Chris Nikou to step down as FA chairman

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Chris Nikou
Image via Football Australia

Chris Nikou has decided to step down as Football Australia (FA) chairman – finishing his tenure in November of this year.

Nikou joined the FA Board in 2014 and became its Chair in November 2018.

Reflecting on his tenure as chairman, Nikou stated:

“Being in this role has been really fulfilling, and with the collaboration of key stakeholders, we’ve managed to transform the sport significantly. I have been part of the board for nearly nine years, with five of that as the Chair, but now feels like the right time for a change and to pass on the baton to a new Chair. It is important for an organisation to get fresh perspectives, especially as we look ahead to the 2024 Paris Olympics and the next FIFA World Cup cycles.

“This shift at such a pivotal time will bring in new energy and ideas, which are crucial in the ever-changing world of sports and leadership. This is further highlighted when you consider the great momentum we have created over the past year with the fantastic success of our National Teams (Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas) and after co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup here in Australia.

“It’s been a real honour serving the sport, working closely with the Board and the Football Australia Congress Members, and representing Australian football on the global stage. Looking back at my time as Chair, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, and I am also excited about the current state of the sport and Football Australia’s position both at home and internationally.

“During my term as Chair, Australia has firmly established itself on the global football stage, successfully bidding for and co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and achieving record national team performances. Significant strides were made in championing equal pay, the unbundling of professional leagues from Football Australia, and aligning with global standards. These milestones, combined with further growth as the number one team based participation sport in the country, the commercial resurgence of the sport and the initiation of the Legacy ’23 plan, demonstrate that the game in Australia is at its pinnacle, commercially and in terms of national prestige.

“Football has always held a special place in the heart of Australians. The foundations that have been established ensure a prosperous trajectory for Football Australia and the sport. Following the AGM, a new chapter will unfold, which I am certain will be marked by continued growth and ambition,” Nikou concluded.

A new chairman will be elected in November – during FA’s Annual General Meeting. Two board positions will also be up for rotation-based election.

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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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