Will Australian football sink or swim in 2020?

A blockbuster calendar provides Australian football with huge opportunities over the next eleven months.

Last week, in what will be music to the ears of new FFA CEO James Johnson, the Olyroos passed a very important test.

The under-23 national team defeated Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff match at the AFC U-23 Championship, thanks to a solo effort from Nick D’Agostino.

Therefore, for the first time in 12 years, Australia will have a men’s football side competing at the Olympic games in Tokyo.

Discussions have already begun around who will be picked for the tournament, as Graham Arnold can also call up three over-age players for the tournament in late July.

The Copa America which Australia will be a part of this year will also factor into Graham Arnold’s decision making.

The South American continental championship also begins a month before the Olympics and the narrow time-frame between both tournaments poses a lot of questions for the Australian coach.

Will he choose a full-strength squad for the Copa America? Which tournament does he favour? Who will be the over-age players in the Olympic squad? Will the likes of Ryan and Mooy play in both tournaments? Or will their English Premier League clubs’ frown upon that?

These are good headaches to have, with exposure to these tournaments crucial for not only youth development but also to build the profile of Australia’s national teams.

Commercially, the FFA seems to be struggling in recent times with sponsors such as NAB and Caltex ending their partnerships with the governing body.

Participating in worldwide tournaments such as this can only improve the FFA’s situation, as potential sponsors see attractive possibilities.

Whilst the men’s teams may not stand a good chance of placing well in either of these tournaments, the Matildas do.

Unlike the men’s tournament, the women have no age restrictions placed on them at the Olympics, meaning Australia’s top players such as Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley are all expected to play.

Australia’s favourite national sporting team playing at the Olympics in a good time zone for Australian viewers, should lead to considerable corporate sponsorship interest.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The women’s national team are yet to qualify for the Olympics, with qualifiers for the tournament set to be held in Sydney next week.

The qualifiers were under threat due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, which was the reason the games were shifted to Sydney in the first place.

The qualifying tournament will go ahead next week, which will boost the coffers at FFA HQ, with games to be played at Campbelltown and Bankwest Stadium.

However, of greater focus to the FFA is the successful hosting of the tournament on such short notice and impressing FIFA in the year the host of the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be announced.

The announcement of the host for 2023 is due in June, with Japan, Colombia and Brazil vying for the honour (alongside Australia and New Zealand’s co-bid).

If the tournament hosting rights were to be won by Australia and New Zealand, FFA would be rubbing their hands together with glee at the long-term benefits that would have on the sport.

But first, Chinese Taipei at home on Thursday and hopefully one step closer to having both male and female teams at the Olympic Games.

And I haven’t even mentioned the road to Qatar 2022…

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football NSW Builds Female Leadership Pipeline

Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program conducted a 2-day face-to-face workshop at the Pullman Sydney Olympic Park. Twenty-three curated female participants from football organisations across NSW attended the workshop. This is part of a larger 5-week leadership program that has developed over 100 female participants.

The program consisted of mixed training through In-person workshops, self-guided electronic learning and online webinars. Topics consisted of sports governance, conflict management, personality types and team dynamics.

Monarch Management and Monica Beazley facilitated the program; Beazley spoke on the importance and necessity for the workshop,

“When like-minded women come together, they create a network of support, rich in life experience and inspiration that can drive real change.”

The aims and aspirations of the program coincide with developing skills and growth, instilling confidence in women to pursue leadership roles and building networking opportunities for female support within the football industry. The program emphasises immediate skill growth and long-term leadership development.

The Football NSW’s Women in Football Leadership Program started in 2023 and the networking aspect of the program has remained key for the participants in sustaining successful partnerships and connections within the male-dominated industry.

“As the facilitator of the Football NSW Women in Football Leadership Conference, I witnessed first-hand how these connections ignite growth and encourage us all to push forward. The greatest takeaway for me was realising just how many talented women are already shaping this sport,” said Beazley.

Participants for the 2-day workshop were selected from governing bodies, football associations, NPL NSW clubs and referee branches.

Beazley noted the importance of female equality in leadership positions, “much work still lies ahead to ensure they feel equal, valued and truly at home in their clubs as leaders and change-makers.”

The entire 5-week program is funded by the NSW Football Legacy Fund and the NSW Government. Commitment to a 2025 renewal of the program shows institutional support to achieve women in leadership positions around football.

The program highlights an effort to increase women’s leadership and presence in football. The growing momentum of this program will continue and foster a positive culture for football.

Hisense Announced as First Partner for FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA has unveiled Hisense as their first partner of the new FIFA Club World Cup, which will kick off for the first time in 2025.

Hisense, a global leader in consumer electronics, will have its TV’s displayed throughout the tournament, in addition to company branding on stadium screens and in the video operation room.

Announced at a ceremony at the Shanghai Tower in China, Hisense’s partnership with FIFA will promote the company’s image and latest products on a global scale.

Hisense Group Chairman Jia Shaoqian spoke keenly about the deal at the event.

“We are proud to be an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, which is a competition among the top clubs from all six confederations, representing a dialogue between champions, a collision of first-class excellence. This perfectly aligns with Hisense’s pursuit of the champion spirit and our latest corporate goal to build a world-class enterprise and brand,” he said.

“As the pioneer in AI televisions, Hisense’s newly launched AI TV series is a perfect match for the FIFA Club World Cup. The technological foundation of Hisense AI TV is the independently developed Xinghai large model, which supports continuous smart upgrades across various appliance categories, significantly enhancing the user experience and market competitiveness. Together with FIFA, Hisense will present the best Club World Cup for global audiences.”

This latest partnership between FIFA and Hisense is not the first between the two, with both parties first collaborating in 2017 to sponsor the FIFA World Cup.

Also speaking at the launch ceremony, FIFA President Gianni Infantino embraced the partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Hisense, a global market-leading brand, as an Official Partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Hisense’s commitment to innovation and technology aligns with our vision for this tournament, which will bring together the 32 best teams from around the world for an unforgettable celebration of our game that will revolutionise club football,” he said.

“This partnership will offer fans unique ways to engage with the tournament, both on and off the pitch, while laying a technological and innovation-led foundation for the FIFA Club World Cup to flourish.”

The FIFA Club World Cup will begin in the United States on June 15th 2025, and run until July 13th 2025.

 

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend