Soccer-Corica leaves Auckland FC after leading club to title


FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - AFC Champions League - Group H - Sydney FC v Shanghai SIPG - Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar - November 19, 2020 Sydney FC coach Steve Corica REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari/File Photo

June 19 (Reuters) - Steve ⁠Corica, who led Auckland FC to ⁠the A-League championship in only their second ‌season, is leaving the club to pursue an opportunity overseas, the team said on Friday.

Corica guided Auckland to ​a first-place finish in the ⁠regular season in ⁠their inaugural 2024/2025 campaign before they lost in ⁠the semis ‌of the Finals series.

This season, they secured the A-League championship to ⁠become the first New Zealand team to ​win the ‌Grand Final in the competition's 20-year history.

"It ⁠has been ​a fantastic two years with a city, a fan group and a team that have ⁠all been way beyond my ​expectations," the 53-year-old said in statement.

"I didn’t know quite what I was getting into when I ⁠joined two years ago, but what an experience it has been.

"We started with nothing. Then year one we’re Premiers, winning the first ​piece of A-League silverware ⁠for any Kiwi club, and then year two ​we’re riding a bus down ‌the middle of Queen ​Street parading the championship trophy."

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru;Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Football

Bosnian band's viral anthem echoes World Cup dreams
Soccer-Romo's goal sends Mexico through but blunt attack leaves questions
Soccer-Champions Arsenal host promoted Coventry in 2026-27 Premier League opener
Have an Indian ancestor? A new proposal could soon let you play sport for India
Morocco and PSG player Hakimi to stand trial on rape charge
Soccer-New Zealand's Singh proud to blaze a trail for Sikh community at World Cup
Soccer-Inter extend manager Chivu's contract until 2028 after title-winning season
Soccer-South Korea coach urges players to move on from Mexico defeat
Soccer-Aguirre downplays milestone after Mexico top World Cup group for first time since 2002
Soccer-Strugglers no more: Morocco fans brimming with pride at being part of World Cup elite

Others Also Read