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Kosmina quits Adelaide United

Monday, 28 January 2013 9:59 AM

John Kosmina has become the third coaching casualty of the Hyundai A-League season, saying he has "absolutely no regrets" about his decision to resign from his position at Adelaide United, effective immediately.

Kosmina, 56, has ended his second stint at his hometown club, blaming a "lack of trust". Until last Friday's loss to Central Coast Mariners, the Reds had occupied a top two position all season.

The former Socceroos skipper has announced his resignation in a statement released exclusively to footballaustralia.com.au, making it clear that despite his sudden departure he believes the team can still make a success of the season.

Kosmina's statement reads: "After careful deliberation and with absolutely no regret I announce my resignation as Head Coach of the Adelaide United Football Club.

"When I was approached by (chairman) Greg Griffin on December 17, 2011, to take over from Rini Coolen, I accepted the job with an open mind and open heart. There is a big space in my heart for the club I helped set up almost 10 years ago. I was, and still am, proud of what was achieved, and the culture that was put in place in those early years.

"I was more than aware, upon accepting Griffin’s offer, that many of those principles had been eroded over time. But I was prepared to give it a shot just the same.

"When I was verbally offered an extension to the end of this season in March, 2012, I accepted on a handshake because I felt we could be successful. I mentioned at the time that for me clubs were all about people and about trust, and if you can’t trust a handshake then what is the point of a contract. I believed the club had some sort of direction.

"Fast forward 10 months, and we come to this. Before last weekend we had been first or second in the league and were recognised as a good football team. However, apart from survival, I can see no clear direction. There is no vision. Decision-making at management level is reactive and impulsive at best, and there is no consistency in managerial procedure.

"There is far too much whispering in corridors and around corners. I feel sorry for Rob Gerrard, and I also feel for directors Richard Noble and Phil Lounder - people I trust. But I simply cannot, and will not, work in an environment which otherwise lacks trust.

"The playing group is good. I believe I put a squad together than can be successful, and I believe it will be. They are a good bunch of guys and I wish them success. I have become very close to Peter Blazincic and Sean Tagg over the course of the season and I hope the team is successful for their sake. They have the best interests of the club at heart, and are damn good at their job. The same must be said of Peter Duke who has been around from day one. A club man through and through.

"Where I go from here I’m not sure. I’ll see which way the wind is blowing. I was digging in the back garden when Griffin rang me a year ago – now I have some time to go back and finish it off."

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/Kosmina-quits-Adelaide-United/59348

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BRISBANE Roar have reportedly signed Dutch attacker Stef Nijland for the rest of the season.

Dutch media has reported that the 24-year-old PSV Eindhoven forward has joined the Roar on a four-month loan deal.

Nijland started his career with FC Groningen before signing with PSV in 2008.

The 187cm attacking weapon has since had loan spells at Willem and NEC Nijmegen.

The Roar host A-League leaders Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/the-brisbane-roar-have-reportedly-signed-dutch-striker-stef-nijland/story-fnddgn65-1226563192354

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stef_Nijland

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PERTH Glory have released veteran defender Bas van den Brink from the last three months of his contract to move to Churchill Brothers in India's I-League.

Van den Brink and Glory agreed to terminate the final three months of the defender's contract with the club admitting they could not guarantee the Dutchman a spot on the roster next season.

Keen to secure his family's future, van den Brink went looking for other options and after hearing about Churchill Brothers' interest, the central defender did not hesitate.

"You have to make decisions that are good for yourself," van den Brink told Sportal.

"I left because I didn't know whether my contract would have been extended or not and the club didn't really have a clear standpoint on whether they wanted to keep me.

"Based on that, it made the decision a lot easier for me to leave."

The former Gold Coast United defender said it would still be difficult moving away from Australia after almost four seasons in the A-League, saying it would be hard leaving his friends and the home he had established for himself and his family in Perth.

Van den Brink looks like being a replacement in defence for Lebanon international Bilal Najjarine, but he is yet to sign on the dotted line with Churchill Brothers and has not set a date to leave Australia. However, the Dutchman says the deal is just about done.

"We're more or less agreed on terms but obviously we still have to do a medical and stuff like that ... so that's where it stands right now," the Dutchman said.

"Get things sorted in Australia and we're off."

Van den Brink played 42 games with Glory having moved to Perth after 50 matches with now-defunct Gold Coast United.

But after almost four seasons in the A-League, van den Brink seems excited about the opportunity to live and play in another country.

