Victory coach sacked

Kurz axed after slow start

FOOTBALL: Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro admits lessons will be learnt from the appointment of Marco Kurz after the club sacked the German just 13 games into his coaching tenure.

The A-League heavyweights confirmed Kurz’s dismissal yesterday after a board meeting on Tuesday sealed the 50-year-old’s fate.

Kurz was appointed in June after club legend Kevin Muscat’s resignation but Di Pietro conceded performances and results were not what Victory had expected in 2019-20.

“We’re certainly not happy about where we’re at and this decision was based on improving that,” Di Pietro said, adding the club would also review their appointment process.

“We’re going to look at what we did in this current process,” he said.

“The strategy doesn’t change, but the appointments at times don’t work. You can never get every appointment right.

It seems Muscat’s decision to step down after 14 years and four championships as a player and coach caught Victory on the hop.

The ex-Socceroo defender had a year to run on his contract but confirmed his resignation in May.

Skipper Carl Valeri retired and several key players, including Japanese star Keisuke Honda and New Zealand striker Kosta Barbarouses, left the Victory along with Muscat.

Kurz, available after his two-year contract with Adelaide United ended, was appointed in June.

The German undertook a rebuild of the Victory squad, including the signing of Socceroos pair Robbie Kruse and Andrew Nabbout, but was under pressure after a poor start during which the club won just one of their first seven matches.

Last Friday’s dramatic 3-2 loss to Central Coast, which included the concession of two stoppage-time penalties to the Mariners and Kurz being shown a red card for dissent, left the Victory sixth on the ladder with just four wins and 15 points. It equals the 2007-08 and 2011-12 seasons as the lowest haul in club history at the same stage of a campaign.

Spanish coach Carlos Salvachua will lead the club for the remainder of the season.

He’ll start his reign with tomorrow night’s clash against Kurz’s old club United in Adelaide before an Asian Champions League qualifier at home against Bali FC on Tuesday.