Wellington Phoenix, one of the most popular football teams in New Zealand, will be saying goodbye to their coach Ufuk Talay at the end of the men’s A-League season.
Talay has been leading the team since 2019 and has helped them reach the finals three times in four years, making him the most successful coach in the team’s 16-year history. He is leaving to pursue a new chapter in his coaching career, but he believes that the club is in good hands.
“I believe the Phoenix have the best set-up in the competition and I know they’ll find a great coach to continue the work that we’ve done for the last four years,” he said.
Under Talay’s leadership, Wellington Phoenix won 41% of the 103 A-League matches they played and claimed 1.45 points per game, better than any of his predecessors. He also helped the team finish third in his first season and reach the finals twice despite facing challenges like playing all their home matches in Australia due to Covid-19.
Wellington Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison thanked Talay for his contribution to the team, saying, “He’s been a fantastic coach for us, and has put in place structures and methodologies that we will continue to use in the future.”
The team will announce its new head coach next week, and we can’t wait to see who will lead the Phoenix to even greater success!
