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Adelaide United must extend coach Marco Kurz’s contract and give him a healthy players budget.

Marco Kurz should be the first man Adelaide Unite must re-sign before any of the 10 Adelaide players coming off contract are offered deals to stay on.

Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz during the Reds 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar at Coopers Stadium. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz during the Reds 2-1 win over Brisbane Roar at Coopers Stadium. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

ADELAIDE United boss Marco Kurz’s contract must be extended — no ifs or buts.

The German and his close knit coaching team — German-born assistant, former Croatia international Filip Tapolovic, 42, and goalkeeper coach, former Socceroo Frank Juric, 43, and general manager of football Ante Kovacevic all deserve to stay put.

Kurz, 49, is off contract in May.

He should be the first man the Reds must re-sign before any of the 10 Adelaide players coming off contract.

Kurz must build the future but Adelaide may have a fight on its hands to keep him.

He is running out of patience after a change of ownership in March, promised at the club’s presentation night in April, more funding for the club’s football department.

Kurz is frustrated, he needs a bona fide marksman if the club wants to keep up with the A-League leaders as Baba Diawara’s injury woes continue to hinder the Senegalese.

It showed when Kurz was asked in Melbourne whether United was anywhere closer to signing a striker after the club’s 2-0 loss to Victory.

Bobo, a former Sydney FC striker that scored 35 goals in the A-League and FFA Cup last season, is linked to the Reds but it appears the Sky Blues are much more keen to land him.

"If we want to go to the next step we must also find a good striker because I'm now here 17 months and play without a striker No. 1, maybe the only team in the league,’’ Kurz said.

"It's not my job I'm the coach, I'm not the manager to find players for the club.

"You must ask (chairman) Piet van der Pol or (football director) Aurelio Vidmar that's the persons you can ask.

“I'm the coach, my job is to train the boys and not to make transfers.”

It has been suggested that van der Pol and Vidmar are looking for Chinese strikers.

However Kurz with a limited budget — probably the smallest in the A-League — has done wonders with Adelaide United for the past 17 months after he landed in SA in June 2017.

Adelaide United captain Isaias and coach Marco Kurz before the FFA Final against Sydney at Coopers Stadium. Picture SARAH REED
Adelaide United captain Isaias and coach Marco Kurz before the FFA Final against Sydney at Coopers Stadium. Picture SARAH REED

It was Kovacevic that found Kurz in Germany.

He pleaded with the wily boss to work for Adelaide.

An expansive search for a new coach after Barcelona legend and former Reds coach Guillermo Amor opted not to stay on, led to Kurz.

Kurz is successful given the fiscal circumstances.

An FFA Cup final win, an FFA Cup runner up medal and a spot in the finals only to lose to eventual 2018 A-League champion Melbourne Victory ended a bright debut 2017/18 campaign.

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The German has also given Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, 19, Carlo Armiento, 19, Lachlan Brook, 18, and Ryan Strain, 21, A-League debuts.

The quartet could eventually be the backbone of the Reds, three were born in SA and Strain was born in England but has lived in Adelaide on and off since he was about 13.

Kurz has clearly shaped his squad to be competitive, adding quality imports — on the tight budget he has — to a squad which is now capable of playing three or four systems and takes each game to every side.

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Kurz is also no dunce.

He is very intelligent and brutally honest.

To have a Bundesliga career for about 15 years and then to lead a club to the top flight of German football as the boss is not for weak characters.

He is the real deal and when he crosses that while line he gets that fever.

Kurz is a passionate boss that knows that with this squad he cannot sit on his backside a la Amor and hardly whisper a word.

These boys need to be coached, they need to be protected and they need a true leader.

What are the Reds waiting for?

Adelaide United squad

Contracted

Paul Izzo

Jordan Elsey

Michael Jakobsen

Mirko Boland

Craig Goodwin

Ben Halloran

Ryan Strain

Isaias

Daniel Margush

Isaac Richards

Louis D'Arrigo

Ryan Kitto

Nathan Konstandopoulos

Pacifique Niyongabire

Carlo Armiento

George Blackwood

Off contract

Marco Kurz

Off contract

Scott Galloway

Michael Marrone

Taylor Regan

Lachlan Brook

Vince Lia

Baba Diawara

Ken Ilso

Kristin Konstandopoulos

Nikola Mileusnic

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/football/a-league/teams/adelaide/adelaide-united-must-extend-coach-marco-kurzs-contract-and-give-him-a-healthy-players-budget/news-story/6c484608bdb9b99130b04052714fc6a2