Latest news with #A-LeagueMen
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Flare debate: Socceroos veteran, A-League club fire up
Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 spectators are expected on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called to control unruly fans walking to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, two-and-a-half years on from Victory's infamous pitch invasion. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have played before plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile," Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Victory chairman John Dovaston and managing director Caroline Carnegie lashed police for their "disproportionate" presence. "The scenes we saw prior to the grand final on Swan Street were overwhelming and unacceptable," Carnegie and Dovaston said in an email to fans. "Instead of promoting a fun and exciting spectacle of football, the extent of the police presence created fear amongst families and football fans alike. Degenek believes tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence leads to more problems. "In the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk," he said. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup. Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 spectators are expected on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called to control unruly fans walking to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, two-and-a-half years on from Victory's infamous pitch invasion. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have played before plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile," Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Victory chairman John Dovaston and managing director Caroline Carnegie lashed police for their "disproportionate" presence. "The scenes we saw prior to the grand final on Swan Street were overwhelming and unacceptable," Carnegie and Dovaston said in an email to fans. "Instead of promoting a fun and exciting spectacle of football, the extent of the police presence created fear amongst families and football fans alike. Degenek believes tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence leads to more problems. "In the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk," he said. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup. Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 spectators are expected on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called to control unruly fans walking to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory, two-and-a-half years on from Victory's infamous pitch invasion. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have played before plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile," Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Victory chairman John Dovaston and managing director Caroline Carnegie lashed police for their "disproportionate" presence. "The scenes we saw prior to the grand final on Swan Street were overwhelming and unacceptable," Carnegie and Dovaston said in an email to fans. "Instead of promoting a fun and exciting spectacle of football, the extent of the police presence created fear amongst families and football fans alike. Degenek believes tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence leads to more problems. "In the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk," he said. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup.
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Let fans have their flares, says Socceroos veteran
Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 fans are expected to turn out on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called in to control unruly fans walking to the game in the lead up to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have faced plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour due to restrictions being placed on them. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile" Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Degenek believes by tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence, it leads to more problems. "That has a counter effect, in my opinion," he said. "Because you are paying so much attention to those things - fans or flares and this and that - in the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium. "Once they're in, you close them off. No one's going to walk out onto the pitch, no one's going to walk out to the other side and fight with the other fans, because by the time you get from A to B, it's a 150m walk." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "Because the more you do that (police them), the less people are going to go to the stadium. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup. Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 fans are expected to turn out on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called in to control unruly fans walking to the game in the lead up to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have faced plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour due to restrictions being placed on them. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile" Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Degenek believes by tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence, it leads to more problems. "That has a counter effect, in my opinion," he said. "Because you are paying so much attention to those things - fans or flares and this and that - in the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium. "Once they're in, you close them off. No one's going to walk out onto the pitch, no one's going to walk out to the other side and fight with the other fans, because by the time you get from A to B, it's a 150m walk." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "Because the more you do that (police them), the less people are going to go to the stadium. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup. Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 fans are expected to turn out on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called in to control unruly fans walking to the game in the lead up to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have faced plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour due to restrictions being placed on them. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile" Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Degenek believes by tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence, it leads to more problems. "That has a counter effect, in my opinion," he said. "Because you are paying so much attention to those things - fans or flares and this and that - in the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium. "Once they're in, you close them off. No one's going to walk out onto the pitch, no one's going to walk out to the other side and fight with the other fans, because by the time you get from A to B, it's a 150m walk." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "Because the more you do that (police them), the less people are going to go to the stadium. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup.
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Let fans have their flares, says Socceroos veteran
Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 fans are expected to turn out on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called in to control unruly fans walking to the game in the lead up to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have faced plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour due to restrictions being placed on them. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile" Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Degenek believes by tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence, it leads to more problems. "That has a counter effect, in my opinion," he said. "Because you are paying so much attention to those things - fans or flares and this and that - in the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium. "Once they're in, you close them off. No one's going to walk out onto the pitch, no one's going to walk out to the other side and fight with the other fans, because by the time you get from A to B, it's a 150m walk." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "Because the more you do that (police them), the less people are going to go to the stadium. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup.
