Wellington Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano has a new right-hand man.
Brazilian Kelly Guimarães has been appointed Italiano’s lead assistant coach for the 2025-26 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Guimarães has been an assistant coach for the past decade, spending time with the likes of Paranaense, Corinithians and Grêmio in Brazil, after a successful 19-year playing career which included stints in Spain, Japan and the U.A.E.
Italiano believes he will be the perfect fit.
“Kelly’s an amazing character that I trust wholeheartedly,” he said. “He is the most upbeat guy you would want to have in your staff and changing room.
“And he has a wealth of experience, having played and coached at big clubs.”
Kelly Guimarães will join the Phoenix once he obtains his New Zealand work visa and he can’t wait to get started.
“I’m very happy and very excited to be joining the Wellington Phoenix,” Guimarães said. “It’s going to be a new challenge for me, but I believe it will be a great experience.
“I have heard a lot of beautiful things about New Zealand and Giancarlo has updated me about football in the country.
“I have a lot of experience as a footballer and as a coach and I believe I can add a lot to the Wellington Phoenix staff.
“Talking to Giancarlo we have a similar idea about how we’d like the team to play; with intensity, aggression and dominating possession.
“Together we’re going to help the team play really well and have a great season.”
His first job upon arrival in Wellington will be to build a connection with the players so he can act as a conduit between them and Italiano.
“The assistant coach needs to be very close with the players so they can act as an intermediary between them and the head coach.
“I know Giancarlo has a good relationship with the players but maybe sometimes the players think you can’t talk to the head coach because he’s the boss.
“This is a very important job for an assistant coach, but we also have to be another set of eyes for the head coach.
“The head coach has a lot of things to think about, to plan and to organise and sometimes the assistant coach can see something that helps the coach.”
Guimarães is also looking forward to learning about how football is played in the A-League and is hoping he can bring a bit of Brazil to the Phoenix.
“In Brazil as a footballer and coach I have learned the players need the freedom to play and use their creativity.
“I think we’re going to motivate the players to be free and create.
“Of course they will respect the team’s tactical plans, but they will be free to create and to make something different.
“I think Brazilian football is known throughout the world because Brazilian footballers always have something different to show.”
Kelly Guimarães’ appointment means there’s just one role to be filled in the Wellington Phoenix men’s coaching staff, with a lead analyst/second assistant to be appointed in the near future.
