Sydney FC drop coaching bombshell: Talay out

That escalated quickly.

At a press conference last week, Sydney FC coach Ufuk Talay was asked to address reports suggesting he could be headed to Western Sydney Wanderers.

While Talay insisted no conversations had taken place with Sydney’s arch-rivals, he admitted “I need to make decisions about my future and where I stand.”

We still don’t know if he really will join the Wanderers next season but what we do know now is that he won’t be at Sydney FC, with the club last night releasing the stunning news that Talay has left the club with immediate effect following a “mutual termination” of his contract.

In a sign that this decision had been brewing for some time, the Sky Blues already had a replacement lined up, with former Melbourne City - and for a very short time, Melbourne Victory - coach Patrick Kisnorbo taking Talay’s place.

It’s been an interesting season for Sydney, who have been in the top four for the majority of the campaign but now find themselves in fifth spot and with their form patchy at best just weeks away from the finals series.

It will be fascinating to see how the players respond to such a major change taking place so late in the season, as it will be to see how Kisnorbo fares after a challenging period of his own since that move to Victory, which lasted just seven games before he left to join Yokohama F.Marinos in Japan, a club he was dismissed from in June last year.

Get more details on these surprising developments here, and be sure to keep an eye on our website and social media channels for more reaction.

What is it about massive Italian football clubs and Perth?

AC Milan’s controversial Serie A fixture against Como, which was meant to take place in February, might have been cancelled but it seems Milan’s hierarchy are determined to still play a game in Western Australia this year, with reports in Italy claiming they are eyeing a return to Perth, having played a friendly against Perth Glory last year.

And it seems Milan could be joined by their cross-town rivals Inter, as well as by fellow Italian giants Juventus.

Say what you will about the value of these pre-season friendlies but the prospect of both Milan clubs, Juventus, Chelsea and Tottenham all being in Australia around the same time seems pretty exciting to me.

Get more details via the link below.

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After hitting you with the recent news of both Adrian Segecic and Cristian Volpato seemingly closing the door on their time as potential Socceroos, we’re pleased to bring you an update of a young player doing the opposite.

Yesterday it was Alexander Robertson’s turn to do some media duties at Socceroos camp, and inevitably the talk turned to his own international allegiances.

Robertson has more choices than most; he spent his early childhood in Australia and his dad and grandfather are both former Socceroos, but he is also eligible to play for England - he featured for several of their youth teams - as well as Scotland and Peru.

But unlike Segecic and Volpato, Robertson seems to have settled on green and gold as his colours of choice.

"It was always Australia,” Robertson said yesterday. “I grew up in Australia as a kid. I classed myself as being Australian and I couldn't really think to play for any other country than Australia.

"I played for England when I was younger, obviously because I was over there. But never anyone else but Australia.

"I've seen a few of them (rumours), but it was kind of just paper talk I think. It was never really anything that crossed my mind."

Curiously, Robertson said he couldn’t remember what the “paperwork” issue was that prevented him from being called into the Socceroos squad in 2024.

See what else Robertson had to say during an interesting chat with the assembled media in Sydney, including our own David Weiner, here.

There’s going to be a real “we’re not in Kansas anymore” feeling to the Matildas’ next games.

Football Australia confirmed yesterday that Australia’s most beloved national team will participate in a seemingly-hastily arranged couple of matches in Kenya, starting on April 11.

That’s exactly three weeks after the Asian Cup final, and with all due respect to the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, there’s likely to be a slightly different vibe there to the one that greeted the Matildas at Stadium Australia last weekend.

If you’re wondering why the Tillies are playing again so soon after a major tournament, it’s because the Women’s Asian Cup wasn’t played during a regular international window, with the next one of those being in April.

And if you’re wondering why Football Australia chose to play against the world no.134 side in Kenya, followed by a game against either world no.153 Malawi or the 67th-ranked India, here’s the explanation from FA deputy CEO and Matildas legend Heather Garriock.

“As we prepare for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, Football Australia’s focus is on playing global opponents outside of Asia,” Garriock said in a statement provided to AAP.

“With the UEFA, CONMEBOL, OFC and CAF all looking to qualify for the Women’s World Cup and Concacaf in Women’s Championship fixtures, there were limited options in the April window.

“Playing two African opponents is a good opportunity to test the team against a very different style of opponent as well as a chance to test the depth of the squad.”

The exact make-up of the squad is yet to be confirmed, with the assumption being coach Joe Montemurro will let his big-name players such as Ellie Carpenter, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr (more on her in a sec) continue their seasons in Europe, and use this opportunity to test out some of the players who didn’t get many match minutes during the Asian Cup, as well as those who missed the cut for that tournament entirely.

Get the full report on the FIFA Series matches here.

Meanwhile, with rumours flying around that Kerr could be set to leave Chelsea in a few months’ time, here’s the latest on what could be next for the Aussie icon.

With so much chat about when the next generation of Matildas players is going to usurp the current crop, it was apt timing for Football Australia to announce the make-up of the Young Matildas squad for the Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup yesterday.

That tournament, which kicks off next week, will serve as the breeding ground for a bunch of players that could end up working their way into the senior squad over the coming years, headlined by Melbourne City’s Alexia Apostolakis, who actually already has one cap for the Matildas, as well as Western Sydney Wanderers’ breakout star Talia Younis, who has dazzled in recent weeks.

Check out the full squad list here.

Meanwhile the Young Socceroos made an interesting announcement yesterday, with Manchester United’s James Overy withdrawing from the squad for this month’s two-game series in China due to illness.

In his place comes Sydney United’s Gabriel Tilo, a 17-year-old who has lit up the NPL NSW lately with some dazzling performances for United’s senior side.

Tilo hasn’t played for the national team at any age level, but now has a real chance to make a name for himself in the Australia-China Friendship Series.

Check out some of Tilo’s best work in the video below.