Adelaide United displace Coolen and install Kosmina as head coach

Official release from Adelaide United

Adelaide United FC has installed the club’s inaugural coach John Kosmina as the Reds’ new coach, effective immediately.

Initially, the term of Kosmina’s appointment will be for the remainder of the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 Season and the club’s 2012 AFC Champions League campaign.

Club Chairman Greg Griffin made the announcement that Kosmina will take over the reins from Rini Coolen as the club attempts to turnaround its poor start to the season, which sees it sitting ninth with only two wins after 11 games.

“We have gone to John (Kosmina) because he is a passionate South Australian with a great history, 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,” Griffin said.

“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.

“We believe that bringing John in is the start of getting Adelaide United back to where it should be which is at the top of the table…we believe he is the man with his passion and love of South Australia to take us where this club has to be.”

Just short of five years on from when Kosmina last coached the club, he said he was ‘truly humbled’ to be back and said he was determined to get the squad to recapture the ‘fire in the belly’.

“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, and 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 twelfth man and we need them on side.

“The team needs to be more competitive and they need to be a bit more passionate.”