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Interview with Perth Azzurri President Jason Marocchi
Perth Azzurri was originally called Perth Italia.
It was a very successful club in the local competition before transitioning into Perth Soccer Club. Now, the club is looking at an amalgamation with the WA Italian Club — which, funnily enough, was actually born out of the Italian Club. We started our journey as a division of the Italian Club before going out on our own.
We’re currently looking at a significant redevelopment of both our ground and the Italian Club, with $30 million committed by the State Government. As part of that process, we’re planning to merge with the Italian Club. Our AGMs will take place in December, where the merger proposal will go out to members.
The idea is to reunite and become one club again — going back to our historic roots with the WA Italian Club. We felt the time was right to bring the Azzurri name back. Perth Azzurri hasn’t played under that branding in the local competition since 1987, so it’s really special to see it return. The feedback from members, supporters, and former players has been phenomenal, to be honest.
We’ve built strong branding as Perth Soccer Club over the past 20 years and have been very successful. But there’s also a deep sense of nostalgia for Perth Azzurri — so right now, we’re connecting with both generations. Over time, if we continue having success, people will know exactly who we are.
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Your club has had some great moments under its previous namesake. How was it having the great Bobby Charlton play for the club?
That was a very special time for the club. I was only one or two years old then, so I don’t remember it personally, but Bobby came over and played in our pre-season tournament here in Western Australia. He was at the very end of his career — I think in his 40s at the time — but everyone who saw him play said he was still unbelievably talented and full of quality.
We still have his photo hanging on the wall at Dorrien Gardens. It was an honour to have such a great footballer represent our club, even if just for a short time.
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Perth Azzurri has deep roots in the Italian-Australian community. How important is that connection today?
It’s extremely important. The values of our club were set by our founders — the migrants of that era — and those values remain at the heart of who we are: hard work, respect, reward for effort, and community.
It’s vital to remember where you come from, because your origins shape who you are today. We’re very proud of our Italian history and culture, but equally proud of our Australian identity.
We’re also a very diverse club now, with players from all races, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds. Italians value family deeply, and we bring that same spirit to the club — if you’re part of Perth Azzurri, you’re family.
We’re very excited about merging with the Italian Social Club and Perth Azzurri to create a truly strong Italian sporting and social hub in Perth.
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Could fans of Australian football see your club in the Australian Championship next season?
I hope so! We’ll have to win the league to qualify, but that’s definitely the goal. Our friends at Bayswater City SC have qualified this time around and we wish them all the best in the Championship.
We want to compete for the league title here in WA, go deep in the State Cup, and qualify for the Australia Cup too. We want to be on the national stage — that’s absolutely part of our long-term vision.
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