John Kosmina
John Kosmina | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1956 Port Adelaide, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Soccer player, coach |
| Years active | 1970s–2021 |
| Known for | Australian soccer player and coach, FFA Hall of Fame inductee |
Alexander John Kosmina (born 17 August 1956), commonly referred to as John Kosmina, is a retired Australian soccer player and coach, who most recently held the position of Senior Head Coach at Brisbane Strikers. He has been inducted into the Football Federation Australia Football Hall of Fame.
Career
Kosmina's father, a Polish immigrant, established his family in Port Adelaide, an area known for its significant Polish community. Motivated by his father’s encouragement, Kosmina started his football journey with Polonia before transferring to West Adelaide to compete at a more advanced level. In 1978, he had a brief stint with English club Arsenal, becoming the first Australian to join the team. However, he featured in only one league match and three UEFA Cup games before returning to Australia in 1979 due to homesickness.
Upon his return, Kosmina emerged as one of the leading scorers in the National Soccer League, representing several clubs such as Adelaide City, West Adelaide (in a second spell), Sydney City, Sydney Olympic, and A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers. His most significant achievements came with Sydney City, where he played a key role in securing the 1981 and 1982 league titles and finished as the top scorer in 1982.
As captain of the Australian national team, Kosmina guided the squad to two victories in the Merlion Cup. He acknowledged Peter Wilson as a major influence on his leadership style. In 1985, during a series against the visiting club CR Vasco da Gama, Kosmina scored the decisive goal that clinched the series for Australia, a moment he regarded as one of his finest goals.
Managerial career
Following his playing days, Kosmina began coaching at Warringah Dolphins in New South Wales state competitions before moving on to manage NSL teams Newcastle Breakers and Brisbane Strikers. His coaching tenure yielded limited success with only one finals appearance.
Adelaide United
In 2003, Kosmina was appointed as the first-ever coach of Adelaide United, guiding them to a third-place finish in the NSL’s final season. During the inaugural A-League campaign, he led Adelaide to claim the Minor Premiership; however, their finals performance was disappointing, ending third overall. The next year saw Adelaide finish second behind Melbourne Victory and reach the grand final, where they suffered a heavy 6–0 loss. Following criticism directed at referees and a prior touchline suspension after an incident involving Victory captain Kevin Muscat, Kosmina resigned from his position.
He later joined the Socceroos as assistant coach under Graham Arnold for the 2007 Asian Cup.
Sydney FC
After Branko Culina was dismissed, Kosmina took over as Sydney FC coach in October 2007. He quickly made an impact by winning his debut match against Central Coast Mariners and securing notable victories such as a 5–3 friendly triumph over LA Galaxy and a thrilling 5–4 league win against Central Coast Mariners. Despite these successes, Sydney FC failed to qualify for the finals for the first time in their history during the 2008/2009 season, resulting in Kosmina’s contract being terminated in January 2009.
Adelaide Raiders
Kosmina subsequently managed semi-professional side Adelaide Raiders in the FFSA Super League. In September 2011, he returned to coaching at FFSA Super League club Croydon Kings after more than three decades away. However, by December 2011, Croydon Kings released him from his contract so he could accept a managerial role with Adelaide United.
Return to Adelaide United
On 18 December 2011, Kosmina was appointed as interim head coach of Adelaide United for the rest of the 2011–12 A-League campaign. Subsequently, on 22 March 2012, he secured a contract extension to remain as the club’s head coach throughout the 2012–13 season. Nevertheless, he stepped down from his position on 28 January 2013, attributing his departure to a breakdown in trust with the club’s management.
Brisbane City
In August 2015, Kosmina took on the role of senior coach and football director at National Premier Leagues Queensland side Brisbane City, committing to a three-year agreement. Later, in November 2018, he became part of the coaching team at St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, managing several squads as part of a collaboration between the college and Brisbane City.
Brisbane Strikers
In November 2020, Brisbane Strikers revealed Kosmina’s return as senior coach, marking his comeback after a 17-year hiatus. However, following an unsuccessful beginning to the 2021 NPL Queensland Season—with zero points accumulated from the initial ten matches—Kosmina was relieved of his duties on 24 May 2021.
Media
Kosmina makes occasional appearances on Fox Sports as a football analyst and commentator. Additionally, he co-hosts the weekly online football program Two Up Front on Australia Live TV alongside Ross Aloisi, with episodes accessible via AustraliaLiveTV.com.
International goals
- Scores and results list Kosmina's goal tally first.
Player
Sydney City
- NSL Championship titles secured in 1981 and 1982
- NSL Cup winner in 1986
Individual
- Inducted into the FFA Hall of Fame in 1999
- Achieved status as NSL Top Scorer during the 1982 season
- Awarded NSL Under 21 Player of the Year in 1977
Manager
Adelaide United
- Clinched the A-League Premiership for the 2005–2006 campaign
Awards and recognition
- Streets bearing his name include Kosmina Street in Glenwood, Sydney, and Kosmina Crescent located in Hillbank, Adelaide
- The John Kosmina Medal is presented annually to the standout player in the National Premier Leagues Grand Final, commemorating his legacy
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Soccer players from Adelaide
- Australian people of Polish descent
- Australian men's soccer players
- Australian expatriate men's soccer players
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Australia men's international soccer players
- Olympic soccer players for Australia
- Footballers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Australian soccer managers
- Croydon FC (Australia) players
- West Adelaide SC players
- Arsenal F.C. players
- Sydney Olympic FC players
- Adelaide United FC managers
- Sydney FC managers
- National Soccer League (Australia) players
- Sutherland Sharks FC players
- A-League Men managers
- Men's association football forwards
- Hakoah Sydney City East FC players
- Brisbane Strikers managers
- English Football League players
- 20th-century Australian sportsmen
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- A-League Men premiership–winning head coaches