Ross Aloisi

Ross Aloisi
Born	(1973-04-17) April 17, 1973 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Occupation(s)	Football player, coach
Years active	1990–2008 (player), 2010–present (coach)
Known for	Captain of Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix; assistant coach at Shanghai Port

Ross Aloisi (born 17 April 1973) is a retired Australian footballer who currently serves as an assistant coach at Shanghai Port. He captained Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League, guiding the team to a minor premiership, a pre-season cup victory, and two appearances in the Asian Champions League. Following his departure from Adelaide United after receiving a red card in the 2006 A-League grand final, Aloisi became the inaugural captain of Wellington Phoenix.

After retiring as a player, Aloisi moved into coaching roles, initially working as an assistant coach at Adelaide United before joining the coaching staff of J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos. Although part of the team that won the league title with Yokohama, he opted not to renew his contract for the subsequent season.

Club career

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Aloisi is the elder sibling of former Socceroo John Aloisi. He launched his professional playing career with Adelaide City in the National Soccer League (NSL), appearing six times during the 1990–91 season when the club finished third but was eliminated in the preliminary final.

NSL

In the 1991–92 season, Aloisi remained with Adelaide City, participating in eleven games and scoring a goal in their preliminary final victory over South Melbourne FC, which helped secure the championship title. During off-seasons, he competed in the South Australia Super League with Modbury Jets (1992) and Enfield City (1993). After completing another term with Adelaide City in 1992–93, Aloisi ventured to Europe to join Belgian side K. Boom F.C., where he made four appearances before returning to Australia to play for Brunswick Juventus during the 1993–94 NSL season.

At Brunswick Juventus, Aloisi netted four goals across thirteen matches as the team finished second last. Following a merger that created the Bulleen Zebras, he played eight games in 1994–95 and scored once during their Johnny Walker Cup triumph against Melbourne Knights. Subsequently, he signed with West Adelaide Sharks for the 1995–96 campaign, featuring in 31 matches and scoring four goals as they narrowly missed out on finals qualification. After adding seventeen more appearances without finals success at West Adelaide, Aloisi pursued further opportunities abroad.

Europe

Aloisi moved to Swiss outfit FC Aarau, where he played thirty-eight matches and scored six goals in 1997–98, along with two appearances in 1998–99. He then transferred to French club FC Lorient, making a single appearance over two seasons before signing with Austrian Bundesliga team Grazer AK. While at GAK, Aloisi took part in eighteen games during 1999–2000 and two more in 2000–01 as the club advanced to the second round of the UEFA Cup.

Following this, Aloisi competed in Italy’s lower leagues with Alzano Virescit, accumulating forty-one appearances over two seasons. He later joined Pro Sesto, scoring three times across twenty-nine matches in the 2002–03 season.

Adelaide United

Following the establishment of Adelaide United within the NSL, Aloisi made his return to Australia, participating in 26 matches and netting 4 goals as the team advanced to the preliminary final. After the NSL was disbanded, he transferred to Malaysia to join Selangor FC, where he contributed to their second-place finish in the inaugural season of the Malaysian Premier League. With the launch of the A-League, Aloisi rejoined Adelaide United in November 2004. Upon the retirement of captain Aurelio Vidmar, Aloisi was appointed captain for the league's first season, featuring in 23 out of 24 games and scoring twice, helping secure the inaugural A-League Premiership. He was honored by sharing the LifeFM Adelaide Player of the Year award alongside Angelo Costanzo.

2006–07 season

During the 2006–07 A-League season, Aloisi led Adelaide United as captain into the Grand Final against Melbourne Victory. The match was overshadowed by controversy when Aloisi received a red card in the 34th minute, leaving his side with ten players. Adelaide suffered a 6–0 defeat, setting an unwanted record for the largest loss in A-League history. Approximately two months later, Aloisi was released from his contract; coach John Kosmina was also dismissed shortly thereafter. Following his departure, Aloisi has expressed intentions to disclose further information regarding the circumstances.

His brother, John, pointed to Ross's contentious exit as a significant factor in his decision to decline United’s offer to become their marquee player for the 2007/2008 campaign, explaining that Ross’s departure diminished his enthusiasm to conclude his career at Adelaide United despite his initial wish to play alongside his brother.

Wellington Phoenix

Aloisi was named captain of the newly formed A-League club Wellington Phoenix for their inaugural 2007–08 season. He scored two goals during this single season before announcing his retirement from professional football.

After retiring, Aloisi shifted into media roles, joining Fox Sports as a commentator and contributing articles to Soccer International magazine. Alongside his brother, he co-owns a ceramics enterprise. Additionally, he co-hosts Two Up Front, a weekly football internet program with John Kosmina broadcast on AustraliaLiveTV.com.

International career

At just 16 years old, Aloisi represented Australia at the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship, coming on as a substitute during a 2–2 draw against the United States.

In 1994, he made his senior debut for Australia in friendly matches against Kuwait and Japan, while also appearing in 12 games (scoring twice) for the under-23 Olyroos. He continued with the Olyroos through 1995 and captained their 1996 Olympic qualifying campaign, scoring five goals in five matches to lead the Oceania group. Aloisi participated in all three group-stage matches at the 1996 Olympics; however, Australia did not advance beyond this phase.

His third senior cap came in June 1998 during a friendly against Croatia. In 1999, he played two additional matches for Australia in friendlies held in Melbourne against English club Manchester United.

West Adelaide

In 2010, Aloisi took on the role of head coach at West Adelaide, just two years following the club's reestablishment. During his three-year tenure, he successfully guided the team from the third division up to the semi-professional top tier of the South Australia National Premier League, achieving an impressive unbeaten run spanning 40 matches.

Adelaide United Women

Aloisi shifted his focus to women's soccer in August 2013 when he became the head coach of Adelaide United’s women’s squad competing in the W-League. His leadership contributed to notable improvements in team performance, which led to his appointment by Football South Australia as the head of South Australia’s women's football program.

Assistant coaching roles

In July 2015, Aloisi joined the coaching staff of Brisbane Roar in the A-League as an assistant coach, working alongside his brother John. He left the club in January 2019, shortly after his brother's departure.

He resumed an assistant coaching position at Adelaide United in October 2020, supporting the A-League men's team. Aloisi exited this role in March 2022 to pursue an opportunity with a club in Asia.

By April 2022, Aloisi had accepted a role as assistant coach at Yokohama F. Marinos, collaborating with fellow Australian and former teammate Kevin Muscat.

Brisbane Roar Men

In May 2023, Aloisi was named head coach of Brisbane Roar for their A-League Men campaign, marking a return to the club after four years assisting his brother John. After overseeing nine matches, he parted ways with Brisbane Roar on December 24.

Managerial statistics

This record encompasses all competitive league fixtures, domestic cup games, international matches, and friendlies.

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	Win %
West Adelaide		1 January 2010	30 June 2013
Adelaide United Women		1 July 2013	30 June 2015
Adelaide United Men		31 December 2021	8 January 2022
Brisbane Roar		1 July 2023	23 December 2023
Career Total

Honours

With Adelaide United:

• A-League Premiership: 2005–06

With Adelaide City:

• NSL Championship: 1991–92
• NSL Cup: 1991–92