Churchill Brothers lead India's I-League and have qualified for the 2013 AFC Cup, Asia's second-tier continental club competition.

"They're top of the table right now," van den Brink said.

"Playing (AFC) Cup ... so from that point of view it's a really, really nice opportunity to get some experience and see what else is happening out there in Asia."

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Group eyes Adelaide takeover

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:00:46 +1100

A new consortium is believed to be making a move to take control of Adelaide United as the A-League club reels from another crisis.

Hours after coach John Kosmina tendered his resignation to club chairman Greg Griffin, citing a lack of trust surrounding the organisation, it has emerged that an original board member is assembling a consortium to take over the club, according to Adelaide football sources.

âThis is what happens when wealthy people who have scant football knowledge are put in charge of a football club,â a source said.

âFootball Federation Australia was too quick in approving the new owners.

âThis is another Gold Coast disaster in the making.

âAdelaide has made too many bad decisions in the last two years.

âWhen the current administration entered the fray in 2010 it got rid of genuine football people like highly experienced administrator Sam Cicarello, respected coaches Carl Veart and Joe Mullen and popular media manager Dom Rinaldo.

âMany Adelaide fans are hugely dissatisfied with the club's direction and it is hardly surprising that people are willing to act.â

For a new consortium to take over the club, the current board will have to hand back its licence to Football Federation Australia or sell its franchise rights with FFA's approval.

Adelaide's crowds have dropped alarmingly the last two seasons and, if successful, the new group would be expected to make it a priority to bring back the glory days of the club that played in the 2008 AFC Champions League final and took part in the FIFA Club World Cup that same year.

Kosmina was scheduled to attend a morning meeting with Reds general manager Glenn Elliott and assistant coach Michael Valkanis at Hindmarsh Stadium on Monday but instead dropped the bombshell that he would quit the club with immediate effect.

"Before last weekend we had been first or second in the league and were recognised as a good football team,â a statement from Kosmina read.

âHowever, apart from survival, I can see no clear direction. There is no vision.

âDecision-making at management level is reactive and impulsive at best, and there is no consistency in managerial procedure.

"There is far too much whispering in corridors and around corners. I simply cannot, and will not, work in an environment which lacks trust.â

Griffin, who will be a special guest on The World Game program on SBS Two on Monday night, said he was shocked by Kosmina's decision.

"We are amazed, to be honest, but football clubs move on," Griffin told the Advertiser's website.

"No one else had been spoken to and that was a fact. He resigned. All we knew was there was a desire for a contract extension. There was still a fair bit to be done between now and February in talks with Kossie."

Former defender Valkanis is expected to be given the head coach reins on an interim basis.

Adelaide last week reached a settlement of $400,000 plus legal costs with former coach Rini Coolen, who was sacked last season.

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Kosmina quits Adelaide United

Monday, 28 January 2013 9:59 AM

John Kosmina has become the third coaching casualty of the Hyundai A-League season, saying he has "absolutely no regrets" about his decision to resign from his position at Adelaide United, effective immediately.

Kosmina, 56, has ended his second stint at his hometown club, blaming a "lack of trust". Until last Friday's loss to Central Coast Mariners, the Reds had occupied a top two position all season.

The former Socceroos skipper has announced his resignation in a statement released exclusively to footballaustralia.com.au, making it clear that despite his sudden departure he believes the team can still make a success of the season.

Kosmina's statement reads: "After careful deliberation and with absolutely no regret I announce my resignation as Head Coach of the Adelaide United Football Club.

"When I was approached by (chairman) Greg Griffin on December 17, 2011, to take over from Rini Coolen, I accepted the job with an open mind and open heart. There is a big space in my heart for the club I helped set up almost 10 years ago. I was, and still am, proud of what was achieved, and the culture that was put in place in those early years.

"I was more than aware, upon accepting Griffin’s offer, that many of those principles had been eroded over time. But I was prepared to give it a shot just the same.

"When I was verbally offered an extension to the end of this season in March, 2012, I accepted on a handshake because I felt we could be successful. I mentioned at the time that for me clubs were all about people and about trust, and if you can’t trust a handshake then what is the point of a contract. I believed the club had some sort of direction.

"Fast forward 10 months, and we come to this. Before last weekend we had been first or second in the league and were recognised as a good football team. However, apart from survival, I can see no clear direction. There is no vision. Decision-making at management level is reactive and impulsive at best, and there is no consistency in managerial procedure.

