Reports: Manchester United show interest in Central Coast Mariners A-League license

Matthew Galea13/04/2021 8:16 am07/07/2023

The battle between two of football’s biggest club could soon reach global proportions with reports that Manchester United are in talks to buy Central Coast Mariners.

Reports in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning have linked the Red Devils with the Central Coast Mariners in a bid to purchase the club’s A-League license and move them from Gosford to the northern suburbs of Sydney.

Manchester United assistant coach Mike Phelan is already the Mariners’ Sporting Director, a post he has held since 2018.

Any purchase of the Mariners’ A-League license and plans to rebrand and move the club from its traditional home on the Central Coast would have to be approved by the majority of A-League clubs.

The move would be United’s first into foreign club ownership and would see them follow in the footsteps of their neighbours, Manchester City.

The City Football Group has a controlling stake in Melbourne City – which they purchased in January 2014, buying an 80% share of the club before later buying out the remaining 20%.

CFG’s stable of clubs also includes New York City (United States), Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), Girona (Spain), Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay), Sichuan Jiuniu (China), Lommel SK (Belgium) and Troyes AC (France).

The Red Devils have some catching up to do if their plans are to compete with CFG for global domination, but a first foray into foreign ownership in Australia with a potentially rebranded Mariners would put them in direct competition with City in the A-League.

It is unclear how much United will have to pay for the license, however, the club was reported to be worth more than $5 billion by Forbes in 2020.

Despite the club’s strong revenue streams – revenue hit $905 million last year – United is a club that remains heavily in debt as a result of the club’s leveraged takeover by the American Glazer family in 2005.

The Glazers borrowed over £500 million to finance their purchase of the club, a debt the club has been paying off ever since

United’s net debt remains above £450m according to reports from earlier this year.

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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.