Adelaide United FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Adelaide United Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Reds | ||
| Founded | 12 September 2003 | ||
| Stadium | Coopers Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity |
16,500 | ||
| Chairman | Vacant | ||
| Manager | Airton Andrioli | ||
| League | A-League Men | ||
| 2022–23 | 3rd of 12 | ||
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Adelaide United Football Club is a professional men's soccer team. It is based in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The club was one of the first eight teams in the A-League Men. They have played in this league since it started.
Adelaide United was created in 2003. It took the place of older teams like Adelaide City and West Adelaide. It is the only professional soccer club from South Australia. Their home stadium is Coopers Stadium in Hindmarsh.
The team won its first major trophy in 2006. They finished first in the first A-League season. In 2008, they were the first Australian team to reach the final of the AFC Champions League. They also won the first FFA Cup in 2014. In 2016, Adelaide United won their first A-League title. They beat Western Sydney Wanderers 3–1 in front of a huge crowd. They also won the FFA Cup two times in a row, in 2018 and 2019. This makes them the most successful team in that competition.
Adelaide United has a big rivalry with Melbourne Victory. This started because of many intense games and finals matches. Adelaide United also holds records for big wins. They once beat North Queensland Fury 8–1 in 2011. In that game, two players, Marcos Flores and Sergio van Dijk, scored three goals each! They repeated a big win, beating Newcastle Jets 7–0 in 2015.
The club is known for finding and developing young players. Many talented young players have moved from Adelaide United to big clubs overseas. Some examples include Nestory Irankunda (who went to Bayern Munich), Joe Gauci (to Aston Villa), and Riley McGree (to Club Brugge). This shows how good Adelaide United is at helping young players grow.
Contents
- Club History: How Adelaide United Started
- Rising to the Top: 2010 to 2018
- Cup Success and Recent Seasons: 2018 to Present
- Club Sponsors
- Club Crest and Colours
- Home Stadium
- Club Support
- Club Rivalries
- Club Partnerships
- Club Records and Achievements
- Current Players
- Coaching Staff
- Club Captains
- Club Honours (Trophies Won)
- Notable Players
- See also
Club History: How Adelaide United Started
Early Days: 2003 to 2005
In August 2003, the city of Adelaide was left without a team in the National Soccer League (NSL). So, Adelaide United was formed on September 12, 2003. A businessman named Gordon Pickard helped fund the new club.
John Kosmina became the first manager. The team quickly put together a squad, mostly with players from the old Adelaide City team. On October 17, 2003, Adelaide United won its first NSL match 1–0 against Brisbane Strikers.
The team had a great first season, even having a seven-game unbeaten streak. They reached the NSL preliminary final but lost to Perth Glory. The NSL ended after that season. A new league, the A-League, was planned to start about a year later.
Joining the A-League: 2005 to 2010
Adelaide United was one of the first eight teams chosen for the new A-League. They were one of only three teams from the old NSL to join. The club prepared early, signing many players, including some from Adelaide.
They even signed a famous Brazilian player, Romário, for a few games in 2006. Adelaide United finished first in the very first A-League season. However, they lost in the finals to Sydney FC and then Central Coast Mariners.
In 2006, Adelaide United won the A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup. They finished second in the main season. They reached the Grand Final but lost 6–0 to Melbourne Victory. After this loss, coach John Kosmina was replaced.
Adelaide United also played in the 2007 AFC Champions League, representing Australia. They finished third in their group.
The team won the A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup again in 2007. In 2008, Adelaide United made history by reaching the semi-finals of the 2008 AFC Champions League. They then became the first Australian team to reach the final of this big Asian competition. They lost to Japanese team Gamba Osaka 5–0 over two games.
Because they reached the final, Adelaide United got to play in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. They beat Waitakere United and then played Gamba Osaka again, losing 1–0. They finished fifth in the tournament by beating Al Ahly SC 1–0. This was a great achievement for an Australian club.
The 2009 season saw Adelaide United finish second in the A-League. They lost the Grand Final 1–0 to Melbourne Victory. This game was controversial because one of Adelaide's players, Cristiano, was sent off early.
In 2010, Adelaide United played in the AFC Champions League again. They finished top of their group but lost a close game to Jeonbuk Motors in extra time.
Rising to the Top: 2010 to 2018
For the first time, Adelaide United had an international manager, Rini Coolen. The team made history by climbing from the bottom of the league table to the top in the 2010-11 season. They also set a record for the longest unbeaten streak in A-League history with thirteen games.
In January 2011, Adelaide United broke a long losing streak against Melbourne Victory with a 4–1 win. They then set a new A-League record for the biggest winning margin, beating North Queensland Fury 8–1. This game also saw two players score hat-tricks for the same team.
Adelaide finished third that season and made it to the finals. They won their first finals match but were knocked out in the second week.
In December 2011, Rini Coolen was replaced by former coach John Kosmina. Eugene Galeković became the new club captain. Adelaide United played in the 2012 AFC Champions League again. They reached the quarter-finals but were eliminated after a tough match against Bunyodkor.
In 2013, Josep Gombau became the new coach. He brought a new style of play, focusing on keeping the ball. He also signed Spanish players like Sergio Cirio and Isaías Sánchez. The team had a slow start but improved a lot, finishing sixth and making the finals.
In 2014, Gombau's style of play became very popular. He even coached the A-League All Stars team. Adelaide United won the first-ever FFA Cup in 2014, beating Perth Glory 1–0. Gombau left the club in July 2015.
Guillermo Amor became the new manager. Adelaide United had a very tough start to the 2015-16 season, being at the bottom of the ladder. But they made an amazing comeback, winning 13 of their next 18 games! They finished first in the league, winning their second Premier's Plate.
Adelaide United then beat Melbourne City 4–1 in the semi-final. This meant they would host the Grand Final at Adelaide Oval. In the Grand Final, the Reds finally won their first A-League championship. They beat the Western Sydney Wanderers 3–1 in front of 50,119 fans.
In 2016, Adelaide United had a shocking loss in the 2016 FFA Cup, losing to a lower-league team. They had to replace many players from their championship team. In 2017, they were runners-up in the FFA Cup final, losing to Sydney FC.
Cup Success and Recent Seasons: 2018 to Present
Adelaide United became FFA Cup champions again in 2018, beating Sydney FC 2–1 at home. The club finished 4th in the league that season. Craig Goodwin was their top goal scorer. They won their elimination final but lost in the semi-finals after a penalty shootout.
In the 2019 FFA Cup Final, Adelaide United won their third FFA Cup, beating Melbourne City 4–0. This made them the team with the most FFA Cup titles.
Adelaide United continued to reach the A-League finals in recent seasons. They finished 5th in 2020–21 and 4th in 2021–22. During this time, the club focused on bringing young players from South Australia into the team. Many young talents like Joe Gauci, Mohamed Toure, and Nestory Irankunda became important players.
In the 2022–23 season, Adelaide United was competing for the top spot. They finished third and reached the semi-finals. Craig Goodwin, who had played for Australia in the 2022 World Cup, won a major award but then moved to a club overseas. Ryan Kitto became the new captain.
The 2023–24 season started very well for Adelaide. They beat the champions and premiers with big scores. A highlight was a free kick goal from 17-year-old Nestory Irankunda. In November 2023, it was announced that Nestory Irankunda would join Bayern Munich for a record fee. He became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in A-League history.
During the January 2024 transfer window, Adelaide lost several key players. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci joined Aston Villa, and Steven Hall went to Brighton & Hove Albion. Despite these changes, the team continued to fight.
Club Sponsors
Adelaide United has had various sponsors over the years. In 2010, Coopers Brewery became a major sponsor. Since 2020, Flinders University has been on the front of the home kit, and Australian Outdoor Living on the away kit. The club's kits have been made by different companies like Reebok, Erreà, Legea, Kappa, Macron, and UCAN.
Club Crest and Colours
Adelaide United's first uniform used the South Australian state colours: red, blue, and yellow. The main colour was red, with yellow stripes and blue shorts. The club's badge also used these colours.
Since joining the A-League, Adelaide United's kits have been mostly red. They are often called "The Reds" because of this. The club also has a new badge that looks more like a traditional football shield.
Home Stadium
Adelaide United plays its home games at Hindmarsh Stadium, also known as Coopers Stadium. Sometimes, they play bigger games at Adelaide Oval. The capacity of Hindmarsh Stadium is 13,500.
The first home game in the old National Soccer League had over 15,000 fans. A-League games have also had good crowds, often over 10,000 people. The record attendance at Hindmarsh Stadium was 17,000 in 2008 for the AFC Champions League final.
