Premier League close to unveiling distribution deal with Championship clubs

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The Premier League is reportedly close to agreeing a new system for distributing money to lower leagues and a major reform of parachute payments, according to The Times.

The plan, which is called ‘A New Deal For Football’, has reportedly received broad support from the 20 Premier League teams, with the proposals coming after pressure from the UK government and the fan-led review of soccer by Tracey Crouch, which was published last November.

According to The Times, the new system will allocate cash to clubs in the second-tier Championship on a sliding scale of funding based on where they finish in the table, similar to the merit payments in the Premier League.

There will also reportedly be a new system of cost control to prevent lavish spending.

Parachute payments, a sum of money given to teams relegated from the top flight to compensate for loss of revenue, are set to be heavily reduced from the UK£44 million ($76 million AUD) given to clubs for the first season after they go down.

The thinking behind this is that it would help reduce the ‘cliff edge’ between the Premier League and the Championship.

The details of the new deal are yet to be finalised but The Times adds that there was a general consensus on the principals.

Other proposals are said to be around infrastructure grants for clubs in the English Football League (EFL), which consists of the second, third and fourth tiers of English soccer. These would see the Premier League provide ringfenced funding for capital projects such as improvements to stadiums and training grounds.

These measures would look to stop the extra money just being spent on player transfers and salaries, and fuelling inflation in the domestic game. Premier League clubs are purportedly worried that too many Championship clubs are spending above their means.

The overhaul in the Premier League’s relationship with EFL comes as Alison Brittain has been named as the new chair of the top flight.

The appointment means the two most senior positions in English soccer will both be women after Debbie Hewitt was confirmed as the first chairwoman of the Football Association (FA).

“I have been a football fan since I was a child and so am absolutely delighted to be appointed chair of the Premier League,” Brittain said in a statement.

“The game is of enormous national importance, is loved by so many people around the world and can have a tremendous positive impact on communities.

“It will be a real privilege to be able to help to develop plans for the future and work with all the key stakeholders in the game to ensure its long-term sustainability and success.”

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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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