"There is far too much whispering in corridors and around corners. I feel sorry for Rob Gerrard, and I also feel for directors Richard Noble and Phil Lounder - people I trust. But I simply cannot, and will not, work in an environment which otherwise lacks trust.

"The playing group is good. I believe I put a squad together than can be successful, and I believe it will be. They are a good bunch of guys and I wish them success. I have become very close to Peter Blazincic and Sean Tagg over the course of the season and I hope the team is successful for their sake. They have the best interests of the club at heart, and are damn good at their job. The same must be said of Peter Duke who has been around from day one. A club man through and through.

"Where I go from here I’m not sure. I’ll see which way the wind is blowing. I was digging in the back garden when Griffin rang me a year ago – now I have some time to go back and finish it off."

http://www.footballa...de-United/59348

Apparently old Kossie sounded out Brisbane Roar about next season before quiting Adelaide

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I'd rate Adelaide as a bigger shambles than us at the current time and they've got a good ladder position.

Other news Perth released Bas van den Brink from his contract to join Churchill Brothers in the IPL. The guy is one of the best, if not best centre back in the competition. Obviously the money on offer was too good, would've love to see him at CB for us.

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BRISBANE Roar officials say they have "no intention" of meeting controversial coach John Kosmina about a return to Queensland next season for the former Strikers coach.

Kosmina, 56, yesterday quit his position as Adelaide United coach, citing a lack of trust at the Reds.

There was immediate speculation linking Kosmina with a move to the Roar.

Brisbane have guaranteed interim coach Mike Mulvey a job only until the end of the club's 2012-13 campaign.

It is understood Kosmina, who guided the Brisbane Strikers from 1999 to 2003, has already spoken to a Roar identity about the coaching position.

However, Roar vice-chairman Chris Fong said Kosmina was not under consideration to coach the champions, who have struggled since master mentor Ange Postecoglou's departure last April.

"(I) wasn't aware he resigned," Fong said.

"(I'm) not aware of any discussions, nor the need to (have any)."

Mulvey preferred not to comment about Kosmina being linked to the Roar, instead preferring to focus his energies on recruitment and strengthening the Brisbane squad.

"This isn't about me, it's about the club and it's about the team" Mulvey said. "I'll make decisions about the club's future in terms of players."

The latest of those decisions came yesterday with the recruitment of Dutchman Stef Nijland from PSV Eindhoven for the remainder of the season. The 24-year-old attacker is on a four-month deal, with talks already under way about making the move permanent next season.

Nijland is due to train with his new teammates for the first time on Thursday, with Mulvey saying his new signing was a strong chance of being in the 15-man squad for Friday night's clash against Central Coast Mariners at Suncorp Stadium.

Nijland has had loan spells at Willem and NEC Nijmegen, but battled with injuries last year.

"I know what he's capable of and he's a very good acquisition for us," Mulvey said.

The Roar coach said Nijland's arrival completed Brisbane's transfer window activity, that has also included the signings of Jade North, Steve Lustica and Julius Doe, and the departures of Erik Paartalu, Nick Fitzgerald and Rocky Visconte.

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http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/roar-snare-eindhoven-striker/59440

Brisbane Roar's search for a new striker is over, with former Netherlands youth international Stefan Nijland joining from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven on loan for the rest of the season.

The Roar's lack of depth up front was exposed by the suspension of key forward Besart Berisha, with Ben Halloran forced to lead the line against Perth Glory on Saturday.

While the Roar picked up a 1-0 win at nib Stadium, it has not stopped coach Mike Mulvey swooping for 24-year-old Nijland.

The Groningen product is expected to link up with his new team-mates at training on Thursday and could be available for the match with the Central Coast Mariners the next day, pending his international clearance.

"Stefan is tall, quick and has an eye for goal," Mulvey said via club statement of his new signing, who played in a friendly for PSV against Sparta Rotterdam on Friday.

"I'm confident he'll fit neatly into our style of play and hopefully inject more cutting edge to our attack.

"He is a different kind of striker to Besart and I believe the two can become a very dangerous attacking combination."

Nijland has made 18 league appearances for PSV since joining from FC Groningen in 2008, and has spent a series of loans away from the club.

He scored one goal in 15 Eredivisie appearances for NEC last campaign, but has failed to feature for PSV this season.

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WESTERN Sydney Wanderers' supporters are dreaming of the finals but the club's incredible debut season is amassing milestones off the pitch, with merchandise having become an endangered species and memberships topping 6500.

Saturday night's 1-0 victory against Melbourne Heart cemented the A-League's newest club into third spot on the ladder.

Just as remarkably, the entire night's allocation of 300 Wanderers shirts was sold before the match had even kicked off at Parramatta Stadium. The shirt sales though were only part of the $90,000 worth of merchandise sold at the stadium on the night.

The club and Nike are desperately trying to get more on to the market, blown away by the demand.

The numbers are staggering for a team which was just an idea less than 12 months ago and launched only seven months ago.

Already the merchandise sales are 300 per cent over budget, even though the season still has nine rounds to go.

Memberships continue to sell at a brisk rate even though there are four home matches left in the season.

The Wanderers' executive chairman Lyall Gorman said the membership figure is "approaching 6600, of which 700 are the Wander-four tickets valid for four games.

"We're still selling season tickets in droves, which is incredible," he said.

He believes the key to their success is not marketing tricks, or the novelty of a new club, but about substance.

"It's not about a one year wonder it's about putting the building blocks in place for a long term future," Gorman said. "This club is built on the fundamental principles of values, vision and culture.

"We built this club on what the fans told us in those seven forums in July last year: What might this club stand for; what does it represent and what should the colours be."

Gorman believes if on-field and off-field success continues at its present rate membership will need to be capped within just a few seasons in a similar fashion to the world's great sporting venues like Old Trafford.

"I think an ideal membership base would be about 75 to 80 per cent of the stadium capacity (21,500)," he said.

"That allows 20 per cent of the crowd to come along and taste the game day experience."

Gorman says the club is about building a culture and not buying players to win the competition in their first year.

However, the Wanderers might do just that as Tony Popovic's men go from strength to strength.

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Perth go bottom after losing 1-0 to Wellington. Not quite sure what they're doing over there. Really thought they'd be a title challenger with their home ground advantage and picking up Thwaite in the off-season. Surely Ferguson will get the arse at the end of the season, they seem to have given up all hope after releasing van den Brink & Mehmet.

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Ferguson should never have gotten the job in the first place, and a fluke appearance in a grand final by sticking 10 blokes behind the ball and hoofing it up to Smeltz was a blight on the game.

Will be interesting to see how Alistair Edwards fares, the guy has gone through the right channels to begin his coaching career and has a good knowlege of talented youngster in the system. Will be interesting to see if Cameron joins him at Perth.

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http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/melbourneheart/news-display/Heart-add-class-in-Dutch-import-Meeuwis/60678

Melbourne Heart FC has bolstered its squad in the form of former Feyenoord and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Marcel Meeuwis.

The 32-year-old joins Heart for the remainder of the 2012-13 season and could be available to face the Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium this Friday evening, subject to an international clearance.

Meeuwis, who primarily operates as a defensive midfielder, has a formidable record in Europe, having played close to 300 games in the Dutch top flight with the likes of Feyenoord, as well as a stint in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach in 2009 after a multi-million dollar transfer from Dutch side Roda JC.

“With the combined losses of Vince Grella, Aziz Behich and Michael Marrone, we needed to add depth and quality to the squad and in Marcel we have certainly done that,” General Manager, Football Operations, John Didulica said.

“Marcel’s pedigree will ensure we are well served across midfield and the options we have available across the line-up are multiplied. Marcel will add significant tactical knowledge to the squad and bring significant industry and energy.”

Meeuwis arrived in Melbourne this morning before training briefly with the Hyundai A-League squad at La Trobe University Sports Fields.

Player Details

Name: Marcel Meeuwis (pronounced MU-ZE)

Age: 32

Height: 1.72cm

Former Clubs: Willem II, VVV-Venlo, Roda JC, Borussia Monchengladbach, Feyenoord

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I don't understand how 5 pm Sunday is the perfect day and time. Saturday night 5pm sounds perfect to me.

More likely to be home innit. With work/school the next day. Personally i think thats a pretty good time.

horrible time, you want as much incentive as possible for away supporters to make the match, not to give them more incentive not to go.

even if they are doing it because they already know the final will be a sell out its stupid, the more people who actively try to go a final, but can't because they miss out on a ticket the better as the likelihood of them attending a regular season game to actually see some action increases.

 

I know, the A - league receives a fair chunk of their funds from TV money, but the FFA should still be fighting to have time slots that are better for actually attending the game as this is what the clubs will require for survival in the long term

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