Singular focus key to Melbourne City's title win, says coach Vidmar
June 1 (Reuters) - Melbourne City coach Aurelio Vidmar credited his side's singular focus as the reason for claiming the A-League championship on Saturday after a 1-0 Grand Final win over neighbours Melbourne Victory earned the club their first title since 2021.
Yonatan Cohen's 10th-minute goal was enough to decide a feisty derby clash at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and secure the City Football Group-owned outfit only their second Australian championship in five finals appearances.
"It's an unbelievable feeling, to be honest," said Vidmar.
"It probably wasn't the prettiest of Grand Finals but it was gritty, we fought for every inch and I'm so rapt for everyone - the players, obviously, but everyone at the club.
"Everyone was always heading in the right direction, even when we had those setbacks and hiccups.
"No one ever wavered. That was the direction we were going and we stayed true to ourselves, stayed true to our principles and so rapt for everyone."
Vidmar reserved special praise for Mathew Leckie, who put in a man-of-the-match performance despite playing in an unfamiliar central midfield role and suffering a suspected broken nose in an accidental clash with Zinedine Machach in the second half.
The Australia international has rarely featured this season due to injury but dominated at the heart of the City team, even though his head was heavily bandaged for more than 30 minutes due to lacerations on his face.
"I think he's gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, he's pretty banged up," said Vidmar.
"He was enormous for us tonight, absolutely enormous. We let the Ferrari get out of the garage tonight and he just played an incredible game.
"He had a lot of issues this year, he had a lot of issues also going into this game but he's such a tough competitor, a guy that always wants to win.
"He just fought to the death, absolutely enormous."
After claiming his first A-League championship as a coach, Vidmar is hoping for a similar result next season, although he refused to look too far ahead with celebrations to come for some of his squad and national team commitments for others.
"We're not going to talk about what happens next year until we come back" for preseason, he said.
"It's never easy, the second year. But if our focus is right, if our intentions are right from the very first day of preseason, then generally you get a good feel.
"And that's definitely the feel we had the first day of preseason this year."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Eastern suburbs mother, 29, forced to fork out over $13,000 for a pair of sandals after making one big mistake at high end boutique Hermès
A Sydney woman received quite a shock this week when she visited high end store Hermès for some retail therapy. Elle Salagaras, 29, took to her popular TikTok account 'EasternSuburbsMum' to recount a tale that would make most shoppers' heart stop. The mother-of-three revealed she got a little more than bargained for after making an embarrassing in-store faux pas. She shared a clip to her 52,000 followers showing off her newly purchased pair of Hermès Chypre sandals. The luxury footwear from the French fashion house features beige-coloured crocodile leather and a comfortable shearling lining. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. They also come with an eye-watering $13,155 price tag - something Elle discovered the hard way. 'We got new shoes... new Hermès Chypres. They're literally gorge,' Elle gushed in the clip. Elle, who has three young children, went on to admit there was some confusion over the price tag for the high end sandals, with the content creator revealing she was forced to fork out the pulse-raising sum after making a fatal error. Excited to show off her new purchase on the street, Elle said she immediately put the shoes on after making the decision to buy them and thinking they were about $10,000 less than the price tag. 'I definitely got very confused about the price,' she admitted. 'Which is my bad. 'I had heard, like, one number... so embarrassing. I went up to the checkout and I already had them on my feet because I was wearing them out of the store. 'She [the cashier] had packed up my other shoes and I was like "It's fine".' Elle has already shrugged off her fashion 'faux pas' admitting that she was 100 per cent behind her high end purchase. 'So, we're committing to the shoe, we're committing to the croc,' she said. 'I should've known... Hermès. But, aren't they gorge?' Elle repeated. Many of Elle's followers jumped in to the comments to empathise over her shopping error. 'The price. I'm dead,' one offered, to which Elle replied: 'I'm dead too.' Another, offered: 'I just looked them up and the price omg!!!!' Elle jumped in on that comment too, replying simply with five skull emojis. Others were quick to offer their low-key jealousy over Elle being able to afford such high-end footwear. 'May this life find me asap,' one follower pined. Elle recently made headlines after falling out with bestie and fellow TikTok star Cindy Killan, who goes by Regarding Cindy. The feud supposedly began a few months back when one of the women made serious allegations about being the victim of an assault, and then objected to her friend's reaction. While there's no way of confirming exactly what went down in this case of she-said-she-said, the fact the pair no longer follow each other on Instagram says it all. The story from our spies was that Elle shared a personal story over dinner at a restaurant and was disappointed with the response from Cindy. This was apparently the final straw for their friendship. At the time, Elle told her side of the story in an episode of her podcast 'Ellefluential'. She made reference to the row, but did not mention Cindy by name. She claimed she'd been assaulted at a restaurant and, as a result, her friends refused to dine there anymore.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nicole Kidman is slammed for being 'out of touch' as she reveals her top five places to go in Sydney and recommends outrageously overpriced treatment