West Australian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Let fans have their flares, says Socceroos veteran
Socceroos veteran Milos Degenek wants to see flares back at Australian soccer games, saying travelling teams now have it too easy due to fans being over policed. More than 50,000 fans are expected to turn out on Thursday night when Australia host Japan in a crunch World Cup qualifier at Optus Stadium in Perth. The match will be played less than a week after riot police were called in to control unruly fans walking to the game in the lead up to Melbourne City's A-League Men grand-final win over arch-rivals Melbourne Victory. About 20 flares were lit in the crowd, with one police officer taken to hospital after allegedly being kicked. Football Australia strictly bans flares and other pyrotechnics in and around stadiums, with perpetrators facing hefty bans. The Socceroos have faced plenty of hostile crowds over the years in various World Cup qualifying campaigns, but Degenek feels Australian fans aren't given the scope to return the favour due to restrictions being placed on them. "It would be a lot nicer if when countries come to Australia to play against us, the crowd was a little bit more hostile" Degenek said in Perth on Tuesday. "Put it this way. I played in Serbia. I played at Red Star Belgrade, in the Eternal Derby where you play Partizan (Belgrade), where flares are thrown onto a pitch, where the city gets shut down on game day. "But in the end, that's normal for me. There's no fear. "There's a code in the footballing world: Fans are never going to attack footballers. "I saw the pictures from the (A-League) grand final - a lot of police. "For me, I just think it's nonsense that you have people in riot gear for guys who are going to a game. "I don't think we're going to a war. We're just going to a football game. You're making it out to be a lot worse than what it is." Degenek believes by tightening down on people's rights with a huge police presence, it leads to more problems. "That has a counter effect, in my opinion," he said. "Because you are paying so much attention to those things - fans or flares and this and that - in the end, you're going to force an issue, because you're narrowing down corridors where they can walk. "You're pushing them to a side. Someone's going to step on someone, someone's going to push and then that escalates really quick, rather than give them freedom to move and getting them safely to a stadium. "Once they're in, you close them off. No one's going to walk out onto the pitch, no one's going to walk out to the other side and fight with the other fans, because by the time you get from A to B, it's a 150m walk." Degenek believes more people would attend games if they were policed less. "You need to give the fans the freedom, the joy," he said. "Because the more you do that (police them), the less people are going to go to the stadium. "In Europe, you have less police, and that's where you have more fans at the games. "And for us as footballers, it's a lot better when you see flares in the stadium, when you see fans screaming, chanting, flares going off, because that kind of gets the adrenaline going and motivates you even more." The Socceroos (13 points) sit second in their qualifying group. A win over Japan (20 points) would almost certainly lock in their place for the 2026 World Cup.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
All grown up: Vidmar ready to kick on from ALM triumph
With a maiden A-League Men championship finally in his grasp, Aurelio Vidmar feels a long way from the young coach who used to shoot his mouth off. Now he's ready to take Melbourne City up another gear, at home and in Asia. "Sometimes in life, sporting life, you can have all the luck in the world and be blessed and win multiple championships," Vidmar told AAP on Sunday, after City's 1-0 grand final win over Melbourne Victory. "And sometimes as a player, you can go 10 years, 15 years, your whole career, and not win anything. "So does that define you, who you are as a coach or as a player? Probably not. But everyone always likes to see, is he a winner or has he won a championship? "So if you want to call it a monkey off the back, whatever, it doesn't really faze me, but I'm rapt." The former Socceroos captain's early days as Adelaide United coach included coaching a young Mathew Leckie and taking the Reds to an Asian Champions League Final and ALM decider. But those achievements were arguably overshadowed by Vidmar's outbursts, which included calling Adelaide "a pissant town" and blaming "politics" for his team's 4-0 semi-final loss to Victory in 2009. "Well, when you're young, you sometimes do some silly things," Vidmar, now 58, said with a laugh. "You regret it when you get a little bit older, but sometimes you've got the passion, and those moments sort of just pop up and things happen. "But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special." With a maiden A-League Men championship finally in his grasp, Aurelio Vidmar feels a long way from the young coach who used to shoot his mouth off. Now he's ready to take Melbourne City up another gear, at home and in Asia. "Sometimes in life, sporting life, you can have all the luck in the world and be blessed and win multiple championships," Vidmar told AAP on Sunday, after City's 1-0 grand final win over Melbourne Victory. "And sometimes as a player, you can go 10 years, 15 years, your whole career, and not win anything. "So does that define you, who you are as a coach or as a player? Probably not. But everyone always likes to see, is he a winner or has he won a championship? "So if you want to call it a monkey off the back, whatever, it doesn't really faze me, but I'm rapt." The former Socceroos captain's early days as Adelaide United coach included coaching a young Mathew Leckie and taking the Reds to an Asian Champions League Final and ALM decider. But those achievements were arguably overshadowed by Vidmar's outbursts, which included calling Adelaide "a pissant town" and blaming "politics" for his team's 4-0 semi-final loss to Victory in 2009. "Well, when you're young, you sometimes do some silly things," Vidmar, now 58, said with a laugh. "You regret it when you get a little bit older, but sometimes you've got the passion, and those moments sort of just pop up and things happen. "But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special." With a maiden A-League Men championship finally in his grasp, Aurelio Vidmar feels a long way from the young coach who used to shoot his mouth off. Now he's ready to take Melbourne City up another gear, at home and in Asia. "Sometimes in life, sporting life, you can have all the luck in the world and be blessed and win multiple championships," Vidmar told AAP on Sunday, after City's 1-0 grand final win over Melbourne Victory. "And sometimes as a player, you can go 10 years, 15 years, your whole career, and not win anything. "So does that define you, who you are as a coach or as a player? Probably not. But everyone always likes to see, is he a winner or has he won a championship? "So if you want to call it a monkey off the back, whatever, it doesn't really faze me, but I'm rapt." The former Socceroos captain's early days as Adelaide United coach included coaching a young Mathew Leckie and taking the Reds to an Asian Champions League Final and ALM decider. But those achievements were arguably overshadowed by Vidmar's outbursts, which included calling Adelaide "a pissant town" and blaming "politics" for his team's 4-0 semi-final loss to Victory in 2009. "Well, when you're young, you sometimes do some silly things," Vidmar, now 58, said with a laugh. "You regret it when you get a little bit older, but sometimes you've got the passion, and those moments sort of just pop up and things happen. "But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special."
