Former ACT Academy of Sport (ACTAS) women's football coach Ray Junna says he did not quit his position, but Capital Football is adamant he tendered his resignation when he applied for an assistant coaching role with A-League club Brisbane Roar.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Capital Football chief executive Heather Reid also emphatically denied suggestions United assistant coach Raeanne Dower was installed as the ACTAS women's coach because the organisation wanted a female in the role.
After being involved in women's football in Canberra for the past three years – including a season as head coach of W-League side Canberra United – Junna has returned to the men's National Premier League in charge of Canberra FC.
He had a two-year deal with an option to extend his contract as the ACTAS coach until 2018, but declined to reapply for his position when Capital Football accepted his resignation.
Junna said he never quit his post and expected to continue in his role when he missed out on an assistant coaching role with the Roar.
"I had my disagreements with Capital Football ... the Brisbane deal didn't work through so I said I'm not going, and they said you already have [resigned],'' Junna said.
''They held that against me and said you have to reapply for the job.
''I don't think they have had that many international players produced in Canberra in all their lifetime.''
The ACTAS position was advertised twice, but Junna did not apply.
Dower was appointed to the role after a successful first season as an assistant coach with United.
"I'm pretty annoyed there's a bit of gossip we simply wanted to put a woman in the job and didn't want him continuing in the position, which is absolute rubbish,'' Reid said.
"Ray was a terrific coach and we would have been more than happy for him to continue in the job.
"He had the opportunity on two occasions to apply for the position, which had an interview panel of a representative from the FFA, our technical director and someone from ACTAS.''
Junna will get his first look at Canberra FC when it takes on the Monaro Panthers in the opening round of the pre-season cup at the Hawker Football Centre on Saturday.
"There is ambitions from the club to put in academy systems and to do well in the NPL,'' Junna said.
"The NPL was a bit of a carrot in terms of winning the local league along with qualifying for the FFA Cup.
"It gives kids another pathway to show their wares and go on to the A-League.''
