Arabic version: استبعاد ويسترن يونايتد من مسابقات الدوري الأسترالي

According to ABC News, the Australian Professional Leagues has terminated Western United’s participation agreement, removing the club’s men’s and women’s teams from the A-Leagues. The decision ends hopes of an immediate return for the Tarneit-based club, which had effectively been absent from the competitions for more than a year.

Western United was placed into conditional hibernation by the APL in September 2025 following financial problems, including failures to pay players and staff. Its A-League Men and Women players were left to seek opportunities elsewhere. Football Australia declined to reinstate the club’s licence in May, meaning it would again not take part in either competition.

APL chair Stephen Conroy said the league had consulted with Western United while it worked through financial, governance and legal matters. He said the board decided to terminate the agreement because the club had breached several obligations, including the requirement to comply with Football Australia’s National Club Licensing Regulations. AAP understands the club still owes money to some former players and staff.

West Melbourne Group avoided an Australian Taxation Office wind-up order in January after settling a $15.5 million tax debt, but it faces another Federal Court wind-up hearing on Tuesday. Western United said it had worked with the APL on a pathway to survive, rebuild and return under new ownership, targeting the 2027-28 season. The club entered the A-League Men before the 2019-20 season, won the 2021-22 championship, and later launched a women’s team that reached the grand final in its first season.