Adelaide City boss Michael Matricciani is 16,000km away when his side faces Olympic at Oakden on Monday

Adelaide City’s coach Michael Matricciani will be 16,000km away when his side faces Olympic at Oakden in one of two games to complete round six of the SA NPL on Monday.

Adelaide City coach Michael Matricciani’s penchant for learning has cost him more than $40,000 since taking up coaching seven years ago.

The thirst for knowledge also means the 33-year-old former Adelaide United striker and NPL goal machine is sacrificing a short-term goal for a long-term future in the game.

Matricciani will be about 16,000km away when his side hosts Olympic at Adelaide City Park, Oakden, on Monday from 7pm in a Round 6 clash.

Matricciani’s assistants, Ol­i­v­er Totani, Geoff Hargreaves, Joe Verringer, Peter Romeo and Fabian Garuccio are taking care of business.

Adelaide City coach Michael Matricciani in Barcelona in an intensive coaching Soccer Services Barcelona coaching course is studying the Ekkono method. Picture: Supplied.

“I’ve left a lot of information for them and have talked tactically about how we’re going to play against Olympic,” Matricciani said from Barcelona.

“I’ve done the analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of Olympic.

“The training program was already in place on the white board for the coaches to come in and run it. Everything’s under control.”

Matricciani left Adelaide a week ago for a 10-day coaching mission with Soccer Services Barcelona, in the famous Spanish soccer mecca.

“I’ve got to keep educating myself and keep on improving because the time that I’m missing, I know I’m going to gain a lot of knowledge which I can bring back and help the players at Adelaide City,’’ he said.

“I’ve been with Soccer Services for about four years and I’ve been doing their coaching courses.

“Last year I went to Finland to do part one of their masters Ekkono method and this year there is part two which is in Barcelona.

“This course was pre-booked last year before I got the Adelaide City job.

“It wasn’t ideal timing but it’s important for my own personal development.

“Basically, Soccer Services have their own coaching Ekkono method which, in the last five or six years, has really boomed.

“They’re two good guys that started coaching at Barcelona at La Masia (Youth Academy) and started their own methodology on playing and interpreting the game.

“They run a number of programs for huge organisations like the JFA (Japan Football Association), PSG, the Chinese Football Association, Barcelona and the Thai Football Association, to name a few.”

Matricciani is also planning to earn his Asian Football Confederation pro diploma — the top of the coaching tree which will give him a ticket to any job in the world as he ponders where to watch the City and Olympic clash if it’s streamed.

Matricciani is hoping City can win more points to put the club back in black after Football Federation SA docked the state’s most successful club six points for breaching its rules before the season kicked off.

Adelaide United’s only Johnny Warren Medal winner Marcos Flores is in doubt, recovering from a back injury which forced him out of City’s last match in the 22nd minute of a 2-2 draw where Joe Costa scored a screaming goal against Campbelltown City.

In the other game, Blue Eagles host South Adelaide at Marden from 7.30pm.

Saturday night may have been a little uncomfortable at the Costanzo household after Adelaide United’s NPL attacker Domenic Costanzo, son of Croydon Kings boss Angelo, headed an equaliser in the 81st minute just seconds after being unleashed off the bench in a 1-1 draw between the sides at Angle Park.

Reigning SA NPL champion Campbelltown beat MetroStars 2-0 at Newton after a first half own goal and a valuable strike from veteran defender Iain Fyfe 11 minutes before time.

Para Hills recorded its first win of the season, defeating West Adelaide 2-1 at The Paddocks keeping the 1978 national soccer league champion at the relegation end of the table.

Comets’ new boss Kon Antoniou recorded a win on debut when Allan Welsh and Andreas Weins scored in a valuable 2-0 win over Raiders at the Croatian Sports Centre.