Adelaide United Football Club is a professional
soccer club based in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, Australia. The club participates in the
A-League Men
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
under
licence from
Australian Professional Leagues
The Australian Professional Leagues, commonly abbreviated to the APL, and sometimes referred to as the A-Leagues, are the governing body for the A-League Men, A-League Women, A-League Youth and E-League. Since their formation, they have been m ...
(APL).
The club was founded in 2003 to fill the place vacated by
Adelaide City
Adelaide City Football Club is a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club was known historically as Juventus — the original name given to the club by its founders in Adelaide's Italian community.
Adelaide City is one of Aust ...
and
West Adelaide in the former
National Soccer League (NSL), and is now the sole team from the state of South Australia in the A-League. Adelaide United's home ground is Coopers Stadium, formally
Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austral ...
.
Adelaide United holds the record for the largest win in an A-League game. Adelaide defeated North Queensland Fury 8–1 at Hindmarsh Stadium on 21 January 2011. It was also the first time – and, to date, remains the only time – a team had two players score
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
s in a single match: one to
Marcos Flores
Marcos Abel Flores Benard (; born 23 October 1985) is a retired Argentine professional footballer who last played for, and captained, Adelaide City.
Biography
Unión de Santa Fe
On 17 April 2004, Flores made his senior debut for Argentine club ...
and the other to
Sergio van Dijk
Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk (born 6 August 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the top goal scorer in the 2010–11 A-League regular season and made a name for himself in Australian football for his prolifi ...
. In 2014, Adelaide United were the winners of
the first FFA Cup, beating Perth Glory 1–0 in the final, and in 2016 won their first
A-League Grand Final, beating the
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier ...
3–1 with goals from
Bruce Kamau
Bruce Kamau (born 28 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club OFI. Born in Kenya, Kamau is a youth international for Australia.
Early life
Born in Kenya, Kamau moved to Australia aged 4. He at ...
,
Isaías and
Pablo Sanchez. In 2019, Adelaide United became the first team to win three FFA Cup titles after defeating
Melbourne City FC
Melbourne City Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the south–eastern Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne East, that plays in the A-League, the top level of Australian soccer, under licence from Australian Professio ...
in the
2019 FFA Cup Final.
History
2003–2005: A-League transfer
In August 2003
Adelaide City
Adelaide City Football Club is a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club was known historically as Juventus — the original name given to the club by its founders in Adelaide's Italian community.
Adelaide City is one of Aust ...
withdrew from the
National Soccer League (NSL), leaving Adelaide with no NSL presence for the first time since the beginning of the league in 1977.
West Adelaide had previously withdrawn from the NSL in 1999. In response, Adelaide United was created on 12 September 2003, with builder and property developer
Gordon Pickard
Gordon Pickard (born 1942) is a real estate developer and philanthropist and considered one of the richest businesspeople from the state of South Australia.
Pickard emigrated from England as a child. Since 1967, he has been forming companies w ...
funding the new club and former Soccer Australia and
FIFA executive
Basil Scarsella
Basil Scarsella (born in Italy) is an Australian businessman. He is a former CEO of ETSA Utilities and Northern Gas Networks. He is the current CEO of UK Power Networks, formerly EDF Energy Networks. He was also President of the Oceania Footbal ...
as Chairman.
On 13 September former
Brisbane Strikers
Brisbane Strikers Football Club is an Australian semi-professional football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in 1991 as Brisbane United, the club competed in the National Soccer League until the 2003–04 season and was one of tw ...
and
Newcastle Breakers
Newcastle Breakers FC are a defunct Australian football (soccer) club. Formed out of elements of the Newcastle Austral club, they participated in the National Soccer League from season 1991/1992, until their dissolution in 1999/2000. The club fare ...
manager
John Kosmina
Alexander John Kosmina (born 17 August 1956), known as John Kosmina, is an Australian former football (soccer) player and manager, most recently being the Senior Head Coach of Brisbane Strikers. He is a member of the Football Federation Austral ...
was officially announced as the manager, and within the frame of a few weeks time a team was cobbled together mostly with the remnants of the Adelaide City squad to compete in the clubs
inaugural season. On 17 October 2003 Adelaide United won its first NSL match, against Brisbane Strikers 1–0 in front of a crowd in excess of 16,000 people.
After an impressive home-and-away season, including a seven-match unbeaten streak during November and December 2003, Adelaide United reached the NSL preliminary final, losing to
Perth Glory. The NSL came to an end at the completion of the 2003–04 season after 28 seasons with The Reds only competing in the final season as governing body
Australian Soccer Association
Football Australia is the governing body of soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Australia in its current form was only esta ...
(later Football Federation Australia) shut down the league in preparation for the launch of the fully professional
A-League almost 12 months later, on 26 August 2005.
2005–2010: Miami FC relationship
Adelaide United were announced as one of eight teams to compete in the first season of the A-League, and are, along with the Perth Glory and
Newcastle Jets
Newcastle United Jets Football Club, commonly known as Newcastle Jets, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from The Australian ...
, one of only three teams to survive from the National Soccer League's last season. United began preparation earlier than most of the other clubs and had announced two thirds of the 20 man squad before February 2005.
The club focused on bringing several Adelaide born players back to South Australia, such as
Angelo Costanzo,
Travis Dodd
Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
and
Lucas Pantelis, who had previously played for Adelaide City SC in the NSL.
Shengqing Qu was signed from
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
club
Shanghai Shenhua
Shanghai Shenhua F.C. () is a Chinese professional football club that participates in the Chinese Super League under license from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The term ''shen hua'' literally translates as "the Flower of Shanghai" in ...
as the clubs "marquee" signing (a ruling allowing each club one player to be paid outside the salary cap) in March 2005.
Aurelio Vidmar
Aurelio Vidmar ( ; born 3 February 1967) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Thai League 1 club Bangkok United.
He is a former captain of the Australia national team and former coach ...
announced his retirement before the A-League had even started. He was replaced before the fifth round by striker
Fernando
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
from Brazil, a former 'player of the year' in the old NSL. By moving to Adelaide, he was reunited with former coach
John Kosmina
Alexander John Kosmina (born 17 August 1956), known as John Kosmina, is an Australian former football (soccer) player and manager, most recently being the Senior Head Coach of Brisbane Strikers. He is a member of the Football Federation Austral ...
who introduced him to Australian audiences at the Brisbane Strikers.
Adelaide United Director Mel Patzwald established links with American club
Miami FC
The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The club began play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 2016 se ...
, setting up a 'sister club' relationship—the first of its kind for an A-league club—with whom they played a number of friendlies and leading to the signings of several players. The club signed
Diego Walsh and later Brazilian legend
Romário for a five-game guest stint in November/December 2006. Cassio then signed with Adelaide and the club won the
2008 AFC Champions League and played in the
2008 FIFA Club World Cup, where they finished fifth. A sister club relationship with
Shangdon Luneng was established as well as part of the state government's ties with
Shangdong Province. Adelaide's youth team was invited to participate in the
Weifang Cup The Weifang Cup (Simplified Chinese: 潍坊杯) is a football tournament which traditionally features invited national and club teams composed of under-20 players although the first tournament in 2006 included under-13 and under-15 teams as well. T ...
as a result of the relationship.
Continuing their good form from the final season of the NSL, Adelaide United finished as Premiers in the inaugural season of the Hyundai A-League. The Reds were bundled out of the finals race in straight sets losing to
Sydney FC in the two leg semi final and then
Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional association football, soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League, A-League Men, under ...
1–0 in the preliminary final at Hindmarsh.
Adelaide United started the season well by winning the
A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was an annual soccer tournament held for all A-League clubs in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The competition featured a group stage and a knockout stage. ...
, beating reigning champions Central Coast Mariners 5–4 on penalties after 1–1 at the end of extra time. In the premiership season, The Reds finished runners up to
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
. After a successful finals campaign, The Reds advanced to the
2006–07 Grand Final
Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. S ...
after winning 4–3 on penalties (1–1 AET) against the
Newcastle Jets
Newcastle United Jets Football Club, commonly known as Newcastle Jets, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from The Australian ...
. Adelaide United played
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
at the
Telstra Dome
Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and w ...
in the Grand Final on 18 February 2007 losing 6–0.
Coach John Kosmina was sacked the following week-however not only because of the grand final disaster but for alleged abuse of 2 Channel 10 reporters.
The 2006–07 season also saw
Brazilian international player
Romário join the club for a four-game guest player stint.
Adelaide United were selected, along with Sydney FC, as the first Australian representatives to play in the
2007 AFC Champions League. They received their Asian berth as
A-League premiers. Adelaide was drawn into Group G with
Chinese champion Shandong Luneng Taishan
Shandong Taishan Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Jinan, Shandong and their home stadium is ...
,
Korean champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential city ...
and
Vietnamese league and
Super Cup champions
Gach Dong Tam Long An. Adelaide finished 3rd in its group.
The Reds launched into the season by winning the
A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was an annual soccer tournament held for all A-League clubs in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The competition featured a group stage and a knockout stage. ...
, beating
Perth Glory 2–1 at
Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austral ...
. The club finished 6th place in the A-League, missing out on a finals place as they concentrated their energies on maintaining a successful
AFC Champions League campaign.
Adelaide United participated in the
2008 AFC Champions League after finishing runner-up in the 2006–07
regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of ...
and
finals series
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
to Melbourne Victory. Adelaide was drawn into Group E, along with
V-League and
Super Cup winners
Bình Dương,
CSL CSL as an abbreviation may stand for:
Places
* Coordinated Science Laboratory, at the University of Illinois
* Liège Space Center (Centre spatial de Liège), at the University of Liege in Belgium
* Central Science Laboratory, a former UK DEFRA ...
champions
Changchun Yatai, and
K-League
K League (Hangul: K리그) is South Korea's professional football league. It includes first division K League 1 and second division K League 2.
History
Until the 1970s, South Korean football operated two major football leagues, the National ...
winners
Pohang Steelers.
Adelaide became the first Australian team to progress to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League. Adelaide drew
2007 Uzbek League Runners-up
Bunyodkor
The Swallows uz, Osiyo BarselonasiAsian Barcelona
, shortname =
, image = Bunyodkor logo.png
, image_size = 200px
, founded =
, ground = Milliy Stadium
, capacity = 34,000
, chairman =
, ceo =
, mgrtitle = Ma ...
in the semi-final, after the Uzbeks knocked out
Saipa
SAIPA ( fa, سایپا, ''SAIPA'') is an Iranian automaker headquartered in Tehran. The SAIPAC (an acronym for the French ''Société anonyme iranienne de production des automobiles Citroën'') was established in 1965 as with 75% Iranian ownersh ...
in their quarter-final. In the first leg of the semi-final, Adelaide won 3–0 with Diego, Barbiero, and Cristiano (via a penalty) scoring. The match was witnessed by 16,998 fans at Hindmarsh Stadium. In the second leg of the semi finals Adelaide United lost 1–0 to FC Bunyodkor but went through to the final 3–1 on aggregate.
In the two legged final, they took on Japanese team
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...
who deposed 2007 champions
Urawa Red Diamonds
, colloquially Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, is a professional football club in the city of Saitama, part of the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The club plays in the J ...
in the other semi-final. Adelaide lost heavily over two legs to Gamba Osaka. The score was 3–0 to Gamba Osaka away and 2–0 to Osaka at home in Adelaide, the Japanese club winning 5–0 on aggregate.
This result ensured that Adelaide would participate in the
2008 FIFA Club World Cup either as the
AFC representatives or as the highest placed non-Japanese team – as the rules do not allow more than one Japanese team to participate.
The off season saw the departure of
Socceroo
The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer. Officially nicknamed the Socceroos, the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is affiliated wi ...
Bruce Djite and
Nathan Burns
Nathan Burns (born 7 May 1988) is a retired Australian professional footballer who last played for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League and the Australian national team.
Club career Adelaide United
He formerly played for Parramatta Eagles and ...
. By the end of round 27, Adelaide had drawn level for first, equalling Melbourne's 38 points on the ladder. Needing to win 2–0 against the Central Coast Mariners away to win the premiership, The Reds only managed to secure a 1–0 win. Adelaide was pushed down to second because of goal difference. The Reds, along with Melbourne Victory, Queensland Roar and Central Coast Mariners, proceeded to the finals. In the Grand Final at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Adelaide United lost 1–0 to Melbourne Victory. The match was marred by the controversial 10th minute sending off of
Cristiano which ultimately contributed to the loss.
An early highlight for the season was Adelaide's run to the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the
AFC Champions League against
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...
. Gamba Osaka entered the
FIFA Club World Cup as the winner of the AFC Champion's League, freeing up the tournament's Japanese host position; Adelaide United, as runners-up of the AFC Champion's League, filled this position. Their first match was a play-off against
2007–08 OFC Champions League champions
Waitakere United
Waitakere United was a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They were one of the franchises in the ISPS Handa Premiership. They played their home games at Fred Taylor Park in Kumeu and The Trusts Arena.
History
Waitakere Uni ...
from New Zealand. The Reds defeated Waitakere 2–1 via two set plays from
Paul Reid to secure a rematch with ACL rivals Gamba Osaka on 14 December – the third meeting between the two sides in three weeks. The Reds fought valiantly and created many opportunities, in particular
Travis Dodd
Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
, but lost 0–1 after a 23rd minute shot by Gamba
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
,
Yasuhito Endō
is a Japanese footballer who plays for J1 League club Júbilo Iwata. His brother Akihiro Endō is a former footballer.
He made his senior international debut in 2002, representing Japan in three World Cups and three Confederations Cups. In ...
. On 18 December, Adelaide played in the fifth-place play-off match against
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
club
Al Ahly SC, defeating them 1–0 to be rewarded the fifth-place prize of US$1.5 million. Adelaide United were awarded the Fair Play award upon the completion of the tournament, and Cristiano's goal in the fifth-place play-off was selected as goal of the tournament.
![2010 AFC Champions League Adelaide United vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/2010_AFC_Champions_League_Adelaide_United_vs_Jeonbuk_Hyundai_Motors.jpg)
After a stellar season in the A-League and internationally, Adelaide United began its pre-season without a financial owner; Nick Bianco relinquished his A-League licence back to
Football Federation Australia
Football Australia is the governing body of soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Australia in its current form was only establ ...
(FFA). Regardless of this situation, the FFA ensured that Adelaide would have the funds available to recruit in the off-season and to maintain the club, whilst they would negotiate the new ownership deals. This however, was still not enough to lift the club up from its 2009–10
wooden spoon Wooden Spoon may refer to:
* Wooden spoon, implement
* Wooden spoon (award)
A wooden spoon is an award that is given to an individual or team that has come last in a competition. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous e ...
status – the club's worst performing season in its short history.
Adelaide competed in the ACL Champions League in 2010 after finishing second on the 2008–09 A-League league table, and runner-up in the Finals series to cross-border rivals, Melbourne Victory. Adelaide were drawn into Group H alongside
2009 Asian Champions Pohang Steelers, Chinese sister club
Shandong Luneng
Shandong Taishan Football Club () is a professional football club that currently participates in the Chinese Super League under licence from the Chinese Football Association (CFA). The team is based in Jinan, Shandong and their home stadium is th ...
and
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Sanfrecce Hiroshima ( ja, サンフレッチェ広島, translit=''Sanfuretche Hiroshima'') is a Japanese professional football club based in Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the co ...
. Adelaide United managed to hold on to top spot of Group H resulting in a home match in the Round of 16. In an exciting, nerve-racking match, Adelaide lost to
Jeonbuk Motors 3–2. Adelaide came back twice in the game, including a goal in the final seconds of the match. Jeonbuk won the match with a goal in the second half of extra time.
2010–2018: Bottom to top
For the first time in the club's history, the Adelaide United was led by an international manager in
Rini Coolen
Rini Coolen (born 10 February 1967) is a Dutch retired football defender and currently the Head of the Feyenoord Academy.
Club career
Coolen played professionally for Go Ahead Eagles, Heracles, De Graafschap and AZ.
Managerial career
He r ...
,
moving away from the Adelaide United tradition of local coaches seen in its prior seasons.
As of 9 September 2010, Adelaide United had made Australian soccer history by becoming the first team to climb from the bottom of the table to the top, whilst the
2009–10 premiers and champions,
Sydney FC, remained rooted at the bottom. Adelaide United also claimed the record for longest undefeated streak in A-League history with their win over
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
in Week 11 of the league, consisting of thirteen games stretching back to the penultimate round of the
2009–10 A-League season. This surpassed
Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional association football, soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League, A-League Men, under ...
's previous record of twelve games undefeated set back in the
2005–06 A-League season. Unfortunately for Adelaide United,
Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland and has won the domestic title on three occasions, as well as holding the longest unbeaten record of 36 league matches without defeat.
Brisba ...
surpassed this newly set record, when the Roar comprehensively won their Week 16 fixture against
Central Coast Mariners
Central Coast Mariners Football Club is an Australian professional association football, soccer club based in Gosford, on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast of New South Wales. It competes in the A-League, A-League Men, under ...
at Bluetongue Stadium.
Following 18 months under
Football Federation Australia
Football Australia is the governing body of soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Australia in its current form was only establ ...
(FFA) financial administration, it was announced on 8 November 2010 that a
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
n consortium had taken over ownership of the club with a ten-year licence. New co-owner Greg Griffin steps in as Chairman of the club replacing Mel Patzwald, whilst ex-
North Adelaide Football Club
North Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Roosters, is an Australian rules football club affiliated with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and SANFL Women's League (SANFLW). The club plays its home games at Prospect Oval, ...
CEO, Glenn Elliott replaces Sam Ciccarello, who now takes up a role at the FFA.
On 9 January 2011, Adelaide broke its longest winless streak against its rival club
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
by posting a 4–1 away win in Melbourne at
AAMI Park. Adelaide United then went on to make
A-League history by recording the highest winning margin in the league's history with an 8–1 win over
North Queensland Fury
Northern Fury Football Club was an Australian professional soccer club based in Townsville, Queensland. The club was founded in 2008 and competed in the A-League under the name North Queensland Fury. On 1 March 2011, the club was removed from ...
on 21 January 2011. This also marked the first time two players from the same side scored
hat-tricks
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wi ...
in one game (
Sergio van Dijk
Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk (born 6 August 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the top goal scorer in the 2010–11 A-League regular season and made a name for himself in Australian football for his prolifi ...
and
Marcos Flores
Marcos Abel Flores Benard (; born 23 October 1985) is a retired Argentine professional footballer who last played for, and captained, Adelaide City.
Biography
Unión de Santa Fe
On 17 April 2004, Flores made his senior debut for Argentine club ...
), and matched the all-time highest match aggregate score of 9 goals scored in one match.
Adelaide finished the season by winning 2–1 at
Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
against
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
in front of 21,038 spectators – the club's largest crowd of the season. This ensured the club third place in overall standings at the end of the season, and hosting rights for at least the first week of the knock-out
Finals Series
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. Adelaide United went on to defeat
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
in the first week of the Finals under torrential rain, but succumbed to
Gold Coast United
Gold Coast United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The earliest incarnation of the club formed in 1966 and its home ground was at Nikiforides Family Park in Broadbeach. The first era of Gold Coast Unit ...
in the second week and were knocked out of the competition on the back of a 2–3 home loss.
Off-season transfers marked the departure of Captain
Travis Dodd
Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
, long serving players
Lucas Pantelis and
Robert Cornthwaite, and of fan favourites
Mathew Leckie
Mathew Allan Leckie (born 4 February 1991) is an Australian footballer who plays for Melbourne City FC in the A-League and the Australian national team (for whom he has previously been the captain). Leckie, being a quick and agile player, is ...
and
Marcos Flores
Marcos Abel Flores Benard (; born 23 October 1985) is a retired Argentine professional footballer who last played for, and captained, Adelaide City.
Biography
Unión de Santa Fe
On 17 April 2004, Flores made his senior debut for Argentine club ...
to overseas clubs. In a coup for the club and the
A-League, Rini Coolen managed to secure the signatures of
Socceroos
The Australia men's national soccer team represents Australia in international men's soccer. Officially nicknamed the Socceroos, the team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia, which is affiliated wit ...
Bruce Djite,
Jon McKain and
Dario Vidošić
Dario Vidošić ( ; ; (born 8 April 1987) is a former Australian footballer and current coach who is the interim manager of A-League Women club Melbourne City FC Women.
Club career Early life
Vidošić was born on 8 April 1987 in Osijek to ...
; with the latter being offered the Australian marquee player status at the club for the season.
On 18 December 2011 it was announced that head coach
Rini Coolen
Rini Coolen (born 10 February 1967) is a Dutch retired football defender and currently the Head of the Feyenoord Academy.
Club career
Coolen played professionally for Go Ahead Eagles, Heracles, De Graafschap and AZ.
Managerial career
He r ...
had been sacked and replaced by former coach
John Kosmina
Alexander John Kosmina (born 17 August 1956), known as John Kosmina, is an Australian former football (soccer) player and manager, most recently being the Senior Head Coach of Brisbane Strikers. He is a member of the Football Federation Austral ...
as caretaker coach for the rest of the season, including the AFC Champions League group stage of 2012. As part of Kosmina's takeover of the head coaching position, Eugene Galeković was named club captain on 28 December 2011, replacing Jon McKain.
Their fourth appearance in the competition – more times than any other Australian club – Adelaide qualified for the
2012 AFC Champions League playoff round by finishing third in the
2010–11 A-League. They were placed in Group E, quickly dubbed the 'Group of Death' by numerous commentators, alongside
Bunyodkor
The Swallows uz, Osiyo BarselonasiAsian Barcelona
, shortname =
, image = Bunyodkor logo.png
, image_size = 200px
, founded =
, ground = Milliy Stadium
, capacity = 34,000
, chairman =
, ceo =
, mgrtitle = Ma ...
,
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...
and
Pohang Steelers. Adelaide qualified through to the Round of 16 for a third time and then went on to qualify for the quarter finals with a 1–0 win at home against Nagoya Grampus.
Adelaide faced Bunyodkor in the quarter-finals. Adelaide surrendered a 2–0 lead at home, with Bunyodkor clawing back to end 2–2. The return leg in Tashkent was again locked at 2–2 after 90 minutes of play, requiring the game to go to extra time and possible penalties thereafter. Despite an
Iain Ramsay goal in the third minute to give Adelaide the lead, Bunyodkor eventually eliminated Adelaide by scoring in
added extra time. Adelaide ended the match with nine men, having
Iain Fyfe and
Fabian Barbiero both sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
Adelaide United's 2012–13 season was John Kosmina's first full season as permanent coach since being appointed in a caretaker role from Rini Coolen in December 2011. The season was also Kosmina's first in charge at Adelaide since the 2006–07 season. John Kosmina had expressed his desire to the club for a two-year extension to his contract, but rumours publicly emerged of assistant coach Michael Valkanis being offered a contract extension, but not Kosmina. The coach resigned shortly thereafter. Valkanis was appointed as interim coach until the end of the season, with former
Adelaide City
Adelaide City Football Club is a soccer club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club was known historically as Juventus — the original name given to the club by its founders in Adelaide's Italian community.
Adelaide City is one of Aust ...
player
Sergio Melta
Sergio Melta (born 16 March 1954), is a former Australian footballer, who had an extensive career in Australia's National Soccer League, spent entirely with Adelaide City.
Playing career Club
Melta won the NSL's player of the year award in 1984 ...
being appointed as his assistant.
The Reds finished the A-League season fourth but were knocked out of Championship contention by Brisbane Roar 2–1 in an elimination final.
On 30 April 2013,
Josep Gombau
Josep Gombau Balague (born 5 June 1976) is a Spanish professional football manager who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Odisha.
He is a former Barcelona youth team coach and has held multiple positions at the club's youth ...
signed a two-season deal as coach, arriving at the club in July 2013.
In the winter transfer window, Gombau was quick to add Spanish flavour into the squad. His first two signings were compatriots and Barcelona youth products
Sergio Cirio
Sergio Cirio Olivares (; born 9 March 1985) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a striker or left winger, currently manager of UD Ibiza B.
Club career
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Cirio had a six-year youth spell at FC Barcelona's ...
and
Isaías Sánchez
Isaías Sánchez Cortés (; born 9 February 1987), known simply as Isaías, is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Australian club Adelaide United.
He spent most of his career in Australia with Adelaide United after ...
. Gombau also brought his long-time assistant coach Pau Marti to work alongside existing assistant coach
Michael Valkanis
Mihalis "Michael" Valkanis (Greek: Μιχάλης "Μάικελ" Βαλκάνης; born 23 August 1974) is a Greek Australian former football (soccer) player and was previously a manager of Melbourne City FC.
Club career
Valkanis rose through ...
.
He also added other players including
Tarek Elrich
Tariq ( ar, طارق) is an Arabic word and given name.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Arabic verb , ('), meaning "to strike", and into the agentive conjugated doer form , ('), meaning "striker". It became popular as a name after Tariq ...
and
Steven Lustica
Steven Lustica ( hr, Luštica; born 12 April 1991) is an Australian soccer player who plays for Western United.
He is of Croat heritage, his relative Slavko Luštica was a footballer at Hajduk Split.
Club career
Gold Coast
On 24 April 2009 ...
,
Michael Zullo
Michael Zullo (born 11 September 1988) is an Australian professional footballer who last played as a left-back for Sydney FC of the A-League.
Club career
After being signed by the former Brisbane Roar coach Frank Farina on a two-year contract, ...
for a season long loan and
Brent McGrath as a four-week injury replacement player.
Awer Mabil
Awer Bul Mabil (born 15 September 1995) is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for La Liga club Cádiz. Born in Kenya, he represents the Australia national team at international level.
