John Aloisi facts for kids
Aloisi with Sydney FC in 2008
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | John Aloisi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 February 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Western United (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rostrevor College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adelaide City | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| AIS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Adelaide City | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Standard Liège | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Antwerp | 35 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Cremonese | 48 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Portsmouth | 60 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Coventry City | 41 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Osasuna | 121 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Alavés | 58 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Central Coast Mariners | 15 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Sydney FC | 40 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Melbourne Heart | 20 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 439 | (119) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Australia U20 | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Australia Olympic (O.P.) | 7 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2008 | Australia | 55 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Melbourne Heart (youth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Melbourne Heart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Brisbane Roar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Western United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Aloisi (born 5 February 1976) is a famous Australian former soccer player. He is now the head coach for the A-League club Western United. John played soccer professionally for 20 years. He played in 459 games and scored 127 goals. He was the first Australian player to play and score goals in three major European leagues: La Liga (Spain), the Premier League (England), and Serie A (Italy).
John Aloisi came back to Australia in 2007 and played four seasons in the A-League. He was a very important player for the Australian national team for over ten years. He played for Australia in the 2006 World Cup and was key in the qualifying games. He also played for the Socceroos (Australia's national team nickname) in two Confederations Cups. As a striker, John was known for scoring goals and helping his teammates get chances to score.
Contents
John Aloisi's Soccer Journey
Playing in Europe: Early Years
John Aloisi was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He went to Rostrevor College. When he was 16, he moved to Europe from Adelaide City to start his professional career. He first signed with a Belgian club called Standard Liège. He didn't play much there. Then he played a bit for another Belgian team, Royal Antwerp F.C..
In November 1995, John joined the Italian team U.S. Cremonese. In his first game, he scored a goal just two minutes after coming on! This made him the youngest foreign player to score in a Serie A match. His team, Cremonese, was later moved down to a lower league twice.
Playing in England
John moved to England in 1997. He joined Portsmouth F.C. in the First Division. The manager of Australia's national team, Terry Venables, was also in charge at Portsmouth. John scored 12 goals in his first season. Portsmouth just managed to avoid being moved down a league. The next season, he scored 13 goals.
In December 1998, John moved to Premier League club Coventry City F.C. They paid £650,000 for him. He played his first game for Coventry as a late substitute. In his next game, he scored a goal.
John scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Aston Villa in February 1999. This was Coventry's first away win against their rivals in that area. In the next game, he was sent off for hitting another player and was banned from playing for a while. For both Portsmouth and Coventry, he scored 18 goals that season.
Coventry City was often in danger of being moved down to a lower league while John was there. They finally were moved down at the end of the 2000–01 season. John only scored three goals that season. He did score three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Preston North End in the League Cup. In June, he left Coventry.
Playing in Spain
In 2001, John Aloisi moved to Spain and joined CA Osasuna. He scored nine goals in 30 games in his first season in La Liga. He played regularly for Osasuna for four years. In April 2004, he played a full game in a 3–0 win against Real Madrid. In June 2005, he scored in the Copa del Rey final, making the score equal. However, his team lost 2–1 in extra time.
After a planned move to another team didn't happen, John joined another Spanish team, Deportivo Alavés, for free. He scored ten goals in the 2005–06 season, which was his best in Spain. But his team was moved down from the top league.
Coming Back to Australia
On 20 October 2007, John Aloisi signed with the Central Coast Mariners FC for the rest of the season. He played his first game in the A-League on 28 October, losing 3–2 to Sydney FC.
On 3 March 2008, John signed a two-year deal with Sydney FC. The deal was reportedly worth $1.4 million a season, making him the highest-paid player in Australia at the time. He played his first game for Sydney as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Sydney in a 2–0 win against their rivals Melbourne Victory FC.
In February 2009, John was thinking about moving to a team in China, but he decided to stay with Sydney FC. He scored two goals in a friendly game. He then scored two goals in the first game of the 2009–10 season, helping Sydney FC win 3–2. He finished that season as the first Sydney player to score ten or more goals in a single season. Sydney FC won both the regular season and the championship that year.
