Football Coaches Australia addresses Dwight Yorke appointment

Staff Writer

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) has today congratulated Australian Professional Leagues (APL) on securing FC Barcelona to play an exhibition match against the A-League All Stars team in Sydney next month.

FCA’s mantra is to promote and strengthen the reputation of football in Australia and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage.

FCA acknowledges the appointment of Dwight Yorke as the All Stars head coach in this exhibition game, however strongly believes that the All Star team should be led by an Australian A-League or national team coach.

This will be Dwight’s first official head coaching appointment at any level, and FCA wishes him all the best with his future football management aspirations. His football pedigree and his outstanding contribution as a player with Sydney FC, at the inception of the A-League, are recognised by all.

FCA president Phil Moss, who was appointed assistant coach of the last A-League All Stars team for the 2014 match against Italian giants Juventus, said:

“Whilst FCA supports the inclusion of Dwight Yorke in the coaching staff as he launches his managerial career, the missed opportunity for an Australian coach to gain invaluable experience and exposure internationally as the Head Coach is disappointing,” Moss said.

“We understand the profile and interest having Dwight Yorke involved and what it will add to this game, and also understand the logistical issues of not knowing who the Isuzu Ute A-League final four coaches will be.

“But we are about providing opportunities for Australian coaches to grow, and show the world what we are capable of and this is a missed chance to do that.

“I was involved as the assistant in 2014 and know first-hand what a huge development opportunity that was for me and we feel there are numerous coaches with the right capabilities and experience to lead the All-Star team in the game against Barca.

“Whilst we anticipate the appointment of Australian coaches to assist Dwight, we can’t ignore the fact this would have been an ideal opportunity to promote our own Australian A-League head coaches to the football world.”

Australian football coaches deserve to be further acknowledged for their efforts in guiding their respective teams throughout the past two seasons, particularly in extremely challenging COVID circumstances. An All Stars head coach appointment would have been a fitting reward.

Previous All Stars appointments have been Ange Postecoglou (2013 v Manchester United) and Spaniard Josep Gombau (2014 v Juventus). These appointments were chosen by fans who voted.

FCA believes that A-Leagues Men and Women competitions should not only be a pathway to the global football world for players, but also our elite coaches, and we should use every opportunity to support them in their career development.

FCA also encourages the APL to consider the unique experience the All Star game would provide an Australian woman coach in one of the assistant coach roles.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Avatar
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

Avatar
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.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend