Behind the soccer manager helping Albo

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a walk with former Socceroo Kevin Muscat along Shanghai's waterfront during his diplomatic visit to China. Muscat has gained celebrity status in Shanghai since becoming the manager of Shanghai Port FC in January 2024. In his first year managing the club, Muscat secured its first back-to-back Chinese Super League title, following their 2023 win; the club currently sits fourth in the 2025 league table after 16 games.

Prime Minister Albanese explicitly linked Muscat's success to Australia's diplomatic efforts with China, calling the manager and his team "ambassadors". He emphasized the importance of building people-to-people relationships between the two countries, citing Australian participation in football, the upcoming Australian Open tennis tournament in Chengdu, and business relationships. Albanese stated he had discussed this ambassadorial role with Muscat during their meeting.

Muscat welcomed Albanese to China, lending his profile to the Prime Minister's six-day diplomatic trip. He thanked Albanese for taking time to visit and presented him with a personalized Shanghai Port FC jersey featuring Albanese's name and the number 10. Albanese accepted the jersey, saying he would wear it proudly in Australia, while humorously noting his own football skills were limited from playing on an "not very good" parliamentary team.

The article also provides background on Muscat's reputation as a fiercely competitive "hardman" during his professional playing career, noted for receiving 123 yellow cards and 12 red cards. He earned 46 caps for Australia and played eight seasons in the UK across four teams.