Category: News

South Melbourne FC can confirm that it has successfully met all licensing requirements and has been approved to compete in the OFC Pro League for the 2027 season.

All eight clubs from the inaugural 2026 competition have received approval for their 2027 Club Licence applications following a meeting of the OFC Executive Committee in Fiji this week.

For South Melbourne, this provides our players with a continued opportunity to compete in professional football, while proudly representing Australia across Oceania and the Pacific.

We look forward to once again taking South Melbourne and Australian football onto the international stage in 2027, while continuing to work closely with the OFC and exploring opportunities to contribute to the continued growth and development of the competition in the years ahead.

The club also looks forward to bringing a festival of football to Lakeside, with OFC Pro League matches set to be hosted at Lakeside Stadium early in the new year.

Co-President Bill Papastergiadis said the club was proud to continue representing Australian football in the competition.

“This is another important step for South Melbourne and an opportunity for our club, our players and our supporters to be part of professional football on an international stage. We look forward to working closely with the OFC and playing our part in the continued growth of the competition.”

Co-President Andrew Mesourouni said bringing the competition to Lakeside would be a highlight of the 2027 season.

“We are particularly excited to bring OFC Pro League football to Lakeside. We want to create a real festival of football and give our supporters and the wider Melbourne football community the opportunity to experience the competition here at our home.”

CEO Strati Xynas said preparations for the club’s second OFC Pro League campaign were already an important focus.

“The OFC Pro League provides another important platform for our players and our club to compete in a professional environment. There is plenty of work ahead as we prepare for 2027, both on and off the pitch, and we look forward to working with the OFC to deliver a successful season and a fantastic series of matches at Lakeside.”

For all media enquiries contact George Kouroumalis at media@smfc.com.au

South Melbourne FC wishes to signal its intention to open formal dialogue with the Australian Professional Leagues and relevant stakeholders regarding the prospect of securing future A-League Men’s and A-League Women’s licences.

The club believes the time is right to explore a return to the highest level of domestic football, building on the significant progress South Melbourne has made both on and off the pitch.

South Melbourne won the inaugural Australian Championship in 2025 and currently represents Australia in the Oceania Professional League, a competition that has received support from both the Federal and Victorian Governments.

Participation in the OFC competition has seen South Melbourne become Australia’s 13th professional football club and accelerate its transition towards a full time professional football environment.

On the pitch, the club continues to compete strongly across multiple competitions and is currently a Quarter Finalist in the 2026 Australia Cup.

Importantly, South Melbourne does not see participation in the A-Leagues as replacing its existing football commitments.

The club’s ambition is to maintain its presence in the Oceania Professional League, Australian Championship and NPL Victoria while exploring the opportunity to add A-League Men’s and A-League Women’s teams to its football structure.

Co-President Bill Papastergiadis said South Melbourne had always been an aspirational football club and should continue looking for opportunities to compete at the highest possible level.

“South Melbourne has always been an ambitious and aspirational club. That has been part of our DNA throughout our history and it remains the case today,” Papastergiadis said.

“Winning the Australian Championship, representing Australia in Oceania as a professional club and competing on the national stage through the Australia Cup have demonstrated what this club is capable of.

“We are incredibly proud of where we have come from, but we are equally excited about where we can go.

“Our ambition is not to leave behind the competitions that have been important to our journey. We want to continue competing in the NPL, Australian Championship and Oceania Professional League while exploring whether South Melbourne can also have a place in the A-Leagues. This will open up even more opportunities for players across Victoria to play at a higher level.

“We believe South Melbourne should always aspire to compete at the highest level available to us, and we believe the time is right to begin that conversation.”

The club enters that conversation from a position of significant strength.

More than 150 businesses are supporting South Melbourne in 2026, providing strong financial and commercial backing and demonstrating confidence in the club’s long term direction.

South Melbourne also operates from Lakeside Stadium under a long term lease arrangement, providing an established professional home, strong matchday infrastructure and a highly profitable operating model.

Co-President Andrew Mesourouni said the club’s passionate and established supporter base was central to its ambitions.

“Our supporters have continually shown up in significant numbers for our biggest matches, creating an atmosphere at Lakeside that demonstrates the appetite that already exists around this club,” Mesourouni said.

“South Melbourne is ready made. We know who we are, we know our identity and we have generations of supporters who have grown up with this club.

“We are proud of our history, but equally proud of what we are building today. Through our growing network of partner clubs, schools and community programs, we are connecting with more young people, families and communities across Melbourne.

“We believe there is a genuine opportunity to bring that history, identity, supporter base and growing community to the A-Leagues. Through our history and location, there is an opportunity for ready-made derby matches, and we also believe there will be strong commercial interest in our participation, including via broadcast.”

The women’s game would be integral to any future A-Leagues discussions.

South Melbourne has invested significantly in its female football program and believes any future professional licence should encompass both A-League Men and A-League Women, providing genuine pathways from junior football through to the highest levels of the Australian game, regardless of gender.

With more than six decades of history, an established supporter base, significant commercial backing, professional football operations, an expanding community footprint and a long term home at Lakeside Stadium, South Melbourne believes it has a compelling foundation from which to explore the opportunity.

The club acknowledges that any future expansion or licensing process would require extensive consultation with the Australian Professional Leagues, Football Australia and other relevant stakeholders.

At this stage, South Melbourne is signalling its intention to commence that dialogue and formally explore what a future pathway into the A-Leagues could look like.

The club looks forward to engaging constructively with all relevant parties about what role South Melbourne can play in the future of professional football in Australia.

For all media enquiries, please contact George Kouroumalis at media@smfc.com.au.

– ENDS –

Club Statement: Preston Lions

Now that the dust has settled following Saturday’s match, South Melbourne FC remains profoundly disappointed by the abhorrent behaviour displayed by a section of Preston Lions supporters. The misogynistic, racist and offensive banners and chants directed towards women and members of the Greek Australian community have no place in football or in Australian society. Such conduct is completely inconsistent with the values our game should represent and has caused significant distress to families, women, children and members of our wider community who attended the match.

In the lead up to the fixture, South Melbourne FC worked collaboratively with Football Victoria, Preston Lions, Victoria Police, the State Sport Centres Trust and all relevant stakeholders to ensure the match could proceed safely with supporters from both clubs in attendance. This was despite many people urging our club not to allow away supporters into the venue. We remained committed to the principle that football should be played in an environment where passionate support can coexist with respect, safety and inclusion. We are immensely proud that our members and supporters remained disciplined throughout the afternoon, focused solely on supporting our team and refusing to engage with or respond to the unacceptable behaviour they witnessed.

South Melbourne FC is proudly one of Australia’s most inclusive football clubs. Founded by Greek migrants more than six decades ago, our club has evolved into an organisation that today represents Australia on the international stage while welcoming people from every background, culture and community. We are proud to champion equality through our women’s football program, provide opportunities for women and girls both on and off the field, and invest in programs that ensure people living with disability can participate in and enjoy our game. Since Saturday, we have received hundreds of complaints and messages from members of our community expressing their outrage and disappointment at what occurred. We have also been contacted by clubs from across Victoria who have implored us to take a stand. We believe we have a responsibility to do exactly that and to speak out against behaviour that is misogynistic, racist and discriminatory in any form.

South Melbourne FC has formally lodged a complaint with Football Victoria and expects this matter to be dealt with appropriately and decisively. We will continue to cooperate fully with Football Victoria and the relevant authorities throughout their investigation and will advocate for meaningful action that protects the integrity of our game. Football must remain a safe, respectful and family-focused environment for all participants and supporters. There is no place in our game for misogyny, racism, discrimination or vilification, and we will continue to stand with everyone who believes football should unite communities, not divide them.

– ENDS –

South Melbourne FC has appointed Peter Smith as the club’s Boys Youth Technical Director.

Smith joins the club after working closely with South Melbourne FC during the club’s recent OFC Professional League campaign.

He relocates to Australia with his family after three successful seasons with New Zealand National League club Bay Olympic FC, where he served as Men’s Premier Head Coach and Senior Technical Director.