On 29 March 2010, Melbourne Heart FC signed John Aloisi for free. He played well for the new club and scored eight goals. This included three goals against rivals Melbourne Victory. He scored the first-ever goal in a Melbourne derby. He also scored two goals to help his team come back from being 2–0 down to draw 2–2. On 12 February 2011, he played his last game as a player against his old team, Sydney FC. He scored a goal and was replaced by another player, receiving a standing ovation from the fans.
Playing for Australia
John Aloisi first played for the Australian national team in 1997. In that same year, he played in the FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Mexico. Australia finished second in that tournament.
John played for Australia in the 2004 Summer Olympics as one of the three older players allowed. He scored three goals, and Australia reached the quarter-finals. He finished second in scoring at the 2005 Confederations Cup. He scored two goals against Germany and two against Argentina. However, Australia did not win any games in that tournament.
On 16 November 2005, John Aloisi scored the winning penalty kick against Uruguay. This happened after the teams were tied 1–1 over two games in the 2006 FIFA World Cup playoffs. That goal meant Australia qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974! He was chosen for the World Cup team in Germany. On 12 June, he came off the bench and scored the third goal in a 3–1 win against Japan. This made him only the second Australian to score a goal at the World Cup finals.
On 21 July 2007, John scored in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup quarter-final match against Japan. The game ended 1–1, and Australia lost in a penalty shootout. This was Australia's first time playing in that tournament. This was his last of 27 international goals. At the time he retired, he was second in goals scored for Australia.
After he returned to play in the A-League, John was no longer called up to play for the national team. In early 2008, his penalty kick against Uruguay, which sent Australia to the 2006 World Cup, was voted as one of the three greatest moments in Australian sporting history by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career
Coaching Melbourne Heart
After he stopped playing, John Aloisi started coaching. He became the youth team manager at Melbourne Heart. On 8 May 2012, he became the main manager for Melbourne Heart for three years. On 5 October 2012, he got his first win as manager when Melbourne Heart beat their rivals Melbourne Victory 2–1. John had a tough first season as head coach. Melbourne Heart finished ninth in the 2012–13 season and only won one away game. The 2013–14 season also started poorly. On 28 December 2013, John was let go as manager after the club had not won a game in 17 matches.
Coaching Brisbane Roar
On 26 May 2015, John Aloisi was named manager of Brisbane Roar. In his first two seasons there, the team finished in the top four in the league and reached the semi-finals.
In May 2017, John signed a new three-year contract to stay as Brisbane's manager.
On 28 December 2018, John resigned as manager of Brisbane Roar. The team had a bad start to the season, with only one win in nine games. He left as Brisbane Roar's longest-serving manager.
Coaching Western United
In July 2021, John Aloisi became the head coach of Western United. He signed a two-year contract.
In May 2022, John led Western United to win the A-League Championship! They won 2–0 against the defending champions, Melbourne City. This championship win was special because Western United was only the second new team to win the A-League Championship. They won it faster than any other new team. They were also the first team since 2011 to win the championship in their first Grand Final. John Aloisi is praised for changing the team's spirit. The club went from 10th place the season before to champions the next season!
About John Aloisi's Life
John Aloisi's grandparents are from Italy, so he has Italian family roots. His older brother, Ross, was also a professional soccer player. Ross has even worked as an assistant coach for John.
John is married to Angela and they have three daughters: Alisia, Katia, and Amaya.
John Aloisi was on the cover of the Australian version of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 6.
Besides English, John also speaks Italian and Spanish.
