Raising professional club standards in Asia upheld by AFC Club Licensing Task Force

Matthew Badrov25/08/2022 5:55 am25/08/2022

Image provided by the Asian Football Confederation

The AFC Club Licensing Task Force has complimented the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s Member Associations (MAs) for their commitment to adapting their Club Licensing Systems to the changes in the new AFC club competition season at its fourth meeting.

The updated AFC Club Licensing Regulations (2022 Edition) came into force on July 29, 2022 and incorporated several important updates that are applicable when granting licences to participating clubs in the AFC Club Competitions from the 2023/2024 season onwards.

In his opening address, Chairperson Hamad Mohamed Aljneibi recognised the efforts of some MAs towards implementing the new adjustments based on the updated regulations.

Aljneibi said in a statement released by AFC:

“I would like to acknowledge our collective efforts to raise professionalism in Asian club football despite the challenges. Club licensing was introduced in Asia more than a decade ago and it continues to play an integral role in uplifting the standards of our sport on the Continent.”

“The AFC’s MAs have received strong support throughout this period of change and I am certain that these latest developments will steer Asian football in the right direction and reaffirm the AFC’s position as a model Confederation.”

The Task Force reviewed several Club Licensing Quality standard requirements of the Licensors in implementing the Club Licensing system and decided to remove the suspension imposed on the Tajikistan Football Federation’s Club Licensing Administration after they rectified most of the defects.

Further, the Task Force agreed to uphold the suspension of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran Club Licensing Administration until all defects have been addressed and rectified to the satisfaction of the AFC General Secretariat.

Taking into consideration the effects of the pandemic on most MAs and the transitioning to the new AFC club competition season, the Task Force decided to extend the implementation of the Futsal Club Licensing from 2024 to 2025.

The Task Force also received updates on the progress of the Women’s Club Licensing Regulations, launched earlier with the aim of elevating the development of the women’s game on the Continent.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Patrick Irving16/04/2026 8:55 am16/04/2026

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

Patrick Irving15/04/2026 6:05 am14/04/2026

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.