Villarreal CF to open new academy in Sydney

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La Liga’s Villarreal CF has announced that it will open its second Australian football academy in Sydney.

The Villarreal Sydney Academy is set to hold an ID clinic at St Ives Showground, where the academy will be based on December 12 to select players for the club’s program in 2021.

Villarreal coaches are expected to visit the academy to provide training for coaches and players when possible. Tryout sessions, offer clinics, provide coaching education, supplement programs and camps will be run by Villarreal coaches.

Opportunities to visit Villarreal’s state-of-the-art training facilities in Spain will also be offered to players who demonstrate their top-level skills, training and behaviour.

If selected participants will get to experience the life of a professional soccer player first-hand by observing training sessions, meeting professional players, practicing with the club’s elite academy players and training under Villarreal coaches.

In a video message Villarreal defender Alberto Moreno encouraged young boys and girls in Sydney to join the new academy and welcomed “Villarreal Sydney Academy to the Villarreal family.”

The club said that coaches at Villarreal Sydney will be trained under the Villarreal CF methodology, while an individual player development approach will be taken to help players grow.

“Australia is packed with untapped soccer talent and we are sure that our unique approach to the beautiful game will have an extremely positive impact on the players and the Sydney community, like it has in Melbourne,” Villarreal CF Director of International Business, Juan Antón said.

Villarreal CF’s Melbourne academy, Monash Villarreal opened in February and has over 200 players at the academy.

“We are not partnering with Villarreal only to use their name. Villarreal Sydney Academy is going to provide the best development program in Sydney and is giving a real pathway to our players. We want all of our players to feel that Sydney – Australia – is just one step away from Villarreal – Spain,” Director at Villarreal Sydney Academy, Jacobo Muñoz said.

Villareal was established in 1923 and currently sits second on the La Liga table. The club has previously competed in the UEFA Champions League.

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Daniel Foley is a sports junior journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and micro industry matters.

Melbourne Victory secures new sponsorship deal with Ferraro Dairy

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory Facebook page

Melbourne Victory Football Club has confirmed a new collaboration with Ferraro Dairy. Under the terms of the agreement, Ferraro Dairy’s brand will be prominently displayed on the back of the shorts for both the A-League Men’s team and Academy teams for the next two seasons.

Ferraro Dairy is an Australian family-owned dairy for 50 years, based in Tullamarine. They pride themselves on high-standard dairy products from Australian produce.

The two-season partnership represents a strategic move for both organisations, combining the prestige of one of Australia’s premier football clubs with a respected name in the dairy industry. By extending the branding to both senior and academy levels, the partnership shows a comprehensive approach to team sponsorship.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the alignment between the two organisations.

“We’re incredibly pleased to have Ferraro Dairy on our Men’s kit for the next two seasons and excited to have them along for our journey,” she said via press release.

“Ferraro Dairy is a proud local business that strives for a common goal in driving high standards and delivering a premium product for its loyal clientele.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with Ferraro Dairy as we head into our 20th season as a Club.”

Ferraro Dairy General Manager, Brad Ferraro echoed the sentiment of excitement about the new partnership.

“It’s an honour to partner with a Club like Melbourne Victory in its historic 20th season and we’re proud to be featured on its iconic kit, we’re excited to be part of their journey and share in the success both on and off the field over the next two years,” Ferraro said via press release.

As Melbourne Victory continues to strengthen its commercial portfolio its partnership with an Australian-based family business, with Ferraro Dairy further solidifies its position as a supporter of local businesses.

This commitment suggests a strong foundation for what both parties hope will be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Football West secures $1m to boost female football in regional WA

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Image credit: Perth Glory website

Female football in regional Western Australia is set to receive a significant boost nearly $1 million investment from the Federal Government.

Football West has secured $997,339 through the Federal Government’s Play Our Way program, aimed at breaking down barriers for women and girls in sports and physical activities.

The Australian Government is providing $200 million for the Play Our Way program and this set of funding is the first of many for state football federations.

The program will run over 3 years from 2024–25 to 2026–27 with the money spread out to help provide safe, inclusive, quality and sustainable facilities, equipment and initiatives as well as help women and girls to remain involved in sport and physical activity for life.

The grant will fund Football West’s Our Game WA initiative, which focuses on two main components:

Leading Our Game: A new coaching course exclusively for women.

Growing Our Game: A series of initiatives designed to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for women and girls in football.

Football West Manager – Female Football & Advocacy Tash Rigby expressed her excitement at the positive news for women’s players in WA.

“This is incredible news and we can do so much good for female football with this kind of investment,” she said via press release.

“Interest in female football right across the state is at an all-time high. We want to make it as easy as possible for women and girls to participate in our game and fulfil their potential, be it as players, coaches, match officials, and in any other capacity.

“It is extra special that the money will be invested in regional WA. Regional football is close to my heart –  I am from Margaret River and know the passion around the state for football.”

Football West CEO Jamie Harnwell extended on Rigby’s points by discussing the importance of this deal for regional women’s football.

“We are delighted to have been successful in our application and thank the Australian Government for supporting our proposal,” Harnwell said via press release.

“Our commitment to female football over the past decade is well documented and this grant will enable us to give more girls and women the opportunity to develop a love for the game.

“Regional football caters for around a quarter of our registrations and so it is great to invest funding of this kind across the State.

“We are currently hosting the 2024 Country Week carnival at Kingsway Reserve, which is our biggest celebration of regional football, so the timing of this announcement could not be better.”

This is fantastic news especially for regional football in general which is often neglected but remains one of the key factors in WA’s strong participation numbers in 2024.

Football West is creating a space that can help girls and women play in a safe, inclusive environment in an extremely inspiring time for women’s football in Australia.

More information on the Play Our Way Grant Opportunity can be found here.

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