has been slammed for 'being out of touch' after revealing her top five places to visit in Australia. The Aussie actress, 57, revealed the places she finds 'comfort and ease' when she visits Sydney during an interview with The New York Times. Her favourite places to visit include the Royal Botanic Garden, The Art Gallery of NSW, day spa Venustus, Harry's Café de Wheels and The Harbor Pools. However, many have criticised Nicole for suggesting a Six Hand Body Massage at luxurious day spa Venustus, which starts from $1059. 'Thanks Nicole for recommending a spa where, for a mere [starting at] $687.00 [USD], I can get a massage,' one person joked. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Nicole, I never knew we were so similar. Maybe we can hang out sometime!' another sarcastically wrote. The Six Hand Body Massage involves three specialised therapists massaging together in sync. During the interview, Nicole explained: 'They just know how to take care of people, and their treatments are amazing, especially after a long flight.' 'A massage at Venustus will have you ready to go to take on the city.' Nicole and her husband Keith Urban regularly travel to Sydney, where they own a penthouse in the luxurious Latitude Building in Sydney's Milsons Point. They purchased two penthouses in the building and then combined them to make a mega-apartment. They went on to buy four more apartments in the same building. The celeb couple first bought a 420sqm pad on the 21st floor in 2009 for close to $6 million according to newspaper reports. Three years later, they bought the slightly smaller 380sqm apartment next door with better views of the harbour for a reported $7 million. In 2011, they also splashed out $2.68 million on a 19th floor apartment, which the Oscar-winner initially used as her home office. The Hollywood stars also own an idyllic farmhouse called Bunya Hill in the Southern Highlands village of Sutton Forrest which they bought in 2008 for $6.5million. Set on a sprawling 45-hectares featuring herds of cattle and alpaca, the Georgian mansion boasts a traditional wide sandstone verandah. Since buying the property, Keith and Nicole installed an 18m swimming pool, new gym, full-sized tennis court and 250m grass mounds around the perimeter to block out prying eyes.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The sell-out $40 item from Kmart that's a must-have 'IT' piece for winter: 'Obsessed'
Shoppers are rushing to Kmart Australia to pick up a $40 must-have winter jacket, after it was a fan favourite over the last couple of seasons. The retailer has quietly brought back its hugely popular Active Women's Mid-Length Puffer Jacket - just in time for the freezing weather. The sell-out quilted puffer jacket, available in sage, pink and beige, features a drop shoulder design, high neck with detachable hoodie, elastic sleeves and zipper detail. Customers have given the jacket the tick of approval, while those who purchased a similar style in previous seasons have raved about the wardrobe staple. 'Kmart puffer jackets are so good. I've got the hot pink one and the bright green one both from previous years,' one shared. 'I'm in love,' another said. 'OMG I'm obsessed,' one added. And it seems the puffer jackets are once again popular among shoppers - with many revealing they were struggling to find them anywhere in store. 'All sold out,' one revealed. 'I haven't been able to find the green one at any of my local store ever,' another said. 'Can't find them in store,' one confirmed. Earlier this month the retailer's new faux suede oversized bomber jacket in the colour 'melt brown', priced at just $49, was being eyed by fashionistas. The cool, luxurious-looking chocolate brown statement piece has been flying off the shelves for all the right reasons - as suede is currently having a major moment in the fashion world. The jacket can be paired with a fancy dress for a night out or for a chic casual look, try a pair of blue jeans, a white T-shirt and white sneakers. 'The bomber jacket of the season has landed! And it's only $49,' Kmart said. Hundreds of excited shoppers weighed in, with many describing it as a 'hot item'. 'Wait what? Kmart - omg it looks like a designer jacket,' one suggested. 'It's what I was looking for,' another said. 'Love it! Love the colour too,' added another. 'OMG I need it,' one revealed. The bomber jacket comes in the 'IT' shade of chocolate brown, which is bang on trend for 2025. In addition, the suede-style material is also a trending look this winter. Similar chocolate brown suede bomber jackets, featuring oversized pocket details, can be found at other popular online fashion retailers - selling for upwards of $387. Accordingly, Aussie fashionistas have wasted no time in heading to the shops to pick up the stylish bargain buy. 'I ran, didn't walk and bought it already,' one revealed. 'Omg just tried this jacket on this morning and it is fabulous,' another shared. However, some disappointed shoppers revealed they were struggling to find the fashion forward piece in stores after it was 'sold out' in their area. 'When are these jackets coming back in stock?' one asked. A Kmart Australia employee responded to some of these messages, assuring customers they were 'working hard' to get the jacket back on shelves – and were hopeful that stock would be plentiful within the next few weeks. However, not all feedback on the coveted jacket was positive. One Kmart shopper who'd managed to get hold of the fashion item in store complained that there were 'not a fan of the material at all'. 'It feels like thick heavy cupboard,' they commented. Another questioned the price point of the jacket, saying: 'A bit expensive Kmart'. Meanwhile, some loyal Kmart fans suggested the jacket did not meet their expectations because they didn't like how 'stiff' the faux suede felt on their body. However, others were thrilled with the style and fit. The jacket is made from a blend of Polyurethane (PU), polyester, cotton and other fibres as well as pongee and suedette fabric. It features a spread collar, long balloon sleeves with a buttoned cuffs, a zip up front and front patch pockets with flap. Like most bomber jackets, the fit of the jacket is designed to be 'oversized'.
