After a season to forget for Brisbane Roar, their first port of call was to appoint a new manager.
In the midst of the financial issues shrouding the club in uncertainty, an Australian sporting legend, forever synonymous with the winning penalty against Uruguay in the 2005 World Cup qualifier, was named as Brisbane Roar’s new coach. John Aloisi was appointed as the man to lead Brisbane Roar back to the glory days.
As a player, Aloisi was full of energy and managed to succeed no matter what the environment. He is the only Australian to play in all of Europe’s ‘big three’ leagues in Spain, England and Italy across his 20 years as a professional footballer. He is also accustomed to the A-League having played for Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart with varying levels of success. On the pitch, he pushed himself for the entire game, never giving in or allowing the opposition to outmuscle him, which is much the same on the sidelines.
Aloisi strives for his team to work together, creating a strong team chemistry and setting up in a style that is hard to break down and looks to utilise pace out wide. His coaching career began in 2011 as the youth team coach of Melbourne Heart, following his retirement as a player, this evolved into the position as first team manager following John van’t Schip’s departure. The period as Melbourne Heart’s manager can only be described as abysmal and disappointing, as he was sacked following a run of 17 games without a win, which included the previous season of 2012-13 where the Heart only managed one away win all season.
Following the public backlash to his terrible run of performances, Aloisi managed to rectify his situation, often appearing on Fox Sports as an informative and intelligent pundit, showing his knowledge of the game and reputation as a likeable public figure. In late May 2015, after spending a few months as the development coach of the national Youth League and National Premier League sides of Melbourne Victory, Aloisi was named as the manager of Brisbane Roar, following the departure of Frans Thijssen. The 39-year-old has been seen as a breath of fresh air, showcasing a great deal of rapport with local media and fans, outlining his plan for a club that lacked much direction at the closure of the past season.
There is an understanding that this represents redemption. Brisbane have allowed Aloisi a chance to show the Australian footballing community his talents as a manager, even if a few eyebrows were raised following his appointments. He commands the dressing room with his history as a player and looks to be an exciting prospect for the club. Paired with his brother Ross Aloisi as assistant manager, the Roar now has an Adelaide feel about it, but with a coaching staff bonded by family.
Importantly, Aloisi is a master of working with young players. His credentials outline years of experience with both of Melbourne’s youth setups and his actions throughout the preseason, in particular the signing of Jamie Maclaren, point towards trust in youth. This is an imperative aspect for a coach to be successful at Brisbane Roar, as the quality squads of yesteryear have had streaks of youth throughout and will hopefully form the basis of a quick and quality transition to a team ready to vie for the championship yet again. After a directionless and controversy-filled offseason, Aloisi will have his hands full. However, if anything can be learned from his career as a footballer and coach, he is a fighter, and it would be a brave person to bet against this man taking the club back to its best.
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