Western Melbourne appoint John Anastasiadis as assistant

New A-League club Western Melbourne have hired an assistant coach before putting the head man in place.

Bentleigh Greens coach John Anastasiadis. Picture: George Salpigtidis

It might seem odd but there is method to the madness in new A-League club Western Melbourne Group’s decision to hire an assistant coach before the head man.

The club, which will join an ­expanded competition next season, yesterday announced they had appointed highly regarded Victorian NPL coach John Anastasiadis as their first key signing.

WMG officials are a little way from naming a coach so Anastasiadis’s appointment came as somewhat of a surprise.

However, this is not the first time something like this has happened in the A-League. Sydney FC did the same before the inaugural 2005 season of the national competition when former English professional Ian Crook was signed as an assistant before the Sky Blues hired former German international Pierre Littbarski months later.

Interestingly, one of the key men behind WMG is prominent agent Lou Sticca, who was responsible for signing Crook and then Littbarski. He was also heavily ­involved in bringing several ­players to Sydney, including Dwight Yorke. With Crook by his side, Litt­barski went on to lead the Sky Blues to the championship in the first season of the A-League.

Anastasiadis will bring a wealth of knowledge to the new club, ­especially in terms of the quality of the players in the NPL. His record as a coach is outstanding. He guided Bentleigh Greens to success in the Dockerty Cup (2016), the Community Shield (2016 and 2017), a premiership (2016) and championships in 2015 and 2017.

But he came to national prominence as a coach when he took Bentleigh to within a game of the FFA Cup final in 2014, losing 3-0 to Perth Glory in a semi-final after accounting for Blacktown City, Sydney Olympic and Adelaide City on the way to the final four.

A popular figure in Victorian soccer, Anastasiadis was also a quality player in his day. He started his career in the NSL with Heidelberg United before a stellar stint with Greek giants PAOK, where he played more than 200 games (24 goals) during nine years there.

On his return to Australia, he joined South Melbourne, playing a little over 100 games and scoring 32 goals.

He scored in both of South’s grand final victories (1997-98 and 1998-99) with one of the goals coming against his brother, Dean, in the 1998 championship success against Carlton.

WMG director of football Steve Horvat said Anastasiadis’s appointment shows the club’s commitment to Victorian football.

“John knows Victorian football through and through, has been an advocate for the NPL and has proved himself to be a hugely successful coach at NPL level and in the FFA Cup,” Horvat, a former Socceroo, said.

“This signing again shows our commitment to Victorian football and building a bridge between the NPL and the A-League. There are many great Australian coaches at the NPL level such as John and we’re delighted he joins us.”