Adelaide United gloveman Paul Izzo has revealed Apostolos Stamatelopoulos will be cooking lamb on a spit for ‘punishment’

Adelaide United goalkeeper Paul Izzo hopes Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’ barbecue “punishment” will unite a finals-bound Reds side that will lose some of its best men in June.

Paul Izzo at Adelaide United training. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes

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It was a private affair but it also promised to be an open-hearted gathering of men.

Adelaide United’s star of Saturday night, goalkeeper Paul Izzo, 24, revealed Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’s “punishment” for being banned for two matches when he was expelled in the Reds’ 3-1 A-League win over Wellington nine days ago was being well prepared for a culinary delight at his parents’ house on Monday.

Cooking a barbecue is destined to be the conduit to galvanising a United side that will lose some of its best men in June.

Adelaide United's Apostolos Stamatelopoulos cooks a barbecue for teammates after his red card against Wellington Phoenix. Picture Instagram

The meat on Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’ barbeque. Picture: Instagram

Though the Reds’ outgoing coach Marco Kurz called for Western United-bound Stamatelopoulos to order gastronomic delicacy scampi to “commemorate” the red-card occasion, it looks as if the German had to settle for flavoured Greek-style barbecue on the rotisserie.

“We’ve got AP’s (Stamatelopoulos’s) barbecue and it will be at his house, the mansion,’’ Izzo said.

“We’re going full-on lamb on the spit, and it’s always good.

“But I don’t think AP has touched a spit in his life.

“His parents will help out, I reckon.”

Paul Izzo clears a ball over Ben Halloran’s head while keeping a clean sheet on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/David Crosling

Izzo said it would also be refreshing to relax as a group, revealing the scoreless draw with Melbourne City at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Saturday was exhausting.

“It was an end-to-end game and both teams are pretty knackered,” Izzo said.

“Both sides were able to keep a clean sheet and next time I hope we’re better in front of goal.”

Izzo managed three brilliant saves in a stunning night, when his counterpart, ex-Adelaide captain Eugene Galekovic, was equally as good.

Galekovic, 37, made five timely saves.

Izzo was Galekovic’s No.2 for three years at Adelaide United.

“He keeps getting better as the years go by,’’ Izzo said about the Reds’ legend, who earned an initial short-term Reds’ contract in 2007 before becoming a huge part of United history winning the A-League double in 2016.

“I think he keeps shocking people; he keeps himself in good shape,” Izzo said.

“Obviously how long you can get your career to go on comes down to how well you look after yourself, and if you get it right, you set yourself up for a long career. I want to play as long as I can too.”

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos of Adelaide United reacts after being shown a red card after scoring two goals against Wellington Phoenix last Sunday. Picture: AAP Image/James Elsby

With Izzo happy with a clean sheet, the Reds will return to training on Tuesday to focus on the huge Good Friday clash against Melbourne Victory at Hindmarsh Stadium.

A win will see the Reds go a long way to winning fourth place and a home final.

“We’re motivated – our biggest goal is to get the home final and we’ve got to take advantage of being at home against Victory,’’ Izzo said.

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