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Ivory CoastNew Melbourne Victory Boss Savarese Ready for Historic Cup Final
New Melbourne Victory coach Giovanni Savarese reflects on his connection to Australian football culture ahead of a historic Australia Cup final.
A New Era in Melbourne
Giovanni Savarese is the new head coach of Melbourne Victory. He is the 11th permanent manager in the history of the A League Men club.
Savarese, who is 55 years old, was announced as the coach in June. He took over after the club did not renew the contract of Arthur Diles. Diles led Victory to the recent Grand Final but lost to Melbourne City.
Now, Savarese faces the pressure of ending a long league title drought. Victory have not won the A League trophy since 2018.
A Nostalgic First Impression
Shortly after arriving in Australia, Savarese visited Lakeside Stadium. He watched Adelaide United play South Melbourne, where South Melbourne won 2-1.
The atmosphere made a deep impression on him. The Greek flags and the rich history reminded him of his teenage years in New York.
"It took me back to when I was 19 years old, and I was in New York, and I played for the Greek Americans," Savarese said. He noted that the tradition of different cultures coming to a new country felt very familiar.
A Historic Cup Final Awaits
This connection will come full circle on Oct. 10. Melbourne Victory will face South Melbourne in the Australia Cup final, which is expected to take place at AAMI Park.
This is a massive match for both teams. It represents the first time these two major rivals will face each other in a competitive fixture.
Victory are a giant of the A League, while South Melbourne are historic powers who were removed from the top flight twenty years ago. The winner will secure silverware and a place in the next Asian Champions League Two.
The Coach's Vision
Savarese is a former Venezuela international who previously coached the Portland Timbers and the New York Cosmos. He also worked as a media analyst before signing with Victory.
He was in Italy visiting his mother when Victory first contacted him. He felt the club was the perfect fit.
"In all the places that I've been, I want to win," Savarese said. He added that the team must focus on small goals first, starting with improving in every practice session.
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