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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Guardian sport and agencies

APL doubles down on grand finals switch despite resignation of Anthony Di Pietro

Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro. Di Pietro has stepped down as a director of the APL over its decision to sell grand final hosting rights to Sydney.
Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro. Di Pietro has stepped down as a director of the APL over its decision to sell grand final hosting rights to Sydney. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The Australian Professional Leagues have doubled down on their decision to move the A-League grand finals to Sydney for the next three years despite the “overwhelming” backlash that led APL board director Anthony Di Pietro to resign.

Announced on Monday, the APL board’s lucrative deal with the NSW Government faced immediate criticism from fans and players and broke the A-Leagues’ tradition of permitting the highest-ranked ALM or ALW team to host the decider.

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