Last year, the three A-League clubs (Sydney FC, Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory) were forced to take part in the AFC Champions League under threat of heavy financial penalties from the AFC, even though the competition took place when COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the world. It will be interesting to see if Sydney FC, Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar will face any sanctions.
Related article:
Its important to note that the competition overlaps the A-League finals too
It was reported as a player welfare issue - there may also be grounds to take any sanctions to FIFA
Craig Deans will step down as Newcastle Jets coach at the end of the current A-League season.
Australia have qualified for the third and final stage of FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Several hours later, Western United sacked its inaugural coach Mark Rudan, with a year remaining on his contract.
Former Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro has been appointed Juventus manager. He becomes just the second manager of the four-in-a-row Serie A champions and back-to-back Supercoppa Italiana winners. Juventus only reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and the round-of-32 of the UEFA Champions League. He replaces former Italy international Rita Guarino, who had managed the team since it’s founding in 2017.
The next A-League season is likely to feature the introduction of a ‘designated player’ rule which will allow wealthier clubs to field two further signings outside the salary cap.
The tweak - dubbed the Beckham Rule when rolled out by the MLS in 2007 - will run in tandem with existing two-player marquee regulations.
It was originally adopted in the US to allow franchises to sign up to three players outside the salary cap and coincided with former Manchester United and England star David Beckham’s arrival at LA Galaxy 14 years ago on a glitzy $8 million contract.
It will work in favour of the A-League elite who will be able to lure additional talent in the $300,000-$600,000 pay bracket without breaching salary cap guidelines.
The salary cap will be set at $2.5 million annually on the back of the recently agreed five-year $200 million broadcast rights deal with Network Ten and its streaming subsidiary Paramount+.
Newcastle beat Melbourne City 2-1 behind closed doors at Sydney’s Kogarah Oval tonight in the final game of A-League regular season. The result means Melbourne Victory gets its first wooden spoon.
Request: Can we please change the name of this thread to soccer please. We live in Australia. Soccer is not ‘Football’ down under
No
Besides, the soccer ball emoticon makes it pretty obvious which code this thread’s talking about…
The draw for the third and final round of World Cup Asian qualifying will be held on July 1. The round begins on September 2 with all Socceroos matches shown on 10 and streamed live on Paramount+.
Danish football star Christian Eriksen had been discharged from hospital, after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 match against Finland last week.
Tonight’s first A-League Semi-Final sees second-placed Sydney FC host fifth-placed Adelaide United at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. Adelaide United beat the Brisbane Roar 2-1 in Redcliffe last Sunday.
The winner will play the winner of tomorrow afternoon’s second Semi-Final between premiers Melbourne City and the sixth-placed Macarthur Bulls in next week’s 2021 A-League Grand Final. Macarthur beat Central Coast 2-0 in extra-time in Gosford last weekend, despite losing defender James Meredith to a red card in the 75th minute.
These will be the last few games on Fox Sports for at least the next 5 years, after 10 and to be launched Paramount+ won the rights to Asian Internationals, along with A-, W- and Y-League seasons, this week.
Sydney FC beat Adelaide United 2-1 in the semi final, thanks to goals to Le Fondre and Bobo in the first half.
UPDATE 6pm AEST:
Sydney will face Melbourne City in the grand final next weekend, after the premiers beat Macarthur 2-0 in today’s semi final.
The A-League grand final between Melbourne City and Sydney FC will be held at Melbourne’s AAMI Park this Saturday night (June 26) with 50% crowd capacity.
Will this Matilda’s game be covered by another of the broadcasters? I know 10’s broadcast deal starts August 1, or will it be covered by 7 under the Olympic rights.
It’s on 14 July, so would be on either Fox Sports or sold by Japan, maybe to 10 or SBS.
The draw for the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar was held today, with Australia in Pot 2.
Australia was drawn in Group B, alongside Japan, Saudi Arabia, China PR, Oman and Vietnam.
Both group winners and runners-up will qualify directly for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the two third-placed teams will playoff to advance to the inter-continental playoff.
Watch the draw below:
