Source: Radio New Zealand
Auckland FC’s Neyder Betancur shoots ahead of Central Coast Mariners Brian Kaltak in March 2025. Shane Wenzlick / www.photosport.nz
Another A-League club is in trouble, with the Central Coast Mariners FC’s club participation agreement being terminated mid-season.
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) – which runs the A-League – on Monday took over the management of the Mariners on an interim basis while the process to sell the club is completed.
The operator of the Central Coast Mariners FC notified the APL of the forfeiture of the club participation agreement (CPA), and the APL then terminated the agreement.
In a statement the APL said currently the “focus will be to ensure the ongoing obligations of the club are met and operations continue”.
“As custodians of the game, we believe it is the best course of proactive action – for the short and long term interest of the club – to terminate the current CPA under the current ownership, and run an expedited and robust sale process to find a new and stable long-term owner for the Mariners,” APL chair Stephen Conroy said.
“We believe in the value that Central Coast Mariners FC brings to the A-Leagues. They’ve shown with the right investment and community engagement, they have a vibrant fanbase and a proven ability to consistently compete for on field success.
“We are confident that with the engaged local and international interest, we can find the right buyer for the Mariners to take the club forward and ensure their long term success.”
The club’s management has indicated they will work with the APL to assist the transition and the forthcoming sale process.
There will be no changes to the Central Coast Mariners’ fixtures this weekend.
The Mariners’ men’s team is currently last in the 12-team competition and their women’s team, who are the defending champions, are third in their 11-team competition.
The men won the Grand Final in the 2023/24 season.
Weeks before the 2025/26 A-League season kicked off Western United’s A-League licence was put into “conditional hibernation” for the season, making the Mariners the second team to fall short of the APL participation standards in the past four months.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
