BREAKING: John Aloisi gets Heart head coach gig
Roar Guru 
John Aloisi announces he's joining new A-Leauge franchise Melbourne Heart FC - Slattery Media
Related coverage
John Aloisi has pipped fellow former Socceroo Ante Milicic to be named head coach of the Melbourne Heart.
Aloisi will replace John Van’t Schip in the dugout for next season after just one year of coaching experience. The 36-year old was in charge of the Heart’s youth side last season and they finished fourth in the National Youth League.
Aloisi was duelling with Heart assistant coach Milici for the top job, and now Milicic may depart to join the new Western Sydney A-League club.
The first Australian to play top flight football in the three best leagues in the world – the Serie A, La Liga and the English Premier League – Aloisi is best known for scoring the winning penalty against Uruguay in the World Cup qualifier in 2005.
The Adelaide-born coach, who has 55 caps for Australia, had playing stints with Central Coast, Sydney FC and the Heart in the A-League. He retired from playing at the end of the 2010-2011 season and will be the youngest coach in the competition next season.
Milicic is also a former Socceroo, with six caps for Australia, and played for the Newcastle Jets and Brisbane Roar in the A-League.
The 38-year has more coaching experience than Aloisi after two seasons with Sydney United in the NSW Premier League, serving as an assistant coach for the Young Socceroos 2009-2011 and spending two seasons as an assistant to Van’t Schip at the Heart.
It is believed Aloisi’s marketability and high profile helped him get over the line for the job. The Heart may appoint a senior assistant or experienced older coach to help Aloisi in his new role.
Passionate about your football? Then sign up to The Roar's brand new daily football email, delivering Roaring articles directly to you day-in, day-out. You'll love it!
Click here to join now!
Looking to join The Roar team? We're searching for an experienced Group Sales Manager to lead our team in Sydney. Yes, this does mean you get to work with the site all day long! If you're a digital media sales star, we want to hear from you. Apply now.
- Explore:
- A-League, John Aloisi, melbourne heart
May 8th 2012 @ 11:48am
Johnno said | May 8th 2012 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Johnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Johnnyyy Warrrrrrrreeeeeennn . FOZ in 2005 after Aloisi penalty to take soccerroos into the promised land the World cup.
May 8th 2012 @ 11:49am
JUST GAGS said | May 8th 2012 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Great appointment. Will be successful i have no doubt.
May 8th 2012 @ 12:00pm
Australian Rules said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
Tough gig for a 36 year old, new to the coaching game…and going up against Ange at the Victory!
Good luck to John and the Heart.
May 8th 2012 @ 12:11pm
Christo the Daddyo said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
Risky….
Looks like the marketing department won that internal argument.
May 8th 2012 @ 12:36pm
Lucan said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
Ante Milicic needs to walk now. This isn’t a football appointment, if MH were serious about it Aloisi would’ve been culled early on.
Still, good luck to him. JA is a lovely guy.
May 8th 2012 @ 12:45pm
The Cattery said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
I have to agree. I’d like to wish Aloisi all the best with his appointment, but it’s crazy that you would appoint someone because they have a good profile, and anyway, is his profile that big in Melbourne to make much of a difference on the marketing side of things? I’m not so sure.
May 8th 2012 @ 12:13pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
Best of luck Johnny you deserve the appointment… Now who for SFC ?
May 8th 2012 @ 12:47pm
tommaso said | May 8th 2012 @ 12:47pm | Report comment
Congratulations John – articulate, intelligent and vast worldly experience in football – also comes from a great football pedigree family – no doubt will do well in the A league – Good Luck and all the best
May 8th 2012 @ 1:57pm
Christo the Daddyo said | May 8th 2012 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
Why do you think there is “no doubt” he will do well in the A-League?
I’m happy to take the opinion of others that he’s a nice guy, but he underperformed as a player while at SFC, and he’s got two-fifths of bugger all coaching experience. Being a nice guy doesn’t rank too highly as a coaching criteria for me.
May 8th 2012 @ 1:34pm
Chris of Brisbane said | May 8th 2012 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
Well, he was hopeless as a goal scorer when Coventry City were in the Premier League, he didn’t do anything at Sydney, so why does anyone think he’ll do anything as Melb Heart coach, with no experience – I dont think so
May 8th 2012 @ 1:34pm
Chris of Brisbane said | May 8th 2012 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
Well, he was hopeless as a goal scorer when Coventry City were in the Premier League, he didn’t do anything at Sydney, so why does anyone think he’ll do anything as Melb Heart coach, with no experience – I dont think so
May 8th 2012 @ 2:57pm
Andyroo said | May 8th 2012 @ 2:57pm | Report comment
10 in 41 for Coventry and a lot of those 41 appearances came off the bench.
May 8th 2012 @ 3:31pm
Qantas supports Australian Football said | May 8th 2012 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
John Aloisi has a better playing record than Jose Mourinho.. Playing record simply has nothing to do with it; tho it helps to have played in all of the major leagues of Europe..
May 8th 2012 @ 1:35pm
MelbCro said | May 8th 2012 @ 1:35pm | Report comment
I feel for Ante Milicic, if i was him i would walk
May 8th 2012 @ 1:56pm
Midfielder said | May 8th 2012 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
Met John while he was at the Mariners I found him to be a very decent and highly intelligent bloke … I hope he enjoys success…