Charlie Methven joins Global Institute of Sport board

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Image credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has confirmed the appointment of Charlie Methven to its ownership group’s Board of Directors, bringing one of global football’s most distinctive and influential voices to the leadership of the world’s leading sports university.

Methven’s addition to the Board of the Global Sports Education Group (GSEG), the parent organisation of GIS, comes at a pivotal moment as the university continues its global expansion and reinforces its status as the leading destination for aspiring professionals in football and sport.

Methven, who has held executive roles at Sunderland AFC and Charlton Athletic FC and advised organisations such as McLaren F1, the Jockey Club, and the Qatari government ahead of the 2022 World Cup, now serves as Managing Director of Mount Pleasant FA, the Caribbean’s leading football club. He brings extensive expertise in sport, media, and performance strategy.

Educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford, Methven pairs a prestigious academic background with proven boardroom and operational expertise, seamlessly connecting the business and performance sides of the sports industry. His deep experience and expansive network make him a key asset to GIS leadership during a period of strategic global expansion. Renowned for challenging norms and advocating innovative thinking, Methven’s arrival further strengthens GIS’ role in shaping the future of sport by uniting top talent to prepare the next generation of leaders.

Reflecting on his new role, Methven expressed admiration for GIS’s impact on the future of sport and shared his enthusiasm for contributing to its continued growth and success.

“I have watched on with admiration as the Global Institute of Sport has started to shape the future of Sport. I am honoured to be asked to join its Board. As our industry matures, it constantly needs better access to better qualified people, and that is what GIS is now providing through courses which combine a unique mix of academic credibility and hands-on experience and connectivity. I greatly look forward to supporting Sharona Friedman and her talented executive team as they continue to build this exciting business,” he said via press release.

President & CEO of the Global Institute of Sport, Sharona Friedman, highlighted Methven’s strategic value to the organisation, emphasising his unique expertise and alignment with the institute’s mission.

“Charlie’s appointment signals a new chapter of growth and excellence. He brings unmatched expertise at the intersection of sport, media, and leadership—and his values align powerfully with ours. He’s not just a board member—he’s a force multiplier,” she said via press release.

The Global Institute of Sport is renowned for its leading online and stadium-based degree programs across football and sports business, coaching and performance, and media and marketing. GIS provides students and alumni with immersive educational experiences, practical work placements, and international networking opportunities at iconic stadium campuses such as Wembley Stadium and Chase Stadium, along with locations extending to Dubai, Kingston and Melbourne.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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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

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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.

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