Former championship winning team cut from A-Leagues
The Australian Professional Leagues have terminated Western United's A-Leagues participation agreement, meaning the club won't be returning to the top flight.
Western United, a former championship-winning team, has been cut from the A-Leagues by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) due to falling into debt. The club was placed into hibernation in September 2025, with players forced to find new careers. United was granted an A-League licence in 2018 after promising to build its own stadium, and won the championship in 2021-22.
However, the club has struggled financially, including not paying players and staff. The APL terminated Western United's participation agreement in May 2025, following a failure to meet obligations under the Football Australia National Club Licensing Regulations. Despite being placed in hibernation, the club continued to declare its ambition to return to the A-Leagues, with new ownership mentioned as a potential pathway.
The APL chair acknowledged the efforts made by the club and its stakeholders, while stating that the club's participation agreement has been terminated. The club's owner, West Melbourne Group, is set to face a wind-up hearing in the Federal Court. Western United maintains its intention to return to the A-Leagues under new ownership, with the objective of preserving the club's identity in Melbourne's west and working towards a return for the 2027-28 season.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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