FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Australia Press Conference - Aspire Zone Training Facilities 5, Doha, Qatar - November 23, 2022 Chief Executive Officer of Football Australia, James Johnson during the press conference REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Football Australia (FA) confirmed 16 teams will compete in a national second-tier competition to launch in October 2025 but the governing body made no mention of a promotion-relegation system linked to the top flight A-League.
Nearly a year on from naming the competition's first eight clubs, FA said in a statement on Thursday it had identified another six that met its technical requirements, including teams from Adelaide, Hobart and southern Queensland state.
The bidding phase remains ongoing, though, and FA said it hoped a third round targeting the country's "under-represented states" would identify the additional foundation clubs.
"The introduction of the National Second Tier is a landmark moment for football in Australia," FA boss James Johnson said in the statement.
"The National Second Tier will provide a new platform for iconic clubs to showcase their talent and connect with fans nationwide."
A 16-team competition marks a significant expansion in FA's ambitions after it previously planned for a 10-12 team league.
However, soccer pundits who have long pushed for promotion/relegation to drive interest in the sport may be disappointed.
FA's statement made no mention of a promotion/relegation system or altering the A-League's closed-shop model. A-League owners, some of whom have spent fortunes propping up their clubs, have long been resistant to the idea.
The second-tier competition will be held annually from October with a format of group matches and playoffs. It will feature nine match-day rounds initially and conclude with a championship-deciding final in early-December, FA said.
The competition's name, brand identity and trophy design will be unveiled in coming months, the governing body added.
Though Australia's national men's and women's soccer teams are beloved by local sports fans, domestic soccer has struggled for market share in a country dominated by Australian Rules football and rugby league.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
