The Australian Professional Leagues APL today confirmed the start dates for the Liberty A-League Women and Isuzu UTE A-League Men seasons 2023-24.
Following a record-breaking season that saw more games, goals and fans than ever before, the Liberty A-League Women will kick off on the weekend of 13-15 October with the season extended to a 22 game regular season as the league continues to expand to meet international standards.
“Every player in the Matildas squad came through the A-League – on average each playing 85 games – and it is imperative we continue to expand our league and provide more opportunities to play, as the Liberty A-League continues to be the proven pathway for international football.
“With the addition of the Central Coast Mariners this season, we are looking forward to another history-making season for the league,” commented Nick Garcia, Commissioner of the A-Leagues.
The Isuzu UTE A-League Men will kick off their season the week after the women, on the weekend of 20-22 October, in what is set to be another big year with a significant international tournament taking place on the domestic football calendar.
“The final of the Australia Cup will kick start a huge month of football in October, with the decider of the cup competition set to take place on the weekend of 6-8 October. We’ll then kick off the Isuzu UTE A-League regular season a fortnight later, again with a 26 round regular season,” continued Nick Garcia.
“As part of the scheduling, we’ve also been working closely with Football Australia, Clubs and other stakeholders to determine the best path forward for our season alongside the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. In order to maintain consistency, to avoid mid-week regular season games and congestion with the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup competitions, it has collectively been decided that we will not pause the regular season during the tournament.”
The Liberty A-League Women and Isuzu UTE A-League Men seasons will both conclude in May 2024, while all FIFA date breaks will be observed for the Men’s and Women’s FIFA International Match Calendars.
More information on the 2023-24 season draw is to follow in August.