Burnley FC unveils first-ever VR matchday with Rezzil

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Image Credit: Go My Media / Shutterstock.com

Burnley FC, in collaboration with Rezzil, the global leader in VR sports innovation, will provide fans with a groundbreaking virtual reality experience. The partnership will allow fans around the world to replicate the in-stadium atmosphere of Turf Moor from the comfort of their home during Burnley’s pre-season fixture against Lazio on August 10 2025. 

The immersive experience will give fans a virtual seat within the Turf Moor stadium. In addition, fans can expect a full panoramic pitch view, live commentary, real-time visuals, and uninterrupted viewing. This innovative platform for fan engagement will be completely free via the Premier League app on the Meta Quest VR headset. 

Supporters of the newly promoted Burnley side will be the first in history to watch their team in action using this technology. In turn, pre-season engagement will have a new benchmark going forward. 

Burnley Chairman, Alan Pace has highlighted the club’s commitment to innovation and global fan engagement through a new virtual reality initiative. 

“This partnership with Rezzil and Premier League Player allows us to share the magic of Turf Moor in a truly immersive way,” he said via Club statement.

“It reflects our forward-thinking approach to fan engagement and our commitment to global supporters. Our mission is to provide the best experiences to fans, and by entering into the world of Virtual Reality, they can get closer to the game than ever before.”

Since 2017, Rezzil has provided world-class athletes across several disciplines with elite VR training tools. With the four-year partnership agreement between Rezzil and the Premier League, the technology will extend beyond athletic training and increase global fan engagement levels.

Rezzil co-founder, Andy Etches says the collaboration marks a turning point in how fans experience the game, blending elite-level technology with immersive fan engagement.

“Our technology has long been trusted by elite athletes to sharpen performance, and now we’re using that same technology to bring it to supporters. It’s a new way to watch football; it’s like having a seat in the stands,” he said via press release.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Burnley FC and the Premier League Player to bring fans a truly next-generation football experience.”

As football continues to evolve off the pitch, innovative deals like this are the future of the sport. By combining the traditional element of spectating matches from the stands with cutting-edge technology, this collaboration marks a new era in how football is experienced.

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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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