Coach Patrick Kisnorbo has made a shock departure from Melbourne Victory only six months into a three-year deal to take up an opportunity overseas.
After just seven A-League games, Kisnorbo told Victory he was out, effective immediately, leaving assistant coach Arthur Diles to step in as interim coach for their clash with cross-town rivals Melbourne City on Saturday night.
Kisnorbo inked a long-term contract with Victory in June this year and the signs looked promising with the powerhouse Melbourne club only dropping one match to sit third on the ladder.
Given the 43-year-old had coached arch-rivals Melbourne City to their first A-League trophy in 2021, as well as played for the club, some Victory fans were unhappy with his appointment.
He riled them further with his decision to leave star winger Daniel Arzani out of the side for the Australia Cup final in September, which Victory lost to Macarthur FC.
They unleashed on the former Socceroos defender on social media on Tuesday for walking out on the club.
Following his City triumph Kisnorbo became the first Australian to coach in a top five European men's league when he was recruited to lead French side Troyes in November 2022, about six months before Ange Postecoglou became Tottenham Hotspur manager.
But his 12-month tenure proved disastrous with the team relegated to France’s second division, where they continued to struggle.
He left the club in December 2023 with a record of just three wins and 14 draws from 40 games.
Melbourne-born Kisnorbo signed with Victory in June but made no secret for his "hunger" for another shot overseas.
He has been linked to the J-League, with FC Tokyo, Cerezo Osaka and Albirex Niigata all without managers for the upcoming season, which gets underway in mid February.
The Victory didn't reveal Kisnorbo's next coaching move, with club chairman John Dovaston saying they were disappointed by his early departure.
“We are disappointed to see Patrick depart the club so early in his expected journey with us, however Patrick has advised us that this is an opportunity he wanted to take for his own development as a coach,” Dovaston said in a statement.
Victory managing director Caroline Carnegie backed Diles to keep the club on track.
“As our attention turns to the rest of the season, we know Arthur is in an excellent position to further build on the strong foundations established as we ultimately strive for silverware," she wrote.
"Arthur has a deep understanding of the team’s dynamics and is well-equipped to ensure stability, maintain focus and provide leadership as the team moves forward.”
