Melbourne Victory coach Patrick Kisnorbo quits club days out from derby match with Melbourne City
Melbourne Victory will be without their head coach for this weekend’s derby with Melbourne City FC after he quit the club to pursue an unspecified “overseas opportunity”.
Patrick Kisnorbo had only been at the club six months after being sacked from French club Troyes and has led the Victory to third place on the ladder after 12 matches. He had signed a three-year deal to stay at Victory until 2027.
Assistant Coach Arthur Diles will take over the reins until a permanent replacement is appointed.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We are disappointed to see Patrick depart the Club so early in his expected journey with us, however Patrick has advised us that this is an opportunity he wanted to take for his own development as a coach,” Chairman John Dovaston said.
The club said Diles was well-suited to handle the team through a challenging period over the festive season.
“We thank Patrick for his service and wish him all the best. As our attention turns to the rest of the season, we know Arthur is in an excellent position to further build on the strong foundations established as we ultimately strive for silverware,” Managing Director Caroline Carnegie said.
“Arthur has a deep understanding of the team’s dynamics and is well-equipped to ensure stability, maintain focus and provide leadership as the team moves forward.”
Kisnorno played 67 games for South Melbourne before moving to Europe where he played for Hearts in Scotland and Leicester City and Leeds United in England.
He also played 18 games for Australia and finished his career playing for Melbourne City in 2013 before retiring in 2015.
The 43-year-old began his coaching career at Melbourne City as an assistant with the women’s side before becoming the team’s head coach in 2017.
He started coaching the men’s side as an assistant the following year before becoming that side’s head coach in 2020 and leading the team to its first A-League title in 2021.
The success gained the attention of Troyes who hired him in 2022 to coach in the top-flight French league.
In the first season the team was relegated to the second league and after only winning twice in the first 15 games of the 2023–24 season was dangerously close to further relegation.
He departed in December last year before signing on with Victory.
With AAP
