Football Victoria completes 2023 Community in Business Kick-Off

Liam Watson16/05/2023 6:05 am16/05/2023

Football Victoria Community In Business Breakfast

Image credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria’s Community in Business (CIB) Kick-Off Breakfast took place at Ultra Football on Friday, May 12 – connecting clubs, government representatives and members of the football community.

Hosted by Michael Zappone and made possible by MSE Events Group, the morning was a great opportunity to network with likeminded people in the football industry, with coffee and food for guests to enjoy.

As a major partner, Ultra Football welcomed guests to the CIB Breakfast and proceedings took place on their indoor pitch.

The event featured speeches from Jackie Sher at the Reagan Milstein Foundation, as well as Football Victoria CEO Kimon Taliadoros.

In addition, Zappone ran a Q&A with Carol Fox, who assists clients with confident communication and shared her new book called ‘Confident Communication for Leaders’.

Among the other highlights for the day were some prizes on offer from Ultra Football, as well as everyone breaking out into groups following the speeches to get to know each other and share little snippets about what they do.

At the conclusion of the event, Football Victoria Commercial & Sponsorship Coordinator Paul Iliopoulos spoke to Soccerscene about the Kick-Off Breakfast.

“We’re really happy with the turnout and was a great vibe,” he said.

“As the first business event of the year it was exciting and it was fantastic to see a mixture of people in the room, such as CEOs from A-League clubs, government representation and community NPL clubs.

“It was also brilliant to have our guest speakers such as Carol who is well respected in women’s sport and her tips can relate back to all organisations on how to improve.”

Community in Business Kick-Off is the first of three major events in the calendar year – coming up next is the Half-Time Luncheon at Leonda By The Yarra on July 7.

To become a member, you can find the membership packages here.

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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.