Former Wellington Phoenix head coach Ufuk Talay is back in the men’s A-League, taking over as replacement for outgoing coach Steve Corica at Sydney FC.
Talay (47) returns to the club where he made 85 first-team appearances, won a Championship as a player and was a title-winning assistant coach.
Since leaving the Phoenix at the end of the last Isuzu-UTE A-League season, he has been an assistant to Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold in their friendly internationals, including the Soccer Ashes Trophy game against the All Whites.
Main photo: Former Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay … now at A-League rivals Sydney FC. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Tulay has signed a two-year contract with Sydney, his third spell at the club.
He joined as a player for the club’s inaugural A-League season in 2005-06.
In 2019, he returned as an assistant coach to Corica.
Corica was sacked by the club in early November after Sydney’s poor start to the 2023-24 season, after 19 years as a player and coach.
‘I want a Championship as head coach’
Of his appointment, Talay said:
“I’m very happy to be coming back to Sydney FC for a third time, and I can’t wait to start working with the players tomorrow.
“I have won a Championship as a player and as an assistant coach here, and now I want to do it as head coach.
“This is Australia’s most successful club, and it matches my own expectations of challenging for league titles every season.
“We have a high-quality group of international calibre players, as well as some extremely talented young players, and I’m excited to see what we can produce.”
Ufuk Talay interview
‘He has the ability to bring the best out of our squad’
Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow said:
“Ufuk is a talented and dynamic coach who will bring his positive, attacking style of football to Sydney FC.
“He has proven he is an astute tactician with excellent player management skills, and he has the ability to bring the best out of our young squad.
“As a former Sydney FC player and coach, Ufuk is well aware of the high expectations and targets we have at the club, and we believe he is the right man to achieve them.”
More football stories
