Football players, coaches and administrators unite to tackle online abuse ahead of A-Leagues campaigns

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Australia’s football players, coaches and administrators have committed to tackle online abuse – promising to call out perpetrators, ban offenders from matches, strip club memberships and refer incidents to the police.

The A-Leagues, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and Football Coaches Australia (FCA) will crack down on the rise in abuse directed at players and coaches, with a reporting platform established for players and a framework developed for elevating matters to authorities.

Earlier this month, the A-Leagues, PFA and Football Australia joined over 20 other major sporting organisations from around Australia in signing the Online Safety Statement of Commitment to actively support the work of the eSafety Commissioner to help keep all Australians – from grassroots to professional athletes, staff and officials – safe online.

With the Isuzu UTE A-League season kicking off tonight and the A-League / Women campaign on December 3, the zero-tolerance approach reaffirms the ongoing commitment from football to stamp out abuse; a message that will be broadcast in stadium at every A-Leagues match through the season.

APL Managing Director Danny Townsend said:

“We see the diversity of our fan base as one of the core assets of our game. In representing this fan base the A-Leagues are unequivocal in the rejection of online abuse and bullying. There is no place in our game for any action which deliberately causes a person embarrassment or harm.

“We welcome the joint initiative with PFA and FCA and are committed to working with our partners to ensure sporting environments are safe, inclusive, welcoming and respectful, and this includes in the online space.”

PFA Co-Chief Executive Beau Busch said:

“Domestically and internationally, we have witnessed the impact online abuse can have on people. The PFA has a zero-tolerance approach to hate, abuse and discrimination, and we will hold those who engage in it accountable.

“Given the scale of the problem, a shared commitment is required to adequately deal with this growing issue, and we welcome the commitment of FCA and the A-Leagues to tackle this problem together.”

FCA President Phil Moss said:

“Football is a passionate game, however, extending this passion to online abuse and vilification is unacceptable and tackling this issue is a priority of FCA.

“Coaches, referees and players are human beings pursuing the sport they love and doing their best in their respective roles in a high-performance environment. I’ve been on the receiving end as a coach hence why I’m so passionate about this campaign.

“A mutual respect and an agreed code of conduct needs to exist between all football stakeholders, including spectators and online ‘critics’.

“As was introduced in the Premier League in 2020, we support a dedicated reporting system being available for players, coaches, referees and their family members who receive serious online abuse.”

The PFA has established a reporting tool for its members to report abuse and discrimination here.

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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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