Australia A League – Worldwide Sports News

August 26, 2024

Douglas Costa: Sydney FC sign former Juventus and Bayern star in coup for A-League

Highly-decorated Brazilian arrives at Sky Blues from Fluminense
33-year-old who has won 24 trophies hailed as ‘world class’

Sydney FC have signed former Juventus and Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa in a massive recruitment coup for the A-League Men. Costa joins the ALM heavyweights as a marquee player for two seasons after being released early from his contract by Brazilian club Fluminense in July.

The 33-year-old winger will land in Sydney as their biggest signing since Italian Alessandro Del Piero in 2012. It comes after the Australian Professional Leagues slashed club distribution to just $530,000, down on close to $2m handed out last season.

June 7, 2024

Court condemns soccer fans’ Nazi salutes at 2022 Australia Cup final

Three men were convicted and fined $500 for ‘deliberately and intentionally’ performing the salute

Three Croatian men have been convicted and fined after separately making Nazi salutes during the 2022 Australia Cup soccer final.

Nikola Marko Gasparovic, 46, Dominik Sieben, 25, and Marijan Lisica, 45, performed the salute at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium on October 1 2022, during the match between Sydney United 58 and Macarthur FC.

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May 30, 2024

Two more Macarthur FC players named in alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew named in court documents as three other teammates face charges over alleged plot to receive yellow cards for payment

Two more A-League players have been named as alleged participants in an alleged bet-fixing scheme involving their Macarthur FC teammates.

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew are accused of participating in a criminal group that also allegedly involved three charged players – club captain Ulises Davila and teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus.

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May 25, 2024

Central Coast Mariners defeat Melbourne Victory in A-League Men grand final – as it happened

Central Coast Mariners 3-1 Melbourne Victory (AET)
Mariners surge to title defence after stoppage time equaliser

While today is a celebration for domestic football in Australia, it is impossible to overlook what has been another chastening season for the A-League.

The APL remains in omnicrisis, bungling its budget and communications as it fails abysmally at converting the promise of independence. And while there’s not a lot they can do about fan misbehaviour or the alleged conduct of players, it’s hard to avoid the creeping feeling of the competition succumbing to another doom spiral.