Alessandro Diamanti will launch into a coaching career at Melbourne City, after he retired from professional football with Western United at the end of last season.
Italian star Alessandro Diamanti will begin the transition from playing legend to coach working with Australian kids, after being unveiled as Melbourne City’s new Senior Academy Coach.
The Italian dynamo retired at the end of last season, following four seasons with City’s state rivals Western United and a storied career overseas, and will begin at City in September.
Diamanti, who won 17 caps for Italy and played at the 2012 Euros, will also assist the men’s coaching throughout their pre-season campaign, as they gear up for the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League season.
He will also take over from current head coach Crisdion Krstevski as the manager of their NPL Victoria side, with the latter to take on a soon to be announced role within the football department.
“It was an easy decision for me to join Melbourne City and I’m really excited to start the next
chapter of my life and football journey,” Diamanti said.
“I chose the club for the project that was presented to me and I can’t wait to start, and to make myself available to everyone. I will approach my new role at City with the same qualities that have accompanied me all these years on the pitch; passion, humility and respect.
“I look forward to sharing my experiences and passion with the young players, giving my best to help them maximise their potential both on and off the pitch, all while never losing the joy that comes from this wonderful sport.”
Diamanti said coaching was always something he wanted to go into when he hung up the boots. “My focus has always been with the young guys,” he said.
“I have been 15 years captain, I was always likely to be the oldest in the change room so I was always able to give a lot of advice, a lot of sharing of my experience with the young guys.
“I want to share my experience because I was lucky enough to play with some of the best players in the world. A lot of them are my friends so I know how they are training, they are eating, they are drinking, they are resting, everything they do.
“I want to help them reach their dream and play for football for life.”
“My goal is to develop the guys and I want to put them in the situation where they are ready to go in the first team or Europe… I want to [have them ready] to stay there and not after one or two years they come back. I want them to stay there for life. To build a career there and to reach their dream.
“It will be a challenge, but we love a challenge and we are ready.”
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City Director of Football Michael Petrillo said he’s looking forward to Diamanti joining the club, saying his experience will be invaluable to City’s youngsters.
“To have someone with Alessandro’s playing experience is such an asset to the club’s Academy
coaching staff,” Petrillo said.
“What impressed me most about Alessandro was the positivity and passion he showed to want to coach young players, and his affinity with the City style of football.
“What he will be able to pass on to our aspiring ALM footballers will be invaluable. Alessandro
was a player who didn’t just walk into to the top levels of football, but he had to change a lot of things about the way he approached the game.
“This experience will hold him in good stead to assist all of our players at the club to be the best they can.”
