New coach, new vision for Phoenix
Four years ago Darije Kalezic made such an impression on Wellington Phoenix management they kept tabs on his coaching career.
Having interviewed for the Phoenix job in 2013 and run second to Ernie Merrick the A-league title winner, the Swiss-born, Bosnian-raised Dutch national was shoulder-tapped again in April. The club’s 2017 finals bid had just ended under caretaker coaches Des Buckingham and Chris Greenacre and Kalezic was the man they wanted. Even with a short and chequered recent coaching history.
‘‘When Ernie resigned [in December] we decided there was no point bringing Darije out for six months because he couldn’t do anything in those six months. We honestly wanted to give Chris and Des a chance to show they could get to the finals,’’ general manager David Dome said, after 47-year-old Kalezic strolled through the glass doors overlooking his new home ground Westpac Stadium.
‘‘It was around about the Sydney game [second-last of the season], we weren’t going to be in the finals series and we picked it up again. We chatted with Darije back and forth in terms of the contract, then we got him across the line and signed the deal and then he raised Rado [Vidosic, his new assistant].’’
Vidosic and Dome flanked the new head coach at the top table yesterday, finally a sense of order restored to an uncertain, bordering on shambolic, few months for the A-league club as players filed out the exit.
Shiny Audis and expensive scarves marked the presence of the club’s board, though chairman and purse strings holder Rob Morrison stood at the back, behind the cameras rather than in front.
Did they dither too long with the appointment and did it cost them key players?
‘‘No,’’ insisted Dome. ‘‘All the players that have gone and signed for other clubs, we were very comfortable with that.
‘‘There were none of those we had an offer on the table and thought they were going to be in the future of this club.’’
Among those to leave were Glen Moss, Shane Smeltz, Roly Bonevacia and Jacob Tratt, while Alex Rodriguez announced he’d signed with Portuguese club Boavista a few hours before Kalezic was unveiled.
Kosta Barbarouses was another matter, released for personal reasons understood to involve his Australian partner, and Kalezic insisted he ‘‘tried everything I could’’ to persuade the Wellingtonian to stay.
With the likes of Gui Finkler and Marco Rossi contracted for another season, Dome said major signings were imminent with key assistance from Vidosic with his connections and A-league record as assistant at Brisbane Roar. There are six spots in the permitted 23 to fill.
‘‘It’s under way. There’s a couple of spots the coaches are already working on and Darije has been working on that for some time,’’ Dome said.
Kalezic signed a fortnight ago, cast an eye over the All Whites in Europe and finally arrived this week.