Durakovic given his marching orders

Updated January 07, 2012 11:32:00

A-League club Melbourne Victory say the appointment of a new coach is imminent following Mehmet Durakovic's sacking on Friday.

Former Socceroo Durakovic was axed just seven months into his tenure after the glamour club's poor first half of the season.

The Victory sit eighth in the 10-team competition, with losses in their past three matches giving them a record of three wins, six draws and five losses this season.

Club chairman Anthony Di Pietro announced the sacking at a media conference on Friday, saying assistant coach Kevin Muscat would take over as caretaker coach for Saturday's home match against Newcastle Jets.

But Di Pietro said Muscat was not a candidate to take over as head coach and an appointment could be made within 24 hours - maybe even prior to the Jets clash.

Former Socceroos coach Frank Farina, ex-Newcastle boss Branko Culina and former Perth Glory coach and ex-Socceroos assistant Ron Smith have all been mentioned as possible candidates.

The Victory have failed to gel so far this season despite a star-studded line-up including new acquisition Harry Kewell and have only really been competitive against the lower-ranked sides, and fans were agitating for Durakovic to be sacked.

"We gave Mehmet every opportunity to achieve success this season but we found we were inconsistent and without direction," Di Pietro said.

"After 14 games, the club is in a position which isn't acceptable, and change is required."

He said Durakovic's position had been under review and the decision to axe him was not taken lightly.

Durakovic, who was on a two-year contract, was only appointed full-time in June.

He had been caretaker coach following the board's surprise sacking in March of Ernie Merrick - the A-League's most successful coach who guided the club to two championships.

Durakovic had been the club's youth team coach.

The Victory board had been divided over his future as recently as November - Durakovic surviving a ballot calling for his removal by a single vote.

The new board was also responsible for the hiring and quick firing of football director Francis Awaritefe.

But Di Pietro defended the performance of his board and managing director Richard Wilson since taking over the club - once regarded as the competition's most stable and successful.

"In relation to recruitment, there's always risk," Di Pietro said.

"No matter how deep your due diligence and expert advice you receive, there is risk. In this case, what we're doing is being pro-active about the change we need to make."

AAP

Tags: sport, soccer, a-league, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 06, 2012 10:26:05

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Coolen gets his marching orders

Updated December 18, 2011 16:28:26

Adelaide United has sacked Rini Coolen as head coach less than 48 hours after the embattled A-League club fell to its fifth loss of the season against lowly Gold Coast.

Coolen has been replaced by former Adelaide boss and Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame member John Kosmina.

"We have gone to John (Kosmina) because he is a passionate South Australian with a great history," club chairman Greg Griffin said in a statement.

"He has taken this club to being premiers before, he is a man who believes in the club, he has passion, and essentially the reason this ownership group got involved with Adelaide United was so that there would be a strong football presence in South Australia.

"Clearly what happened on Friday night at Hindmarsh Stadium was not acceptable and basically we're here to make sure that we've got a strong and vibrant Adelaide United."

Touted as a contender to win it all in the preseason, the Reds have won just two games from 11 starts and have conceded the most goals whilst scoring the fewest.

Their -13 goal difference is thanks in part to a 7-1 thrashing by Brisbane in October.

Kosmina was the Reds' inaugural coach between 2003 and 2007 and led them to the 2006/07 grand final in which they suffered a 6-0 thrashing that forced the former NSL champion out the door.

Adelaide United also won its maiden premier's plate under Kosmina in 2005-06.

His intitial term is for the remainder of the season as well as the club's 2012 Asian Champions League campaign.

"It's not often you get a second chance at things… and it's a challenge I couldn't knock back," Kosmina said.

"It's a challenge I'm looking forward to and I do love this club.

"I was here from day one and it was sad to be at the game on Friday night.

"I'm not rying to hammer the dead, but I didn't like what I saw, not just from the team's point of view but I don't like to see the punters as upset as they were.

"We've got to re-embrace the supporters, we've got to get them back on side because they are, as first captain Ross Aloisi used to say, the 12th man and we need them on side."

Kosmina was coaching local side Croydon Kings, which released him to allow him to take the reins at Adelaide.

Coolen received a lucrative four-year contract extension before the start of this season and that has not been terminated.

Griffin said he will remain at the club to coach the youth team and also guide the junior development program.

"Rini is still an employee of the club, he has just been directed to assume complete control of the youth development program, the youth team and provide a blueprint for us going forward," Griffin said.

Tags: a-league, soccer, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted December 18, 2011 13:59:37

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