The architect of the ACT's controversial female academy program has slammed the decision to axe the team and expressed "grave fears" for the future of Canberra United in the A-League Women's competition.
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Former Capital Football chief executive and Football Australia board member Heather Reid was furious when told of the move to dump the Canberra United Academy.
It's been a divisive topic in the soccer community with the backlash flowing through to Capital Football, the ACT government and the Australian Professional Leagues on Wednesday.
The move has split the sport and led to calls for the exit of the board and chief executive Ivan Slavich. Capital Football chairman Angelo Konstantinou defended the move and said it came after extensive consultation with participants and stakeholders in the region.
Reid, however, labelled it shortsighted and expressed serious concerns over the future development of female soccer players in the region.
"I'm very disappointed but I'm not shocked because NPL clubs for some time have been trying to reduce the impact of the Canberra United Academy," Reid said.
"It's a regressive move to now give most of the responsibility for elite player development to NPL clubs and I find it's reprehensible in many ways.
"Canberra United Academy was providing a high level of training with quality coaches in a high-quality environment with access to sports science and services that go along with learning how to be in a high-performance environment."
The decision
While the decision to wind back the academy was finalised on Monday, Konstantinou said it came after months of meetings and extensive consultation with the soccer community.
Slavich, the Capital Football chief executive, was part of the discussions. There have been suggestions he did not support the change, however it's unclear what his official position was. Slavich declined to comment given it was a board decision.
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Konstantinou knew the move would trigger backlash from some quarters but said the change is in the best interests of soccer in the region.
"The academy programs did a good job when they came in," Konstantinou said. "Many years ago the clubs were lacking and the academy took over. That was a good decision back then but the times have changed.
"Now many club coaches are very experienced. If you watch some of the NPL games at all levels, you'll see the talent has grown dramatically in all divisions and the sport's moving forward.
"We've spoken about if academy teams are the way forward. In some states and federations they will be, in other jurisdictions it may not work. We needed to understand the full picture to see what the best direction is."
The change in academy structure will see members play and train for the clubs while also attending additional TSP training sessions throughout the week.
Capital Football has argued the shift will increase the overall standard of the competitions because talent will be spread more evenly across the clubs. In confirming the move, Konstantinou praised the region's club coaches and backed them to develop emerging players.
Critics, however, state the best model for development is to have top players playing together on a regular basis in a high-performance environment.
The move mirrors a change made to the boys academy program when it was wound back a number of years ago. The development of men's A-League players has dried up significantly with few emerging from Canberra.
While Konstantinou is confident the female pipeline will continue, Reid fears the long-term implications for the Canberra United A-League Women's team.
"It seems to me to be a backwards step," Reid said. "I worry about the future of Canberra United given there is a growing gap between the haves and have nots in the women's national league. It's Melbourne Victory, Melbourne City and Sydney FC up against the other clubs struggling for a decent budget to provide the right structure and framework for their team.
"The question is what is the future of Canberra United and what's the commitment by Capital Football to provide the proper level of investment and resources that are required to sustain a competitive team in the women's national league?"
The community backlash
The news set off an instant reaction when announced on Tuesday, with some sections of the Canberra soccer community erupting in a wave of anger and disappointment.
Many were quick to blast Capital Football, with the organisation's office flooded with emails and letters from concerned participants.
"Mr Slavich I'd like you to tell me why you are so intent on eradicating the female football pathway in Canberra and surrounding regions?" one incensed mother wrote.
With Australian soccer riding a wave of momentum following the Matildas' stunning success at the recent Women's World Cup, some feared Canberra will fall even further behind the other clubs.
Other A-League franchises are rushing to beef up their pathway programs, while Capital Football has scaled back its own.
"Taking this away will simply send women's football in Canberra backwards," another emailer said.
One person who chose to remain anonymous labelled the change a short-sighted decision that will have long-term ramifications for female soccer players in the region.
"The decision to get rid of Canberra United Academy is an absolutely despicable decision by members of the Capital Football board," they said. "CUA provides a pathway for young, female footballers in our region to achieve their dreams and be like their heroes that we saw at the Women's World Cup.
"The decision to remove the academy is simply telling these talented, aspiring, inspirational young athletes that their dreams don't matter anymore."
The ACT government became involved as parents emailed Sports Minister Yvette Berry to voice their displeasure.
The APL, the body who runs the A-League was also not spared the backlash and people reached out to new chairman Stephen Conroy.
Given the magnitude of the decision, and the strong opinions held on both sides of the debate, Konstantinou was prepared for a backlash no matter what option the board chose.
The chairman plans on remaining open and accountable as the new TSP moves forward and will produce a number of fact sheets to answer questions from players and their parents.
Konstantinou urged the community to move forward with him as Capital Football looks to refine and enhance its development programs.
"We had many meetings with technical staff and it took us multiple board meetings to even come to a decision," he said. "This wasn't an overnight decision. It was never going to be an easy decision, which is why it took so long to get an answer.
"All we can do is try show the community the path we're trying to take. We need to get the community to understand the bigger picture."
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