Born a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, ...
and
Jordan Elsey
Jordan Elsey (born 2 March 1994) is an Australian footballer who plays as a centre back for Newcastle Jets in the A-League.
Playing career
In December 2013, Elsey joined Hong Kong First Division club Kitchee on loan, however he was recalled ea ...
were also promoted from the youth system, each rewarded with two-year contracts. Sergio van Dijk was transferred to
Persib Bandung
Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Bandung ( 'Indonesian Football Association of Bandung'), commonly referred to as Persib Bandung, or simply Persib, is a professional football club based in Bandung, West Java, which competes in Liga 1, the to ...
and Dario Vidošić to
Sion
Sion may refer to
* an alternative transliteration of Zion
People
* Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name
Pl ...
for a reported $700,000 transfer fee.
The Reds had a shaky start to their season under new manager Gombau. They had only a single win in their first nine games for the season and early calls started for the club to show the door to the new man in charge. Gombau quickly changed the club's fortunes, getting his second win in round 10 against the Central Coast Mariners, with a 4–0 result. The team continued this form to finish sixth on the table after the 27 home-and-away games, which let them into the finals by two points. Adelaide's season was ended by Central Coast in the elimination final, losing 1–0.
The Reds' highest attendance in the 2013–14 season was 16,504 in the round 2 clash with Melbourne Victory at Hindmarsh Stadium which ended in a 2–2 draw.
Carrying over from the previous season,
Josep Gombau
Josep Gombau Balague (born 5 June 1976) is a Spanish professional football manager who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Odisha.
He is a former Barcelona youth team coach and has held multiple positions at the club's youth ...
was quick to implement a
possession-based football style at Adelaide, all the way from the grass roots level of local soccer to the senior side.
Gombau further reinforced his dogmatic approach by bringing in
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
legend
Guillermo Amor
Guillermo Amor Martínez (; born 4 December 1967) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a versatile midfielder.
After spending most of his professional career with Barcelona, winning several accolades in a ten-year tenure, he ended it i ...
as the club's technical director. While winning the Adelaide fans over, Josep elevated the technical and tactical quality of the local brand, earning the respect and admiration of rival clubs, coaches and the FFA, who unanimously voted him in as coach of the A-League All Stars team for the
2014 A-League All Stars Game against the visiting Juventus. Gombau's United won the inaugural
FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
with a 1–0 win against
Perth Glory.
Gombau left the club in July 2015 to take up a youth coaching role in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Following the shock resignation of manager
Josep Gombau
Josep Gombau Balague (born 5 June 1976) is a Spanish professional football manager who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Odisha.
He is a former Barcelona youth team coach and has held multiple positions at the club's youth ...
who took up a youth coaching role in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
shortly before the start of the season, Adelaide United announced
Guillermo Amor
Guillermo Amor Martínez (; born 4 December 1967) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a versatile midfielder.
After spending most of his professional career with Barcelona, winning several accolades in a ten-year tenure, he ended it i ...
as his replacement who was serving as the club's technical director and Jacobo Ramallo as his assistant who was in charge as director of Adelaide United's Football School. Eight rounds into the season, Adelaide were without a win leaving them sitting at the bottom of the ladder with only 3 points and 3 goals scored. However, Adelaide then won 13 of their next 18 games losing just once to finish top of the ladder and win the club's second Premier's Plate. Following a week off during which the Elimination Finals were played, Adelaide United defeated
Melbourne City 4–1 in a Semi-final at
Coopers Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austra ...
to advance to the Grand Final where they would for the first time host the Grand Final at the
Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
.
In the Grand Final, the Reds finally won their first A-League championship, beating the
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier ...
3–1 in front of a crowd of 50,119.
Adelaide United were eliminated in the first round of the
2016 FFA Cup, suffering a stunning 2–1 loss to
National Premier Leagues Queensland
The National Premier League Queensland, run by Football Queensland, is the top tier state-level football (soccer) competition in Queensland. The conference is a sub division of the National Premier Leagues. The inaugural season kicked off in Marc ...
team
Redlands United FC, with the match labelled the biggest upset in FFA Cup history. Adelaide United had to replace five players from its starting grand final team including
Bruce Djite,
Craig Goodwin
Craig Alexander Goodwin (born 16 December 1991) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for Adelaide United and the Australian national team. He is Adelaide United's all-time leading goalscorer.
Club career Early career
He start ...
,
Pablo Sánchez,
Stefan Mauk and
Bruce Kamau
Bruce Kamau (born 28 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club OFI. Born in Kenya, Kamau is a youth international for Australia.
Early life
Born in Kenya, Kamau moved to Australia aged 4. He at ...
, but they were replaced with youngsters
Jesse Makarounas
Jesse David Makarounas ( el, Τσέση Δαβίδ Μακαρούνας; born 18 April 1994) is an Australian professional Association football, football (soccer) player who plays as a midfielder for Moreland City.
Early life
Born in Darwin, ...
,
Nikola Mileusnic
Nikola Mileusnic (born 17 July 1993) is an Australian football player who plays attacking midfielder for A-League Men club Brisbane Roar. He previously played for Danish Superliga club Randers and A-League Men club Adelaide United. He is one ...
,
Ben Garuccio,
Marc Marino
Marc Marino (born 30 April 1996) is an Australian professional footballer who plays a centre forward for National Premier Leagues club Campbelltown City.
Career
Born in Adelaide, Marino first came to national prominence when he was signed u ...
,
Jordan O'Doherty
Jordan O'Doherty (born 14 October 1997) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder.
Club career Adelaide United
In August 2016, O'Doherty signed a two-year senior contract with Adelaide United after playing for the ...
and
Riley McGree, experienced pair
Henrique and
James Holland, and Spanish Striker
Sergi Guardiola
Sergio "Sergi" Guardiola Navarro (born 29 May 1991) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Cádiz CF on loan from Real Valladolid.
Club career Early career
Born in M ...
on loan and South Korean
Danny Choi as an injury replacement.
Adelaide United were runners-up in the
FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
final against
Sydney FC by a 2–1 scoreline.
Marco Kurz
Marco Kurz (born 16 May 1969) is a German football manager and former player who played as a defender. He last managed Australian side Melbourne Victory.
Playing career
Kurz, who played as a defender, started playing football at SV Sillenbuch, ...
then had his first
A-League game against
Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. It competes in the Australian A-League, under licence from Football Federation Australia. Phoenix entered the competition in the ...
by a 1–1 draw. Their topscorer was their new signing,
Johan Absalonsen
Johan Hindsgaul Absalonsen (born 16 September 1985) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a left winger. He has played two games and scored one goal for the Denmark national team.