Smith brings extensive experience across elite youth development and high-performance football. Prior to Bay Olympic, he was Head Coach at Tauranga City FC and spent four seasons with WaiBOP United in New Zealand’s ASB Premiership.

Throughout his career, Smith has earned a reputation for technical excellence, player development and building high-performance football environments. His appointment further strengthens South Melbourne FC’s football department and reinforces the club’s commitment to continuous improvement across its football programme.

Speaking on his appointment, Smith said:

“I am very excited to be joining such a historic and prestigious club as South Melbourne FC and cannot wait to get started in the role. It has always been my ambition to work alongside quality people in a high-performance football environment.”

Commenting on Smith’s appointment, Youth Football Director Tass Roufos said:

“Throughout the recruitment process, it was important that we identified someone with the technical expertise to support our coaches, strengthen our football methodology and continue driving standards across our football programme. Peter’s professionalism, communication skills, football knowledge and alignment with our football philosophy made him an excellent fit.

South Melbourne FC continues to build an integrated football programme from junior to senior football. Through our participation in the Australian Championship and the OFC Professional League, we are able to provide our players with additional football experiences and development opportunities as they progress through the club.

Peter’s appointment further strengthens the alignment between our junior and senior football departments, ensuring our football philosophy, coaching methodology and player development remain connected across the entire programme.

I would also like to acknowledge the important contribution Goran Stajic has made as Interim Technical Director. Goran has provided strong leadership during this period and will continue to play a key role as Senior Men’s Reserves Coach and as a valued member of our Senior Football Committee, working closely with our Junior Football Department.

Everyone at South Melbourne FC welcomes Peter and his family and looks forward to the contribution he will make to the continued development of the club’s football programme.

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce the signing of Korean-born attacker David Yoo for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Yoo joins the club from fellow Oceania Professional League side South Island United, bringing with him experience from the international stage. After developing in New Zealand and spending four years in Portugal, Yoo featured for Auckland City at the FIFA Club World Cup, starting against Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors, and was part of the side that secured a famous draw against the Argentine giants.

Hellas supporters will already be familiar with Yoo’s quality, with the dynamic forward finding the back of the net against South Melbourne during this year’s Oceania Professional League. Blessed with pace, technical ability and an eye for goal, Yoo adds further depth and attacking versatility as the club prepares for an important run across the Australia Cup, NPL Victoria and Australian Championship.

“We know David’s qualities well, having seen them first hand this season,” Senior Football Director Peter Kokotis said. “He’s a quick, exciting attacking player who can create and score from anywhere on the pitch. We’re delighted to bring him to South Melbourne and believe he’ll be a valuable addition for the challenges ahead.”

𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧
𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗙𝗖 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗱𝘇𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

South Melbourne FC confirms that Sinisa Cohadzic has been reinstated as Senior Men’s Head Coach.

While the decision to part ways with Cohadzic last week came as a surprise to some, it created an opportunity for both parties to openly address and resolve a number of important matters.

Those discussions were conducted with honesty and professionalism, producing a renewed alignment on the direction of the club with a clear pathway forward for all.

South Melbourne FC and Cohadzic remain united in their shared ambition and commitment to the continued success of the club, the welfare of our players, the love of our fans and the support of our sponsors.

The Club’s focus is now squarely on the season ahead and the standards we demand of ourselves on and off the pitch and that we move forward as one club, fully focused on the season ahead.

Bill Papastergiadis & Andrew Mesourouni, Club Co-Presidents, South Melbourne FC:

“The Board made a decision that resulted in both parties openly addressing and resolving a number of issues which have now led to a renewed alignment and a clear pathway forward for all.

“Now we ask our South Melbourne family to get behind the team, fill the stadium and show the world why this club is like no other.”

Sinisa Cohadzic, Senior Head Coach:
“I love this club. I always have. These past few days have been difficult, but what matters is that we move forward together as one club. I’d like to thank the board for working through all the issues and now i’m ready to get back to work.”

— End of Statement —