Melbourne Heart FC is delighted to confirm the appointment of Joe Palatsides as Head Coach of its National Youth League side for the 2012/13 season.
Melbourne Heart FC is delighted to confirm the appointment of Joe Palatsides as Head Coach of its National Youth League side for the 2012/13 season.
Recently returned home to Melbourne after close to two decades abroad, Palatsides arrives at Heart having been one of the few Australians to coach top flight European football.
“I-ve been away for 18 years now, playing and coaching overseas. I started my coaching career in Greece and for the last 10 years I-ve been coaching there with success. Coming to Australia is the next step,” he said.
“Melbourne Heart is a great organisation and a professional set-up. It-s fantastic to be back in this environment and I-m excited by this opportunity. I-m pleased the Club has chosen to bring me on board, and I-m hoping to vindicate this decision.”
Joining Hayden Foxe and Joey Didulica as new additions to the Club-s coaching panel, Palatsides brings a wealth of elite coaching experience to the team and will play a crucial role in developing Heart-s next generation.
With a stated goal of aiding Heart-s youngsters make the transition from youth to senior team football, Palatsides will draw on his nous to guide the fledgling members of the Club-s playing stocks in their bid to become fully formed professionals.
“With the youth league, I will assist John in any way he needs and I will have match day responsibilities. It-s my job mainly to assist John with the senior team, then assimilate that to the youth team and hopefully develop enough players to bring them up,” he said.
“Our aim is to develop players and play some good football along the way. Hopefully that will combine with results and we-ll see a couple of boys play in the senior team.”