In 2020, John had successful surgery to fix a heart problem.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Adelaide City | 1991–92 | National Soccer League | 20 | 8 | – | – | 20 | 8 | ||
| 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 8 | – | – | 21 | 8 | ||||
| Standard Liège | 1992–93 | Belgian Pro League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Antwerp | 1993–94 | Belgian Pro League | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | |
| 1994–95 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 2 | – | 27 | 8 | |||
| Total | 35 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | 38 | 9 | |||
| Cremonese | 1995–96 | Serie A | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 | 2 | |
| 1996–97 | Serie B | 26 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 29 | 3 | ||
| Total | 48 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | 51 | 5 | |||
| Portsmouth | 1997–98 | First Division | 38 | 12 | 3 | 0 | – | 41 | 12 | |
| 1998–99 | 22 | 14 | 4 | 3 | – | 26 | 17 | |||
| Total | 60 | 26 | 7 | 3 | – | 67 | 29 | |||
| Coventry City | 1998–99 | Premier League | 16 | 5 | 2 | 0 | – | 18 | 5 | |
| 1999–2000 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | |||
| 2000–01 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 22 | 6 | |||
| Total | 42 | 10 | 5 | 3 | – | 47 | 13 | |||
| Osasuna | 2001–02 | La Liga | 30 | 9 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 | 9 | |
| 2002–03 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 1 | – | 34 | 9 | |||
| 2003–04 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 2 | – | 36 | 7 | |||
| 2004–05 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 2 | – | 32 | 8 | |||
| Total | 121 | 28 | 11 | 5 | – | 132 | 33 | |||
| Alavés | 2005–06 | La Liga | 33 | 10 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 | 10 | |
| 2006–07 | Segunda División | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | – | 26 | 6 | ||
| Total | 58 | 16 | 2 | 0 | – | 60 | 16 | |||
| CC Mariners | 2007–08 | A-League | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 7 | |
| Sydney | 2008–09 | A-League | 16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | – | 19 | 4 | |
| 2009–10 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 10 | |||
| Total | 40 | 12 | 3 | 2 | – | 43 | 14 | |||
| Melbourne Heart | 2010–11 | A-League | 20 | 8 | – | – | 20 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 462 | 126 | 37 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 499 | 143 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1997 | 11 | 7 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 10 | 7 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 55 | 27 | |
- Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Aloisi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 June 1997 | Parramatta Stadium, Sydney, Australia |  Solomon Islands |
3–0 | 13–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 5–0 | |||||
| 3 | 10–0 | |||||
| 4 | 11–0 | |||||
| 5 | 12–0 | |||||
| 6 | 28 June 1997 | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand |  New Zealand |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 12 December 1997 | King Fahd II Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Mexico |
2–0 | 3–1 | 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 8 | 4 October 2000 | Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |  Kuwait |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2000 Friendship Tournament |
| 9 | 9 April 2001 | Coffs Harbour International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, Australia |  Tonga |
3–0 | 22–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 6–0 | |||||
| 11 | 8–0 | |||||
| 12 | 10–0 | |||||
| 13 | 11–0 | |||||
| 14 | 14–0 | |||||
| 15 | 24 June 2001 | Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia | New Zealand |
3–1 | 4–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 4 June 2004 | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia |  Vanuatu |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2004 OFC Nations Cup |
| 17 | 3–0 | |||||
| 18 | 15 June 2005 | Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany |  Germany |
2–2 | 3–4 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 19 | 3–4 | |||||
| 20 | 18 June 2005 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany |  Argentina |
1–3 | 2–4 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 21 | 2–3 | |||||
| 22 | 9 October 2005 | Craven Cottage, London England |  Jamaica |
4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 23 | 7 June 2006 | Donaustadion, Ulm, Germany |  Liechtenstein |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 24 | 12 June 2006 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany |  Japan |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 25 | 11 October 2006 | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia |  Bahrain |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2007 AFC Asian Cup Qualification |
| 26 | 14 November 2006 | Loftus Road, London England |  Ghana |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 27 | 21 July 2007 | Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hà Nội, Vietnam | Japan |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2007 AFC Asian Cup |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Melbourne Heart Youth |  |
23 October 2011 | 4 March 2012 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 38.89 |
| Melbourne Heart | |
8 May 2012 | 28 December 2013 | 39 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 20.51 |
| Brisbane Roar | |
26 May 2015 | 28 December 2018 | 108 | 41 | 24 | 43 | 37.96 |
| Western United | |
July 2021 | Present | 70 | 30 | 11 | 29 | 42.86 |
| Total | 235 | 86 | 47 | 102 | 36.60 | |||
Awards and Achievements
As a Player
Adelaide City
- NSL Championship: 1991–92
Osasuna
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2004–05
Central Coast Mariners
- A-League Premiership: 2007–08
Sydney FC
- A-League Premiership: 2009–10
- A-League Championship: 2010
Australia National Team
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2nd place, 1997; 3rd place, 2001
- OFC Nations Cup: 2004
- AFC–OFC Challenge Cup: 2nd place 2001
Individual Awards
- FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe: 2005
As a Manager
Western United
- A-League Championship: 2022
See also
In Spanish: John Aloisi para niños
