Giancarlo Italiano has stood down as men’s head coach following the 5-0 derby defeat to Auckland FC.
Italiano has announced his resignation in his post-match media conference.
“To lose 5-nil at home with the season still to play for is unacceptable and I take full responsibility,” he said.
“The worst thing to do is to lose to these guys. I’m not a big fan of Auckland, I don’t like the way they do things, but you can’t lose to rivals like that. It’s unacceptable anywhere in the world.
“Whatever excuse you can throw, it’s unacceptable. I think in the interest of the club now, it’s better to bring in someone with a bit more energy that can redirect the group, maybe refocus them, and keep the season alive.”
Giancarlo Italiano arrived in Wellington in 2019 as Ufuk Talay’s analyst and second assistant coach before becoming his lead assistant coach.
Italiano became the men’s sixth fulltime head coach in 2023 and led the Nix to their best ever A-League campaign in his first season, narrowly missing out on the premiers’ plate and a place in the grand final.
He believes he’s leaving the club in a better place than when he arrived.
“No one speaks about behind the scenes, the restructure, everything that’s happened.
“I’m a big believer in developing young players, and no one in the A-League takes my record at the moment in terms of giving young players an opportunity. And we’ve had record transfers under me being a head coach.
“I like to think we have a nice playing style, maybe not consistent, but we’ve shown especially in that first year, when we’re on, we’re on. We can play some of the best football in the league.
“There’s been a lot of things that I’ve been very proud of, and been part of previously, like with Uffy. That was one of the greatest moments in terms of me and my self-development.
“But again, this is football. When you try your best, you’re doing everything you can and it’s not working, I think you change.
“For me, it’s better to leave [with] my head held high.
“I have a lot of respect for the club. I feel like if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be in this position, so I can’t look unfavourably. That’s really it.”
The club thanks Chief for everything he has done for the Wellington Phoenix over the past seven years and wishes him all the best for the future.
