Canberra United took a big step towards season two of the Westfield W-League today with the appointment of former AIS Assistant Coach Ray Junna as head coach for the coming national league season.
The former National League player has been involved in elite football for more than 20 years both as a coach and a player and will take the next step in his coach career with Canberra United.
“We-re absolutely delighted to be able to announce Ray Junna as the head coach for the coming season,” Canberra United independent chair, Senator Kate Lundy said.
“To have a coach of his experience will only further add to the wonderful franchise we-re building here in the ACT.”
Junna was an Australian Institute of Sport football scholarship holder in 1982 and 1983 then went on to join the Canberra Arrows and Brisbane City in the National Soccer League before returning to the AIS in 1995 as a Scholarship Coach.
The former midfielder is no stranger to football in Canberra. Before his appointment as Assistant Coach at the AIS in 2000, Junna, also coached with the ACT Academy of Sport.
“Twenty odd years [of living in Canberra] and eleven years of coaching at the AIS, whilst I-m not born and bred in Canberra I pass the test because I-ve been here more than 20 years.”
“It-s an exciting time for women-s football, it-s going to be challenging but exciting at the same time and I-m really looking forward to it,” Junna said.
“I think this women-s league has made an impact world-wide, not just in Australia.”
Junna-s appointment as Canberra United Head Coach comes with national team coach Tom Sermanni-s praise.
“It-s a great coup for Canberra United and women-s football to have a coach of his caliber to coach the team.”
“He-s got an extensive coaching background at an elite level and a playing background at an elite level so he-s exactly the type of coach and person that we-re looking to get involved in our women-s system.”
Junna-s initial task will be compiling a squad for the season with the first registration window to open in a month-s time.
