UK and Dutch experts to join Wenger at 2020 Australian Coaching Conference

Following the announcement earlier this month that Arsene Wenger will headline the 2020 Australian Coaching Conference, Football NSW has announced several other key industry figures who will present at the event.

Today it was revealed that Head of Football Development for the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), Jorg van der Breggen will present on “Building An Evidence Based Youth Development Program”. The segment will focus on how coaches can become more effective within the youth development phase.

“Jorg is someone who is at the forefront of youth development in Europe, he is very passionate for grassroots football as well as elite football so this will be great presentation for coaches across Australian football no matter their level as they look to further understand youth development and the important part they as coaches play in the process no matter what level, be it a Mum or Dad in the local park or a B Licence coach working for an NPL Academy” said Chris Adams, Football New South Wales Coach Development Manager

The conference will also feature two highly-regarded coaches from the United Kingdom who were announced earlier in the week. Head Coach for the England U16-U17 Female National Team, Lydia Bedford and Head of Coaching for UK Coaching, Nick Levett.

Bedford will present on “Developing Future Female Champions”, a segment  which will form part of the “Coaching The Female Player” stream.

“Lydia is a leading figure within the development of female football with the English FA in recent years and it is testament to the quality of this year’s 2020 Australian Coaching Conference that we have someone of her stature and experience in youth development join us online, with Australia hosting the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup this will be a great presentation for all coaches to gain an insight into how to develop top class female players for the future,” Adams said.

Levett will focus on “The Essential Skills Of An Effective Youth Coach”, a segment designed for coaches of all levels from grassroots to elite football focusing on coaching behaviours and how to work effectively with youth players of all abilities.

“Coaches of all levels will gain valuable insights into coaching from Nick Levett to then apply into their relevant coaching environment be it in an NPL youth or senior environment to a volunteer coach at a local association club,” Adams added.

“To have someone of Nick’s experience across all parts of the football world from Grassroots through to elite football is another great addition to this years conference.”

The conference is scheduled to be held on Saturday 28 November and organisers have stated registered participants will be allowed access to the content any time afterwards through a specially designed online platform.

For more information, visit www.footballnsw.com.au

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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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