When will the next A-League season start?
It's been just over one week since the 2020-21 season concluded but plenty of fans are already asking when the next campaign will begin. This past season was forced to begin on December 28, 2020 due to COVID-19 with Melbourne City winning the grand final nearly six months later on June 27, 2021. Prior to the most recent campaign, the A-League has often kicked off seasons in October with the finals series generally held in May. At this stage there is no official confirmation for when the next campaign will begin but a decision is expected soon. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and the A-League's new broadcast partners want the new season to begin in late October. Football Australia (FA) however have final say on the domestic calender and would reportedly prefer it to begin in late November to completely avoid that month's international window. The Socceroos are currently slated to face Saudi Arabia on November 11 and China on November 16 in World Cup qualifiers. The A-League was without several stars during this past season's finals campaign after a number of players were called up for Socceroos duty in Kuwait. Avoiding a repeat of that is therefore key for all parties moving forward with a compromise in the form of an accepted international break perhaps the most likely outcome. Long A-League pre-seasons looming  The A-League is famous for an extended pre-season and this campaign could be even longer than most. With four A-League clubs to face off in FFA Cup playoffs in early August, pre-seasons are set to start even earlier for some players. Newcastle Jets for one are expected to welcome back players in the coming days with new coach Arthur Papas desperate to turn the club around after a difficult few seasons. A-League clubs will continue to make squad changes over the coming months and you can keep track of player movement at every side here.