Polish Ekstraklasa backed by Stihl to support the league

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Stihl and Ekstraklasa
Image credit: Peter Kniez / Shutterstock.com

Stihl has announced that they will be renewing their agreement with the Polish Ekstraklasa to continue for a fifth straight year, this time becoming an official partner of the league.

Stihl will be utilising this agreement to support the development of grassroots club football in Poland as well as introduce a series of official Ekstraklasa products for sale in a bid to engage with the fans a lot more due to their upgraded partner status.

Since its foundation more than 90 years ago, Stihl has grown from a one-man business into a global chainsaw and outdoor power equipment manufacturer.

Stihl is represented in more than 160 countries now and has a large European base in particular, making it extremely recognisable to the fans of Ekstraklasa.

Tomasz Cichoński, President of the Management Board of Andreas Stihl, discussed how this partnership benefits them.

“Cooperation with Ekstraklasa is an important step in the development of our brand on the Polish market. We have been involved in sport for years, but now we want to join the emotions accompanying this most popular discipline among Poles and act for its development. Cichonski said via press release.

“Football is particularly close to us, because it is our products that facilitate the perfect preparation of green areas for practicing this sport and improving football skill.”

Marcin Animucki, President of the Management Board of Ekstraklasa SA discussed what the goal was with this cooperation with Stihl.

“We are happy to welcome the Stihl brand among the official partners of Ekstraklasa games. We are glad that such a recognized international company has decided to become involved in football competitions and take advantage of the promotion opportunities in our league,” he added via media release.

“We hope that thanks to this cooperation, we will inspire people to become interested in Ekstraklasa and support them at stadiums.”

As a result of the agreement between Ekstraklasa SA and Stihl Polska, official products with the Ekstraklasa logo – including lawnmowers – will appear in over 800 points of sale throughout the country. The Stihl logo will be displayed in stadiums during matches, TV broadcasts and on the official website and social media channels.

The partnership has a clear goal to improve grassroots Polish football and use a recognisable brand to further market the Ekstraklasa across Europe.

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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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