Sydney Olympic hit with massive sanctions as Football NSW tells them: meet obligations or you're ineligible for 2028
While Sydney Olympic gears up for a high profile Australian Championship campaign loaded up with former A-League stars, it's National Premier League component of the club has copped significant sanctions from Football New South Wales (FNSW). It comes after the two-time national champions suffered relegation for the first time in 47 years this season, and they'll now begin 2027 with sanctions totalling 80 points across different tiers of NSW football next season.
In a statement released on Monday, FNSW announced that Olympic will be granted a provisional license for next season, but it will be subject to sanctions and conditions, which they will "closely monitor" to ensure ongoing compliance after a review of their "club compliance issues". "As a condition of its provisional licence, the club has been advised that any failure to meet these obligations may result in Sydney Olympic FC being declared ineligible to apply to participate in any Football NSW competitions or programs for the 2028 season," FNSW said.
"To provide certainty to players, parents, coaches and the wider football community when making decisions regarding the 2028 season, Football NSW intends that any determination regarding Sydney Olympic FC's eligibility for participation in 2028 will be communicated no later than 30 June 2027. Any such determination will be formally communicated to the club and publicly announced to ensure all stakeholders have sufficient time and information to make informed decisions regarding their football participation and club affiliation for the following season.
Football NSW remains committed to ensuring all clubs operate in accordance with the governance, compliance and integrity standards required for participation in its competitions and development programs. The actions taken in this matter are intended to uphold those standards while providing an opportunity for the club to demonstrate sustainable compliance moving forward.
The fines listed are: $500 fine for the incompleteness of the club's original application. $1,000 fine for failure to rectify identified non-compliance within the required timeframe.
Deduction of 30 Women's Club Championship points. Deduction of 24 Girls' Youth League Club Championship points.
Deduction of 6 Men's Premiership points across each of two grades. Deduction of 24 Boys' Youth League Club Championship points.
It adds to a difficult season for the club, where Olympic finished bottom of NPL NSW with just six wins from 30 matches. Amid a turbulent off-field backdrop, benefactor Damon Hanlin was trying and ultimately failed to purchase A-League side Central Coast Mariners, while also stepping away from the board of Sydney Olympic.
au spoke to two key figures in the story to get to the bottom of how it came to this and what happens next in a feature published at the time of the relegation. David Magrone, and the club's director Rodolf Salem agree that the seeds of this relegation were sown as much off the pitch as on it."