Villarreal CF to open new academy in Sydney

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La Liga’s Villarreal CF has announced that it will open its second Australian football academy in Sydney.

The Villarreal Sydney Academy is set to hold an ID clinic at St Ives Showground, where the academy will be based on December 12 to select players for the club’s program in 2021.

Villarreal coaches are expected to visit the academy to provide training for coaches and players when possible. Tryout sessions, offer clinics, provide coaching education, supplement programs and camps will be run by Villarreal coaches.

Opportunities to visit Villarreal’s state-of-the-art training facilities in Spain will also be offered to players who demonstrate their top-level skills, training and behaviour.

If selected participants will get to experience the life of a professional soccer player first-hand by observing training sessions, meeting professional players, practicing with the club’s elite academy players and training under Villarreal coaches.

In a video message Villarreal defender Alberto Moreno encouraged young boys and girls in Sydney to join the new academy and welcomed “Villarreal Sydney Academy to the Villarreal family.”

The club said that coaches at Villarreal Sydney will be trained under the Villarreal CF methodology, while an individual player development approach will be taken to help players grow.

“Australia is packed with untapped soccer talent and we are sure that our unique approach to the beautiful game will have an extremely positive impact on the players and the Sydney community, like it has in Melbourne,” Villarreal CF Director of International Business, Juan Antón said.

Villarreal CF’s Melbourne academy, Monash Villarreal opened in February and has over 200 players at the academy.

“We are not partnering with Villarreal only to use their name. Villarreal Sydney Academy is going to provide the best development program in Sydney and is giving a real pathway to our players. We want all of our players to feel that Sydney – Australia – is just one step away from Villarreal – Spain,” Director at Villarreal Sydney Academy, Jacobo Muñoz said.

Villareal was established in 1923 and currently sits second on the La Liga table. The club has previously competed in the UEFA Champions League.

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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