Club career B1913
Born in Flemløse near Gl ...
who scored 8 goals in all competitions this season. They finish 5th in the
A-League until then they lost in the elimination-final against
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
by a 2–1 scoreline with a crowd of 15,502.
2018–present: FFA Cup success
Adelaide United were the
FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
champions after defeating
Sydney FC 2–1 in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
at
Coopers Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austra ...
. On March 19, 2019, the club announced they would not be renewing
Marco Kurz
Marco Kurz (born 16 May 1969) is a German football manager and former player who played as a defender. He last managed Australian side Melbourne Victory.
Playing career
Kurz, who played as a defender, started playing football at SV Sillenbuch, ...
' contract. United finished 4th in the regular season.
Craig Goodwin
Craig Alexander Goodwin (born 16 December 1991) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for Adelaide United and the Australian national team. He is Adelaide United's all-time leading goalscorer.
Club career Early career
He start ...
was United's leading goalscorer scoring 15 goals across all competitions. The Reds hosted an elimination final against
Melbourne City where they came out 1–0 victors with the goal coming from
Ben Halloran in the 119th minute. Adelaide United were then eliminated in the semi-finals following a loss to
Perth Glory on penalties after playing out a 3–3 draw.
In the
2019 FFA Cup Final, Adelaide defeated Melbourne City 4–0 at home, further increasing their claim to have the most FFA Cup titles with three.
Sponsors
Adelaide United's 2009–10 playing kit didn't feature a sponsor on the front of their kit. Towards the end of the season, United signed a deal with Jim's Group which saw the Jim's Plumbing logo feature on the front of United's home and away kits. The deal only lasted for the remainder of the season as the logo wasn't displayed on Adelaide's home or away kits in the 2010–11 season.
On 16 December 2010,
Coopers Brewery
Coopers Brewery Limited, the largest Australian-owned brewery, is based in the Adelaide suburb of Regency Park. Coopers is known for making a variety of beers, the most famous of which are its Pale Ale and Sparkling Ale. In the twelve month ...
announced that their logo would feature on the front of the jersey for the remainder of the season, in a deal worth to be around $200,000.
As of 1 April 2011, all
A-League clubs were able to negotiate new kit supplier deals as the previous contract with
Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
had elapsed and as such, Adelaide United negotiated a 3-year deal with
Erreà
Erreà () is an Italian sports equipment company supplier. Erreà was the first Italian sportswear company to be accredited with the Oeko-tex standard certification, which assures that garments textiles are free from harmful chemicals.
Backgrou ...
.
On 2 March 2012, the club announced
Legea
Legea (stylised as LEGEA) is an Italian sportswear company, founded in 1993 by brothers Giovanni, Emilia and Luigi Acanfora. It is one of the most popular brands among Italian amateur football teams, then expanding to professional clubs.
Legea is ...
as the official kit suppliers for their 2012
Asian Champions League campaign.
Legea
Legea (stylised as LEGEA) is an Italian sportswear company, founded in 1993 by brothers Giovanni, Emilia and Luigi Acanfora. It is one of the most popular brands among Italian amateur football teams, then expanding to professional clubs.
Legea is ...
are exclusively supplying all of the team's authentic on-field and off-field apparel for the clubs 6
ACL group-stage matches.
Crest
Adelaide United's original strip was made using the three
South Australian state colours: red, blue and yellow. The shirt was mainly red with a large yellow stripe down both sleeves with blue being used for the short colour and the stripe running down each side of the top. The badge also uses the state colours in a stylised swoosh, above what appears to be a football made with the
Southern Cross
Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...
, as opposed to the traditional hexagonal panels of a football. The football is similar in appearance to that of the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
logo.
Colours and badge
Since their inception into the A-League, Adelaide United's kits, along with the rest of the league, have been manufactured by
Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
. United's kit has moved towards a predominately all-red kit, both top and shorts, with black trim. Originally, the away strip was predominantly white, with red sleeves and yellow trim however in 2009 the club launched a predominantly black 'clash' strip.
The launch of the new national league also saw Adelaide launch a new badge; while keeping a similar look and feel as its predecessor the new badge takes the form of more traditional football badge with its shield like border.
Adelaide United is most commonly referred to as "The Reds" because of their predominantly red playing kit. In February 2009 the club's head coach, Aurelio Vidmar referred to the City of Adelaide as a "Pissant Town" after suffering a heartbreaking loss. The club's supporters eventually utilised the name "Pissants" as a term of endearment and it became an unofficial nickname of the club between its supporters.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Stadium
![HindmarshStadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/HindmarshStadium.JPG)
Adelaide United play their home matches at
Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austral ...
with the exceptions being when they played two games a year at Adelaide Oval, one against interstate rivals Melbourne Victory and traditional rivals Sydney FC. Even though Adelaide lost the first of these two encounters 3–1, it was South Australia's largest Association Football crowd in history with 25,039 people filling the stands, many others were turned away at the gates. The second match in 2009 saw 23,002 people attend the game.
Hindmarsh Stadium
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
is 16,500. Adelaide United's first home game in the now-defunct
National Soccer League saw over 15,000 supporters watch Adelaide win 1–0 over the
Brisbane Strikers
Brisbane Strikers Football Club is an Australian semi-professional football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in 1991 as Brisbane United, the club competed in the National Soccer League until the 2003–04 season and was one of tw ...
.
A-League crowds have averaged 10,947 in
2005–06 and over 12,000 supporters attending in both
2006–07 and
2007–08 seasons. Even with a lack of on-field success, crowds at United's games remained healthy during the
2009–10 season relative to other clubs, largely due to the club's strong community-based initiatives. The record attendance for Hindmarsh Stadium was a full house of 17,000 on 12 November 2008 against Gamba Osaka in the historic second leg of the ACL final.
Support
![Adelaide United Fans (395036058)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Adelaide_United_Fans_%28395036058%29.jpg)
Adelaide United's main active
supporters' group is called the Red Army.
Rivalries
Adelaide United's rivals are
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victor ...
. Adelaide was again one of two of the leading teams in the
2006–07 season this time against Melbourne that saw an altercation between John Kosmina, the Adelaide United manager, and
Kevin Muscat
Kevin Vincent Muscat (born 7 August 1973) is an Australian former association football player and the current manager of Yokohama F. Marinos. As a player, he represented the Australia national team at international level winning 46 caps and sco ...
after the Victory captain knocked Kosmina over after entering the technical area to retrieve a ball. Kosmina then jumped up and grabbed Muscat around the throat for a few seconds. Season events culminated in the year's grandfinal that saw Adelaide captain,
Ross Aloisi
Ross Aloisi (born 17 April 1973) is a former Australian soccer player who was the captain of Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League – a team he guided to a minor premiership, a pre-season cup and two Asian Champions League campaigns. After ...
