FA presses play on new era as streaming boss made CEO

George Clarke | January 15, 2026

Football Australia has pressed play on a new era, turning to experienced broadcast executive Martin Kugeler and appointing the former boss of streaming service Stan as its new chief executive.

Kugeler will get his feet under the desk in February after being unveiled as FA’s new chief executive on Thursday, replacing James Johnson, who stepped down in May.

Heather Garriock, who has acted as interim chief executive since Johnson’s departure, will step into the newly created role of executive director of football and deputy chief executive.

Kugeler joins ahead of a significant year for football, with Australia hosting the women’s Asian Cup in March, the men’s World Cup in North America in June, and FA seeking to reduce its deficit after recording an $8.5 million loss last financial year. 

The German native’s appointment is also noteworthy given FA’s rights contract with Network Ten expires in 2028, and a swathe of other broadcast deals run out at a similar time. 

“I truly believe that football can reach new heights in Australia and be rightly proud of its place here and on the world stage,” Kugeler said on Thursday. 

“If we want to achieve the ambition that we have to grow revenues in all areas, that includes our commercial partners, in the broadcast rights and new revenue sources.

“What is important for us is building a commercial and a football excellence, they go hand in hand.”

Kugeler has extensive experience in the broadcast space, but his move into sports administration and specifically the often volatile world of Australian football politics shapes as a more challenging career change.

He has lived in Australia for more than a decade and describes himself as a “lifelong supporter and sufferer of Hamburg”. 

What Kugeler perhaps lacks in terms of knowledge of the inner workings and factions of Australia football should be offset in part by the decision to keep Garriock in FA’s executive team.

FA has been without a footballing figurehead to oversee the game’s direction since Ernie Merrick – who has launched legal action over the nature of his dismissal as chief football officer – left the governing body last year. 

Football Australia chair Anter Isaac said Garriock’s role would include “an end-to-end responsibility” for football, adding: “There’s no obstacle insurmountable to Heather”.

Garriock, who retired from playing in 2014 and last coached at a professional level at Canberra United in 2020, will be handed a wide remit.

Her role will cover the Socceroos and Matildas, and way down the pyramid into player development and youth football. 

The former Matildas captain says FA has consulted more than 300 people and will release a “whole-of-football strategic direction” in the coming months. 

“My role is strategic, which we’ve never had from a football perspective, to oversee the strategic pillar with competitions, national teams and the technical side of football,” Garriock said.

“(We will be) working collectively together and not in silos.

“I’ll have a head of women’s and a head of men’s (football), which is vitally important for the system and vitally important for growth.”

Meanwhile, Isaac said FA would continue to engage in talks over the prospect of putting a bid together to host the 2031 men’s Asian Cup.

FA put an expression-of-interest proposal together last year, with a decision on hosting rights for that tournament expected next week.