Australia A League – Worldwide Sports News

March 18, 2025

Josh Cavallo reveals daily death threats and says football ‘toxic’ for gay players

Adelaide midfielder talks of multiple daily death threats
Coming out brings ‘mountain of downsides’ for players

Australia’s first out gay male professional footballer, Josh Cavallo, has said he receives death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other footballers to come out due to the sport’s “toxic” environment. The Adelaide United midfielder came out in 2021 and said that despite his club’s and coaches’ support his openness about his sexuality had brought him a lot of pressure and negativity.

“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still,” Cavallo’s said on Fifpro’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast. “In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something not everyone would be able to handle and go through.

February 20, 2025

A-Leagues boss Nick Garcia departs in shock mid-season leadership shake-up

Stephen Conroy tightens grip on Australian Professional Leagues
APL hopes to stabilise domestic competitions take another hit

A-Leagues commissioner Nick Garcia has departed his role in a shock mid-season leadership change at Australian football’s struggling domestic competitions.

Garcia’s departure was confirmed on Thursday, with Australian Professional Leagues chairman Stephen Conroy announced as executive chairman.

February 17, 2025

Macarthur captain Valere Germain quits A-League over poor refereeing standards

Striker expected to swap Australia for Japan after terminating contract
Frenchman was facing FA hearing over alleged lewd gesture to official

Macarthur’s bid for an A-League Men finals berth has been dealt a hammer blow, with captain Valere Germain citing Australian refereeing standards as reason to terminate his contract.

Bulls officials confirmed to AAP that Germain’s request has been granted, with the 34-year-old forward expected to take up a contract offer in Japan.

January 3, 2025

Jordan Lauton earns Western United win – and red card – with bicycle kick

Acrobatic goal seals dramatic comeback at Perth Glory
Lauton gets second yellow for celebrating last-gasp goal

Jordan Lauton earned a remarkable 3-2 comeback win for Western United at Perth Glory with one of the most spectacular goals in A-League Men history – but was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for his celebration.

As the 90 minutes expired at HBF Park on Friday, Perth were closing in on a 2-1 victory that would have ended their 321-day wait for a home league victory. Jarrod Carluccio’s fine finish in the 66th minute had given the hosts the edge after Adam Taggart’s first-half goal was cancelled out by United’s Matthew Grimaldi.

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.