Adelaide City lures veteran Pellegrino out of retirement, recruits former Central Coast Mariner keeper Gauci

An SA soccer powerhouse has recruited two former A-League players in a bid to avoid relegation from the top flight.

Ex-Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper Joe Gauci has returned to SA and signed with Adelaide City. Picture: Tait Schmaal

• ‘All for Bor’ Soceroo Mabil's stirring vow to late sister
• Borrello aiming for Socceroos debut
• Adelaide Olympic to face Adelaide City in FFA Cup SA final
• Adelaide City through to FFA Cup SA final

Adelaide City has recruited two former A-League players in a bid to bolster its stocks and move out of the National Premier League’s SA relegation zone.

Ex-Adelaide United, Perth Glory and Central Coast midfielder Adriano Pellegrino and former Mariners goalkeeper Joe Gauci signed with City last week and lined up in its 2-1 FFA Cup SA semi-final triumph over amateur club Elizabeth Downs on Tuesday night.

Pellegrino, 34, featured in 16 State League One matches with Western Strikers last year before hanging up his boots to be City’s technical director.

Adelaide City recruit Adriano Pellegrino in action with Western Strikers last year. Picture: Stephen Laffer.

Central Coast axed Gauci, 18, last month.

City sits second-bottom on the Premier League table on seven points with three wins, four draws and five losses.

Pelligrino, who played in the defunct National Soccer League with City and Adelaide United, said he was “thrown in the deep end” after injuries began to stack up at the Black and Whites.

“(I’ve) been training myself keeping fit but I have only been back with the team for a

week so it was a bit of a late inclusion,” said Pellegrino, who also played in Greece, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and with MetroStars.

“But I am very proud to be wearing the Adelaide City jersey again.”

Gauci was a junior with West Torrens Birkalla before signing with Central Coast ahead of the 2018/19 A-League season but he did not break into the side.

Adelaide City began this NPL season with minus six points due to Football Federation SA sanctions for contract breaches.

City has claimed three NSL championships and 17 SA crowns.