Appointment of Olympic and Assistant Qantas Socceroos coach

Aurelio Vidmar is the new Head Coach of the Men’s Olympic Team for the 2012 Olympic Games and Assistant Coach of the Qantas Socceroos.

SYDNEY 3 June 2010 by Georgia Psaltis

Football Federation Australia (FFA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Aurelio Vidmar to the position of Head Coach of the Men-s Olympic Team for the 2012 Olympic Games and Assistant Coach of the Qantas Socceroos.

As one of the most promising young coaches in Australia, Vidmar will replace Graham Arnold who will take up the role of Head Coach of the Central Coast Mariners after the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

FFA CEO Ben Buckley said Vidmar-s appointment showed FFA was serious about developing Australian coaches for important national positions.

“Aurelio is a great young coach and a position like this is a fantastic stepping stone for him and it will give him the opportunity to aspire to the head coaching role down the track,” Buckley said.

“He has shown with his excellent work with Adelaide United that he can manage a team on the international stage and get results.”

FFA Technical Director Han Berger said Vidmar-s appointment was part of a strategic succession plan to develop top flight coaches from Australia.

“Aurelio is one of our most promising young coaches and he already has valuable experience coaching in Australia and Asia,” Berger said.

“I look forward to working even more closely with him and watching him develop in his exciting new role.”

Vidmar is currently the Head Coach of Adelaide United Head Coach and has taken his team beyond the group stages of two AFC Asian Champions League competitions and to the Hyundai A-League finals.

Prior to his appointment at Adelaide, he worked with Arnold as assistant coach to the 2008 Olympic Team and was Hyundai A-League Coach of the Year in 2008/09.

Aurelio is a former Socceroo of note, representing his country 44 times since 1991 scoring 17 goals and captaining the Socceroos seven times.

He played overseas in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Japan, as well as playing for many years for Adelaide City in the NSL.

He also was a member of the Olyroos at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

NOTE: Aurelio Vidmar will be available at a press conference at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide today at 11.30am, local time.

Aurelio Vidmar Date of Birth: 03-Feb-1967, Adelaide, South Australia Position: Midfielder

Socceroo Honours A-Internationals : 44 (17 goals)

All Internationals : 53 (18 goals) 1988-2001

1988 Dinamo Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb 1990 Torpedo Moscow 1991 CZECHOSLOVAKIA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, NEW ZEALAND, NEW ZEALAND (1 gl), ENGLAND, USSR B, USA B (1 gl), South Korea B, SOUTH KOREA 1992 USA, ARGENTINA 1993 NEW ZEALAND (1 gl), CANADA, CANADA, ARGENTINA (1 gl), ARGENTINA 1994 JAPAN (1 gl), FRANCE, SOUTH AFRICA (1 gl), SOUTH AFRICA 1995 GHANA 1996 SCOTLAND 1997 MAKEDONIA (1 gl), HUNGARY (2 gls), SOLOMON ISLANDS, TAHITI (1 gl), SOLOMON ISLANDS (1 gl), TAHITI, NEW ZEALAND (1 gl), NEW ZEALAND, TUNISIA (1 gl), IRAN, IRAN (1 gl), MEXICO, BRAZIL, SAUDI ARABIA, URUGUAY, BRAZIL 1999 World Stars, Manchester United, Manchester United 2000 PARAGUAY, PARAGUAY, SOLOMON ISLANDS, VANUATU, NEW ZEALAND 2001 COLOMBIA, AMERICAN SAMOA (2 gls), SAMOA (2 gls), KOREA REPUBLIC

Australian Underage Representative Honours U/23 - 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (Overage Player)

Playing Record 1985 - Adelaide City (NSL) 10 app. 2 gls. 1986 - Adelaide City (NSL) 26 app. 2 gls. 1987 - Adelaide City (NSL) 23 app. 2 gls. 1988 - Adelaide City (NSL) 22 app. 5 gls. 1989 - Adelaide City (NSL) 25 app. 5 gls. 1989/90 - Adelaide City (NSL) 23 app. 9 gls. 1990/1 - Adelaide City (NSL) 28 app. 4 gls. 1991/2 - KV Kortijik (Belgium 1) 32 app. 10 gls. 1992/3 - KSV Waregem (Belgium 1) 32 app. 19 gls. 1993/4 - KSV Waregem (Belgium 1) 25 app. 7 gls. 1994/5 - Standard Liège (Belgium 1) 32 app. 22 gls. 1995/6 - Feyenoord (Netherlands 1) 15 app. 2 gls. 1995/6 - FC Sion (Switzerland 1) 13 app. 7 gls. 1996/7 - CD Tenerife (Spain 1) 25 app. 1 gls. 1997/8 - CD Tenerife (Spain 1) 0 app. 1998 - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan 1) 15 app. 4gls. 1999 - Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan 1) 9 app. 2 gls. 1999/00 - Adelaide City (NSL) 34 app. 8 gls. 2000/1 - Adelaide City (NSL) 21 app. 4 gls. 2001/2 - Adelaide City (NSL) 23 app. 3 gls. 2002/3 - Adelaide City (NSL) 32 app. 6 gls. 2003/4 - Adelaide United (NSL) 27 app. 2 gls.

Coaching Honours 2005/6 - Adelaide United (Hyundai A-League) Assistant Coach 2006/7 - Adelaide United (Hyundai A-League) Assistant Coach 2007/8 - Adelaide United (Hyundai A-League) W6-D8-L7 (21) 2008/9 - Adelaide United (Hyundai A-League) W11-D5-L5 (21) - Hyundai A-League Coach of the Year (2008/09)

2009/10 - Adelaide United (Hyundai A-League) W7-D8-L12 (27)

AFC Champions League

2007 - Group Stage

2008 - Runners-Up

2010 - Round of 16

Other Honours

1994-1995: Belgian League Top Scorer: (Standard Liège - 22 goals)

1994: Oceania Footballer of the Year

2008: Football Federation of South Australia Hall of Champions

2008: Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame

2008: Nominated for AFC Coach of the Year Award