Club Support
Adelaide United has a main group of active supporters called the Red Army.
Average Attendance at Home Games
This chart shows how many people on average came to Adelaide United's home league matches each season. It does not include finals games.
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| 03–04 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 | 10–11 | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 | 24–25 |
Club Rivalries
Adelaide United vs. Melbourne Victory
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Adelaide United's biggest rival is Melbourne Victory. This rivalry is known as "The Original Rivalry." It became very intense in the early A-League seasons. One famous moment was when Adelaide's manager, John Kosmina, had a clash with Melbourne's captain, Kevin Muscat.
The rivalry grew even more when Melbourne beat Adelaide 6–0 in the 2007 Grand Final. Then, in the 2009 Grand Final, Melbourne won again, 1–0, in a game with a controversial red card. However, Adelaide United later broke a long losing streak against Melbourne with a big 4–1 win.
Club Partnerships
Adelaide United has partnerships with other football clubs.
Qingdao Red Lions (since 2018): This partnership helps develop Chinese players.
PSV Eindhoven (since 2024): This is a strategic partnership to work together on football development.
Club Records and Achievements
Adelaide United has won one A-League Men Championship (in 2016). They have won the most FFA Cup trophies, with three titles. They are also the only team to win the FFA Cup two times in a row (2018 and 2019).
Adelaide United was the first A-League club to reach the AFC Champions League Final in 2008.
Isaías has played the most games for Adelaide United, with 286 matches since 2013. Craig Goodwin is the club's top goal scorer, with 48 goals.
The record attendance for an Adelaide United home game was 50,119 fans at the 2016 A-League Grand Final at Adelaide Oval. The record at their home stadium, Hindmarsh Stadium, was 17,000 in 2008.
Current Players
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Youth Players
These are young players who have been part of the first-team squad.
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Coaching Staff
| Position | Name | Ref. |
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| Head Coach |  Airton Andrioli |
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| Assistant Coach |  Adrian Stenta |
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| Assistant Coach |  Isaías |
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| Transition and Individual Coach | Javi López |
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| Goalkeeping Coach | Eugene Galekovic |
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| Head of Football | Marius Zanin |
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| Technical Director | Ernest Faber |
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| Head of Strength and Conditioning | Django Gentilcore |
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| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Justin Schultz |
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| Head Physiotherapist | Justin Graetz |
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| Physiotherapist | Harry Saleeba |
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| Doctor | James Ilic |
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| Team Support Manager | Colin Varacalli |
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| Video analyst | Daniel Quinn |
Club Captains
| Dates | Name | Notes | Honours (as captain) |
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| 2005–2007 | Ross Aloisi |
First club captain | 2005–06 A-League Premiership |
| 2007–2008 | Michael Valkanis |
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| 2008–2011 | Travis Dodd |
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| 2011–2012 | Jonathan McKain |
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| 2012–2017 | Eugene Galekovic |
Longest serving captain | 2014 FFA Cup 2015–16 A-League Premiership 2015–16 A-League Championship |
| 2017–2019 | Isaías Sánchez |
First foreign captain | 2018 FFA Cup |
| 2019–2020 |  Michael Jakobsen |
2019 FFA Cup | |
| 2020–2022 | Stefan Mauk |
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| 2022–2023 | Craig Goodwin |
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| 2023– | Ryan Kitto |
Club Honours (Trophies Won)
National Competitions
- A-League Men Championship
- Winners (1): 2016
- Runners-up (2): 2007, 2009
- A-League Men Premiership (finishing first in the regular season)
- Winners (2): 2005–06, 2015–16
- Runners-up (2): 2006–07, 2008–09
- Australia Cup (formerly FFA Cup)
- Winners (3): 2014, 2018, 2019
- Runners-up (1): 2017
- A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
- Winners (2): 2006, 2007
Asian Competitions
- AFC Champions League Elite
- Runners-up (1): 2008
World Competitions
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Fifth–place (1): 2008
Player of the Year Award
This award is given to the best player of the season.
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Notable Players
These are some of the most important players in Adelaide United's history. They are chosen based on things like playing many games, winning trophies, or moving to big clubs overseas.
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See also
In Spanish: Adelaide United Football Club para niños
- Adelaide United Women – Adelaide United FC (A-League Women)
