sustainability framework for the A-Leagues, to be rolled out over the next three seasons.

The focus will be on revamping the salary cap system.

The current setup which includes a $2.55 million soft cap and six types of salary exemptions was originally designed to support financial stability and competitive balance, but it’s no longer delivering as intended.

Starting from the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League Men season, a $3.5 million hard cap trial will be introduced.

Then, in 2026/27, a $3 million hard cap (plus one marquee player) will be enforced. Clubs that exceed the cap will face financial and sporting penalties.

For the 2025/26 season, clubs will still operate under the current salary cap rules and exemptions, with the trial period acting as a transition to the new system.

A broader financial model, based on each club’s revenue will be finalised with input from clubs and the PFA and introduced in the 2027/28 season.

Executive Chair, Stephen Conroy, highlighted the need for change when it came to the current salary cap structure as well as the benefit of the new reform.

“Following consultation with clubs over the last twelve months, it was determined that the current spending structure, which has been in place since 2005, was no longer fit for purpose,” he said in a press release.

“We are doubling down on strategies that are already working; investing in our product and highlighting our fantastic homegrown talent. 

“The implementation of these reforms over the coming years is designed to ensure a competitive balance and to build long term foundations for growth that helps unlock the full revenue potential of each club.

“The APL Board firmly believe this is the model for long term success, giving clubs time to assess and plan before a new model is agreed to for season 2027/28 based on global best practice, that can deliver greater outcomes for talent development and a better football product.ˮ

The APL’s latest moves mark a significant step forward for the future of the A-Leagues, with new leadership on the Board and a clear plan to overhaul the financial structure of the competition, the league is positioning itself for long-term stability and growth. 

A-League records strong viewership and attendance in New-Zealand

In recent news the A-league viewership on sky sports has climbed significantly in New Zealand.

Official A-League media sources have identified that 1.31 million people have watched the A-League through Sky Sports media channels this season.

This confirms an impressive 40% increase in viewership for the 2024-25 season.

To add to this an additional 228k, a 46% increase, and 167k, a prominent 115% increase, have also streamed on Sky’s digital platforms.

This amounts to a huge increase in viewership of the sport for New Zealand and also a large portion of the respective nation’s population, displaying football’s huge popularity in Australia’s close neighbour.

Sky Sports extended their exclusive rights for the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women at the beginning of this season and this deal will be the sole provider for 2 more seasons.

Both Leagues through this season are available not only on Sky Sports but also Sky Sport Now and Sky Go.

This upward trend in popularity can be attributed to the addition of a second New-Zealand team in Auckland FC, who currently sit at the top of the A-League and look positioned to win the minor premiership.

To match this news with viewership Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix have both recorded some of the highest game attendance in the league throughout most of their home games.

Auckland FC has had the overall highest attendance with a total of 211,095 so far and an average of 17,591. With the biggest attendance their derby against Wellington Phoenix at just above 27,000.

Auckland FC worst attendance at around 13,000 is almost double the next most attended team, Sydney FC. Wellington Phoenix have also recorded high attendance with 99,677 up to this point.

Though down averagely from last season, to maintain these numbers after a title chasing seasons shows fan dedication from the Kiwis.

The introduction of a new team from New Zealand’s biggest city has turned out to be a successful investment by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL).

It has increased viewership, attendance and all round enjoyment in the A-league, helping the APL increase in value and quality this season.

The APL and New Zealand must now build on this momentum to keep viewership strong and continue growing the beautiful game across Aotearoa.

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