Valencia CF leading the next generation of fan engagement with Socios.com

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LaLiga side Valencia CF have announced they will become the first team to display their own Fan Tokens on the front of the shirt after reaching an agreement with Chiliz – the creators of Fan Tokens and the Socios.com fan engagement platform, as the club’s Official Fan Token Partner.

Kicking off from the 2021/22 season, the partnership reflects Valencia CF’s dedication to using innovation and technology, exploring new trends and finding new ways of engaging with its local, national and international fan base.

Both Valencia CF and Chiliz strongly believe that football clubs need to add a new dimension of entertainment for fans.

Football must always remain exciting and attractive to all generations, and the club must meet the challenge of keeping the younger generations engaged. Thanks to this agreement, Valencia CF fans from across the world will be able to stay closely connected and interact with the Club in a powerful and innovative way, as they have never done before.

The Socios.com roster includes many other great clubs around the world including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, AC Milan or Manchester City, but Valencia CF will be the pioneer to have them on the front of the jersey.

VCF and Chiliz will launch the $VCF Fan Token on Socios.com in the coming weeks.

Valencia CF President Anil Murthy:

“I believe that fans will always be at the heart of football and the use of innovation and technology is necessary to keep this tradition alive. Therefore, we are elated to have Chiliz as Official Fan Token Partner for season 21/22. With them, VCF will enter the next generation of fan engagement through their Socios.com platform which will revolutionize fan engagement through technology and innovation. The club’s priority is to keep innovating and exploring new trends so that we can continue to engage our fans in an ever-changing world. It is with this in mind that we are very happy to embark on a new way forward with Chiliz. This is only the beginning of a great relationship for our fans and for both entities.”

Chiliz and Socios.com CEO Alexandre Dreyfus:

“When Valencia take to the pitch with their $VCF Fan Token proudly on display from the front of their shirt for the first time it will be the most visible milestone yet in our rapid evolution and further confirmation of the increasing influence Fan Tokens and the Socios.com platform are having across the global sports industry.

“This world-first partnership, our third with a major Spanish club and 38th overall, will bring incredible visibility to Fan Tokens and the Socios.com platform, accelerating our mission to shift passive fans into active contributors and create a brighter future for sport – where clubs and fans alike are able to enjoy the rewards created by unlocking the potential of global fan engagement.”

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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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