Gelatissimo Help WanderKid Program Return To Wanderers FC

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Western Sydney Wanderers FC have announced the return of their WanderKid Program for the 2025/26 season, with the support of ice cream company Gelatissimo.

Gelatissimo is a gelato and cake maker business who make their products by hand, originating from the United States with stores and products in Australian supermarkets.

The WanderKid Program will continue to give grassroots players from 5-12 years old free entry to all Wanderers Isuzu UTE A-League and Ninja A-League home matches excluding the Sydney Derby.

Western Sydney Wanderers CEO, Scott Hudson commented on the return of the WanderKid Program for its third season will open the gates for thousands of young players across Western Sydney.

“This program is about more than just a free ticket to a Wanderer match – it’s about creating a connection between grassroots football and the professional game,” he said via press release.

“With Gelatissimo now proudly on board, we’re looking forward to delivering an even more exciting match day experience for families this season.

“Along with our unique fee-free Boy’s and Girl’s Academy programs, this is another sign of our commitment to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to young people across Western Sydney becoming part of the Wanderers family.”

Gelatissimo General Manager of Wholesale, Bede Aquilina stated the partnership was a natural fit for the brand.

“At Gelatissimo, we are passionate about bringing people together for moments that matter, and the WanderKid Program is a wonderful way to exactly do that,” he said via press release.

“We’re proud to join the Wanderers in supporting this initiative and can’t wait to add to the fun and flavour of match days for WanderKids and their families this season.”

Family Zone

Wanderers FC families will be more engage in the club with the Family Zone, enhanced for the new season with various family friendly experiences planned, as well as the club addressing the cost-of-living concerns player’s families may have throughout the season.

Gelatissimo will support the program by assisting in family events to bring more colour and excitement to match days and engage fans and player’s families.

Parents and guardians can purchase memberships or tickets in this section to enjoy the full experience alongside their WanderKids.

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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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