Victory axe Diles, hunt for new A-League Men coach

Melbourne Victory person sacked manager Arthur Diles pursuing their A-League Men elimination last exit.

Off-contract Diles was adamant helium was the antheral for the occupation going forward, but connected Monday paid the terms for this month’s knock-out nonaccomplishment to Sydney FC.

AAP has confirmed the nine opted not to renew Diles’s contract, conscionable 18 months aft the Sydneysider took the reins, initially connected an interim basis, successful December 2024.

The Victory will present request to hunt for a third caput manager successful arsenic galore seasons since now-Socceroos brag Tony Popovic resigned astatine the extremity of the 2023-24 campaign.

Patrick Kisnorbo replaced him but departed conscionable 7 ALM games into a three-year woody to take up a relation with Japanese nine Yokohama F. Marinos successful December 2024.

Diles, an adjunct to Popovic and Kisnorbo, was named interim manager earlier earning the full-time relation past January.

He managed to take the Victory to the 2024-25 expansive final, which they mislaid to Melbourne City, earlier ending with a fourth-placed decorativeness this year.

The 44-year-old besides deserved recognition for taking a punt connected Juan Mata aft the Spaniard’s tough stint astatine Western Sydney, with the superstar playmaker arguably the subordinate of the A-League Men play with 5 goals and 13 assists.

But successful a cruel twist of fate, Diles’s Victory were knocked retired by a Sydney FC team led by caller interim brag Kisnorbo, who has since steered the Sky Blues to the expansive final.

Across his interim and full-time roles, Diles took the Victory to 20 wins, 13 draws and 17 losses.

The club’s adjacent brag will take complaint successful an epoch where A-League Men trophies person proved elusive for the Victory.

They past won the title under Kevin Muscat successful 2017-18 and the premiership under the aforesaid nine large successful 2014-15.

Popovic is the lone manager to present men’s silverware astatine the Victory successful caller years, claiming the Australia Cup successful 2022.

The Victory declined to remark when approached by AAP connected Monday night.

Source: AAP