Thu 22nd Feb 2007

John Kosmina has resigned as the Coach of Adelaide United FC. Kosmina made the decision to quit as Head Coach today after increasing speculation about his future since the Hyundai A-League grand final last Sunday.

The announcement was made after Kosmina made a submission this morning to the Adelaide United Advisory Board that includes Adelaide United Owner Nick Bianco, Chairman Dario Fontanarosa and CEO Michael Petrillo.

“The last few weeks have been harrowing for a lot of people. After a lot of thought and soul searching, I am resigning my position as Head Coach of Adelaide United,” Kosmina said from a written statement.

“It’s a decision I have made in the best interests of my family and as importantly, the team. I’ve had three wonderful seasons with the club watching it grow. We’ve achieved so much in such a short space of time and of that I am very proud.”

Kosmina achieved an enormous amount as Coach of Adelaide United. He was the inaugural coach of Adelaide United FC, taking the team to the Preliminary Final in its first year of existence in the final season of the old NSL, before getting Adelaide United to Premiers of the Hyundai A-League in its inaugural season and winning the 2006 Pre-Season Cup. In Kosmina’s two seasons in the Hyundai A-League, Adelaide finished first and second respectively after the minor rounds, and reached a grand final in 2006/07. Adelaide United also qualified for the Asian Champions League in 2007 and 2008 under Kosmina’s guidance.

However, seemingly never far from controversy and the spotlight, Kosmina admitted some of his actions in the past, including his altercation with Melbourne Victory Captain Kevin Muscat and run in with a referee after the Preliminary Final, had played a part in his decision to resign.

“There have been times when my actions have got me into trouble and caused grief for a number of people, myself included and I apologise for that.”

“For me a big part of life is learning from your mistakes and I’ve learned a lot from mine.”

Kosmina also paid tribute to all the support he had received, saying in his statement, “I’d like to thank the people of South Australia for their wonderful support they’ve shown me through the good times and the bad. I’ve learnt a lot in these three years and have grown as a person along the way”.

Adelaide United Assistant Coach Aurelio Vidmar will take over as Interim Coach until the end of Adelaide United’s group games in the Asian Champions League.

Kosmina will spend the next few weeks at home with his wife Ali and his family reflecting on his times with The Reds before making a decision on what lies ahead in the next stage of his life.