Melbourne City FC can confirm that Head Coach, Patrick Kisnorbo, has departed to join sister City Football Group club, ES Troyes AC in France’s Ligue 1.
Kisnorbo becomes the first Australian to manage in one of Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues and does so directly after a hugely successful tenure in his home city of Melbourne. Current Assistant Coach, Ralph Napoli, will depart alongside Kisnorbo, becoming his assistant at ES Troyes.
Rado Vidosic, current City A-League Women’s Head Coach, takes over as Men’s Interim Head Coach and will be supported by current Assistant Coach Petr Kratky and Goalkeeper Coach Mike van Houten as well as NPL Seniors Head Coach John Maisano. Dario Vidosic moves to the role of Interim Women’s Head Coach.
Commenting on the changes, Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse, said:
“We consider ourselves lucky to have been able to hold onto Patrick for so long, and we celebrate what he has achieved at Melbourne City. He has been instrumental in establishing our club’s philosophy and methodology in a way that it is now sustainable and can be built upon further.
“Our success has come because we are all committed to the way we approach the game and the resulting ways in which we train and play. That approach is now fundamental to the club’s identity. It will be the foundation that Rado and the coaching team will continue to build upon and evolve as we continue the push for silverware.”
“Rado has a long history in the A-League Men’s competition, previously involved as a Technical Director, Assistant Coach and Caretaker Coach at Brisbane Roar, plus time as an assistant at Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix.”
His time in assistant roles saw him work with the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Kevin Muscat and Graham Arnold, while he oversaw the development of players such as Jordan Bos and Socceroos Nathaniel Atkinson and Connor Metcalfe in his role as City Academy Technical Director.
Director of Football, Michael Petrillo, said he was pleased that the club can create pathways for not just players to achieve their dreams, but coaches too.
“To see how Patrick’s journey has evolved over the last few years fills me with immense pride and satisfaction. There is nobody more deserving to be given an opportunity such as this and I am sure he will continue to be successful and build on the work he has already done.
“Our entire coaching team share a desire to win playing football in the City way and I wish PK, Rado, Dario and all of our coaches and backroom staff the same success in their new endeavours.”
First joining the club as a player in 2013, Kisnorbo made 81 appearances with majority coming as Captain from 2014-16.
He immediately began his coaching badges upon his retirement, before going on to win five trophies beginning with a Youth Championship in 2017 and Women’s Championship in 2018.
Kisnorbo then was an assistant of the Men’s squad before being appointed to the role of Head Coach in 2020. He led the team to the ‘double’ in his first season in charge, before winning a second consecutive Premiers Plate and overseeing City’s debut AFC Champions League campaign in season 2021/22.