, sent off and Melbourne winning 6–0. The rivalry went beyond extreme after Melbourne defeated Adelaide United 1–0 in the 2008–09 grand final with United imported striker, Cristiano, given a controversial straight
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
. The rivalry then went even further when Adelaide United defeated Melbourne 4–1 at AAMI Park, after United had been suffering a record-breaking 10-game losing streak against the Victory.
Affiliated clubs
*
Qingdao Red Lions
Qingdao Red Lions Football Club is a professional football club and academy from Qingdao in Shandong province, China. The first team has its home base in Laixi city, with youth training taking part in Laixi and several districts of Qingdao. ...
Both the Adelaide and Qingdao based clubs are owned by current chairman Piet van der Pol and the goal of the partnership is to give more opportunities to Chinese players. Then Director of Football
Bruce Djite has said, "The idea is to develop Chinese players to create stronger links between us and Qingdao Red Lions."
Chen Yongbin was the first player to sign from Qingdao to Adelaide on a one year deal. He did not make an appearance for the senior side but made appearances in the
Y-League
A-League Youth, formerly known as the National Youth League and Y-League, is an Australian national soccer youth developmental and under-21s league, founded by Football Federation Australia and now run by the Australian Professional Leagues. T ...
, he departed following the end to his contract.
Statistics and records
![BruceDjite](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/BruceDjite.JPG)
Adelaide United have won one Championship in the
A-League Men
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
. They hold the highest number of
FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
trophies, with 3. The club is the only team to have won the FFA Cup twice in succession, in 2018 and 2019.
Adelaide United was the first A-League club to appear in the
AFC Champions League in 2008.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier ...
are the only team since to achieve the milestone. The Final result had Adelaide losing in a 5–0 loss with both legs having them be defeated by
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...
3–0 and 2–0.
Eugene Galekovic
Eugen Josip Galekovic ( ; hr, Eugen Josip Galeković, ; born 12 June 1981) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the current goalkeeper coach for Adelaide United.
Biography
Club career
Galekovic's j ...
holds the record for most Adelaide United appearances, having played 285 first-team matches between 2007 and 2017.
Craig Goodwin
Craig Alexander Goodwin (born 16 December 1991) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for Adelaide United and the Australian national team. He is Adelaide United's all-time leading goalscorer.
Club career Early career
He start ...
is the club's top goalscorer with 45 goals in all competitions from three spells from 2014 to 2016, 2018-2019 and 2021 to present.
Adelaide United's record home attendance is 50,119 at the
A-League Grand Final match against the
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club (colloquially known as Western Sydney, or simply as Wanderers) is an Australian professional soccer club based in the Western Sydney region of Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier ...
on 1 May 2016 at
Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
. The record attendance for a home and away A-League Season game is 25,039 for a 1–3 loss against
Sydney FC on 28 December 2007, also at
Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
. Adelaide United's record home attendance of all competitions at
Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from Adelaide-based company Coopers Brewery) is a multi-purpose stadium in Hindmarsh, an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Austral ...
was 17,000 against
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...
in the
AFC Champions League Final in 2008.
Players
First team squad
Youth
:Players to have been featured in a first-team matchday squad for Adelaide United.
Former players
Coaching staff
Honours
Domestic
*
A-League Men
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
Premiership
:Winners (2):
2005–06,
2015–16
:Runners-up (2):
2006–07,
2008–09
*
A-League Men
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
Championship
:Winners (1):
2016
:Runners-up (2):
2007,
2009
*
Australia Cup
:Winners (3):
2014,
2018,
2019
:Runners-up (1):
2017
*
A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was an annual soccer tournament held for all A-League clubs in July and August in the lead up to the start of the A-League season. The competition featured a group stage and a knockout stage. ...
:Winners (2):
2006,
2007
AFC
*
AFC Champions League
:Runners-up (1):
2008
Other
The Aurelio Vidmar Club Champion (Player of the Year)
Notable players
''The following is a
list of Adelaide United FC players who have achieved at least two of the following criteria:''
*Departed the club with a transfer fee
*Featured in the squad of sixteen of an A-League or
FFA Cup
The Australia Cup, formerly known as the FFA Cup until the 2021 season, is the national football knockout cup competition in Australia. This annual competition is organised by Football Australia, formerly known as Football Federation Austral ...
grand final victory
*Had international caps for their respective country whilst playing for the club
*International notoriety signing
*Made over five appearances in an A-League premiership winning season
*Made over fifty appearances across all competitions
*Was a product of the
youth academy
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
*Winner of the A-League grand final man of the match medal, the
Johnny Warren Medal
The Johnny Warren Medal is awarded to the best player of the Australian national soccer club competition. It was first awarded in the National Soccer League in 1990, and upon the NSL's demise in November 2004, was carried forward into the new nat ...
*Winner of the best & fairest, the 'Aurelio Vidmar Club Champion'
;Australia
*
Aaron Goulding
Aaron Goulding (born 29 April 1982 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia) is an Australian footballer who last played for Parafield Gardens.
Club career
In 2005, he played for Adelaide United in the A-League,Al Hassan Toure
Al Hassan Toure (born 30 May 2000) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Macarthur FC in the A-League.
Toure is eligible to represent Australia, Guinea and Liberia at national level. Toure was called up to th ...
*
Angelo Costanzo
*
Aurelio Vidmar
Aurelio Vidmar ( ; born 3 February 1967) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Thai League 1 club Bangkok United.
He is a former captain of the Australia national team and former coach ...
*
Awer Mabil
Awer Bul Mabil (born 15 September 1995) is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for La Liga club Cádiz. Born in Kenya, he represents the Australia national team at international level.
Born a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, ...
*
Ben Halloran
*
Bruce Djite
*
Bruce Kamau
Bruce Kamau (born 28 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club OFI. Born in Kenya, Kamau is a youth international for Australia.
Early life
Born in Kenya, Kamau moved to Australia aged 4. He at ...
*
Cameron Watson
*
Carl Veart
Thomas Carl Veart (born 21 May 1970 in Whyalla, South Australia, Australia) is an Australian former footballer who is the head coach for Adelaide United.
Club career
He previously played in England for Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Mill ...
*
Craig Goodwin
Craig Alexander Goodwin (born 16 December 1991) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for Adelaide United and the Australian national team. He is Adelaide United's all-time leading goalscorer.
Club career Early career
He start ...
