Ex-Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay takes charge of Valencia CF

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Image Credit: Valencia CF website

Valencia CF has confirmed the appointment of Ron Gourlay as the club’s new CEO of Football, part of a strategic restructure of its leadership team led by president Kiat Lim.

Gourlay, a Scottish football executive with over 25 years’ experience at top clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion, will lead the club’s sporting operations and long-term squad development.

During his time as CEO at Chelsea FC from 2009 to 2014, Gourlay oversaw one of the club’s most successful eras, with Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League titles secured.

Gourlay’s arrival at Valencia reunites him with head coach Carlos Corberán, whom he previously appointed at West Brom. This collaboration is viewed as a key part of Valencia’s plan to return to the elite level of European football. The club says the appointment reflects its commitment to modernising its sporting and management structure.

Valencia CF President Kiat Lim emphasised the club’s focus on building a sustainable and ambitious future.

“We’re building Valencia CF for the future, on a foundation that’s sustainable, ambitious and worthy of our proud history. Ron Gourlay is a senior and highly experienced Sporting CEO who understands the complexities of modern football and the demands of a top-tier club to lead this project,” she said via press release.

Gourlay expressed his excitement about joining the Spanish club and the shared ambition to restore Valencia’s standing at the top level.

“It’s a privilege to join Valencia CF at such a pivotal time. This club has passion, heritage and a global fanbase that deserves success. I’m excited to reunite with Carlos once again,” he said via press release.

“With Kiat’s leadership at the helm, we share a strong ambition to restore Valencia CF to where it belongs — competing for top honours, with a squad that reflects the club’s identity and future.”

Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season, Gourlay and the recruitment team are already assessing squad planning and transfer market opportunities. The club says his leadership will be instrumental in driving a long-term vision for sustainable success both on and off the field.

The road ahead will require bold decisions and a relentless focus on performance. With this leadership team in place, Valencia CF is ready to deliver as a new chapter begins.

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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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