Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli says his side is “excited and ready” ahead of Friday night’s Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s season opener against Sydney FC at Coopers Stadium.
After a long pre-season that featured interstate trips, new arrivals, and the integration of young players, Andrioli said he’s pleased with how preparations have progressed and is eager to see his squad tested under pressure.
Andrioli on the season finally arriving:
“We’re all excited. It’s good to be here at Coopers today – beautiful weather – and we’re looking forward to starting the season tomorrow.”
On stepping into the role as senior Head Coach:
“Yes, extremely excited. But when you get in a position like this, you focus on the job in front of you – the daily work. It’s hard to gauge where we are in pre-season because you never have your full squad, but the reality starts tomorrow. That’s when we execute things under pressure, in front of a full stadium.”
On his number one focus for pre-season:
“The mentality. We speak a lot about that – making sure we can translate it into matches. We’ve built an environment that’s extremely competitive. Players have been pushing each other every day. You start winning your matches from the first day back at training.”
On squad fitness and availability:
“We’ve got the full squad available. Everyone’s fit and ready to go. Some of the new boys like Anselmo and Juan are still catching up, but they’re progressing well.”
On the new signings:
“We’re happy with the balance we’ve built – players like Craig Goodwin, Ryan Kitto, Panashe, and now Juan and Anselmo. They’ll add quality and personality. We’re extremely excited to see them on the field.”
On giving young players opportunities:
“For the younger boys, it’s about experience. Like Ethan Alagich three years ago, they’ll get their minutes and grow stronger. We always say: if you’re ready, you’ll get your opportunity – and if you take it, you’ll stay in the squad.”
On improving defensively:
“Defending is a team effort. It doesn’t just happen on matchday – it’s built during the week. We want to be a stable, balanced side that knows when to defend and when to attack. That’s what gives you results.”
On the style of play fans can expect:
“I’m Brazilian – I enjoy football, I enjoy creativity – and we want fans to see that. But ultimately, confidence comes from winning matches. We need to instil that mentality. When we win, the confidence grows, and then the football becomes even better.”
On adapting to the moment as a coach:
“I’m emotional and passionate about football, but experience tells me you need to react according to the moment. I’ll take the three points over worrying about what I wear on the touchline any day of the week.”
On Craig Goodwin’s role:
“Goody can play centrally or out wide – he’s done both for the national team. We’ll see what Sydney does and use him where he can be most effective. He’s very influential on and off the pitch, and we’re hoping he can help us achieve the result we want tomorrow.”