*
Daniel Mullen
*
Dario Vidosic
Dario is a masculine given name, etymologically related to Darius.
Given name
*Dario Allevi (born 1965), Italian politician
*Dario Argento (born 1940), Italian film director
* Dario Badinelli (born 1946), Italian triple jumper
*Dario Bellezza (1 ...
*
Dylan McGowan
Dylan John McGowan (born 6 August 1991) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Hamilton Academical, on loan from Kilmarnock.
Early life
McGowan was born in Adelaide into a Scottish family from Glasgow. He is the ...
*
Eugene Galekovic
Eugen Josip Galekovic ( ; hr, Eugen Josip Galeković, ; born 12 June 1981) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is the current goalkeeper coach for Adelaide United.
Biography
Club career
Galekovic's j ...
*
Fabian Barbiero
*
George Mells
George John Mells Jr. (born 23 May 1997) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Port Melbourne.
Football career
Born in Melbourne, Mells played youth football for Chelsea and Southampton before returning ...
*
Iain Fyfe
*
Isaac Richards
*
James Jeggo
James Alexander Jeggo ( ; born 12 February 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Belgian club Eupen. Born in Austria, he represents the Australia national team. Jeggo moved to Australia as a child, where he sta ...
*
Jason Spagnuolo
*
John Hall John Hall may refer to:
Academics
* John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic
* John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal
* John F. Hall (born 1951), professor of classics at Brigham Young Unive ...
*
Jordan Elsey
Jordan Elsey (born 2 March 1994) is an Australian footballer who plays as a centre back for Newcastle Jets in the A-League.
Playing career
In December 2013, Elsey joined Hong Kong First Division club Kitchee on loan, however he was recalled ea ...
*
Kristian Rees
Kristian Rees (born 6 January 1980 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a central defender.
Club career
He made his NSL debut playing for Adelaide City. He was also a member of Adelaide United's minor-pre ...
*
Lachlan Brook
*
Louis D'Arrigo
Louis Joseph D'Arrigo (born 23 September 2001), is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Adelaide United. He is of Maltese descent.
Club career Adelaide United
D'Arrigo made his professional debut in a Round 21 clas ...
*
Lucas Pantelis
*
Matthew Kemp
*
Michael Marrone
*
Michael Valkanis
Mihalis "Michael" Valkanis (Greek: Μιχάλης "Μάικελ" Βαλκάνης; born 23 August 1974) is a Greek Australian former football (soccer) player and was previously a manager of Melbourne City FC.
Club career
Valkanis rose through ...
*
Mohamed Toure
*
Nathan Burns
Nathan Burns (born 7 May 1988) is a retired Australian professional footballer who last played for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League and the Australian national team.
Club career Adelaide United
He formerly played for Parramatta Eagles and ...
*
Nathan Konstandopoulos
Nathan Konstandopoulos (born 26 June 1996) is an Australian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Melbourne Victory in the A-League.
Club career
Konstandopoulos played for Adelaide United and was released. He trained for a week with B ...
*
Nigel Boogaard
*
Osama Malik
Osama "Ozzie" Malik ( ar, أسامة ملك ; born 30 September 1990) is an Australian professional association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Indian Super League club Odisha FC, Odisha.
Club caree ...
*
Paul Izzo
Paul David Izzo (born 6 January 1995) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a des ...
*
Paul Reid
*
Riley McGree
*
Richie Alagich
Richie Alagich (born 30 October 1973, in Adelaide) is a retired Australian footballer.
Club career Early career
Born in Woodville, South Australia, Alagich played representative football for his home state from 1985 through to 1991. He started ...
*
Ross Aloisi
Ross Aloisi (born 17 April 1973) is a former Australian soccer player who was the captain of Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League – a team he guided to a minor premiership, a pre-season cup and two Asian Champions League campaigns. After ...
*
Ryan Kitto
Ryan Kitto is an Australian Association football, football (soccer) player who plays as a left back for Adelaide United FC, Adelaide United.
Career
Adelaide United
Kitto started his career with West Torrens Birkalla SC, West Torrens Birkalla, ...
*
Ryan Strain
*
Stefan Mauk
*
Tarek Elrich
Tariq ( ar, طارق) is an Arabic word and given name.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Arabic verb , ('), meaning "to strike", and into the agentive conjugated doer form , ('), meaning "striker". It became popular as a name after Tariq ...
*
Taylor Regan
Taylor Francis George Regan (born 16 November 1988) is an Australian football (soccer) player who plays as a defender for Charlestown Azzurri.
Career
Newcastle Jets
Regan joined the Jets as part of the youth system in 2008 from state league ...
*
Travis Dodd
Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
;Argentina
*
Marcelo Carrusca
Marcelo Adrián Carrusca (; born 1 September 1983), is an Argentine-Australian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Born in La Plata, Carrusca started his professional career at Estudiantes de La Plata before ...
*
Marcos Flores
Marcos Abel Flores Benard (; born 23 October 1985) is a retired Argentine professional footballer who last played for, and captained, Adelaide City.
Biography
Unión de Santa Fe
On 17 April 2004, Flores made his senior debut for Argentine club ...
;Brazil
*
Cássio Oliveira
;Netherlands
*
Sergio van Dijk
Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk (born 6 August 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the top goal scorer in the 2010–11 A-League regular season and made a name for himself in Australian football for his prolifi ...
;Denmark
*
Michael Jakobsen
Michael Jakobsen (born 2 January 1986) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a defender for National Premier Leagues South Australia club Adelaide Olympic. He was named 2002 Danish ''Under-17 Player of the Year'', and has played fi ...
;Italy
*
Iacopo La Rocca
Iacopo La Rocca (born 17 February 1984) is an Italian-Australian professional footballer & coach, who played as a defensive midfielder or central defender.
Club career
La Rocca started his youth career at Lazio, before moving to his first club P ...
;Portugal
*
Fábio Ferreira
;Spain
*
Isaías Sánchez
Isaías Sánchez Cortés (; born 9 February 1987), known simply as Isaías, is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Australian club Adelaide United.
He spent most of his career in Australia with Adelaide United after ...
*
Pablo Sánchez
*
Sergio Cirio
Sergio Cirio Olivares (; born 9 March 1985) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a striker or left winger, currently manager of UD Ibiza B.
Club career
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Cirio had a six-year youth spell at FC Barcelona's ...
See also
* Adelaide United Women –
Adelaide United FC (W-League)
Adelaide United Football Club is an Australian women's soccer team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 2008, it is the affiliated women's team of Adelaide United. The team competes in the country's premier women's soccer competiti ...
References
External links
*
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