 | |||
| Full name | Sydney Football Club[1][2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Sky Blues | ||
| Short name | Sydney FC | ||
| Founded | 8 September 2004; 21 years ago (8 September 2004)[3] | ||
| Ground | Allianz Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 42,500 | ||
| Coordinates | 33°53′21″S151°13′31″E / 33.88917°S 151.22528°E /-33.88917; 151.22528 | ||
| Chairman | Jan Voss[4] | ||
| Head Coach | Ufuk Talay[5] | ||
| League | A-League Men | ||
| 2024–25 | 7th of 13 | ||
| Website | sydneyfc | ||
 Current season | |||
Sydney Football Club, commonly known asSydney FC, is a professionalsoccer club based inSydney,New South Wales, Australia. They compete in the top-tier men's league in Australia, theA-League Men. Established in 2004, they were among the eight founding teams for the inaugural2005–06 A-League season.
Domestically, Sydney FC have won arecord five A-League Men Championships, four A-League MenPremierships and twoAustralia Cups. Additionally, the club has won theOFC Champions League once in international competition.
Before the2018–19 season, the club’shome ground was theAllianz Stadium inMoore Park. When theNSW Government announced that the stadium would be redeveloped before the2019 New South Wales state election, the team temporarily played at theSydney Cricket Ground,Jubilee Oval andLeichhardt Oval. In October 2022, the club returned to the newly rebuiltAllianz Stadium.[6] In 2023, Sydney FC completed their new training and administration facility,Sky Park, inNorth Ryde.[7][8]
During the club's first seven years, it was the only A-League team in Sydney, attracting a broad fanbase across theSydney Metropolitan Area.[9] Sydney FC are Australia's most supported A-League club, with 693,000 fans as of 2023.[10] Its leading supporter group, "The Cove," derives its name fromSydney Cove, a bay on the southern shore ofSydney Harbour. They compete in the localSydney Derby against cross-town rivalsWestern Sydney Wanderers. As the two most decorated clubs in the A-League Men and fierce inter-state rivals, the club also shares a long-standing rivalry withMelbourne Victory, known asThe Big Blue.
Alex Brosque is the club's all-time top goal scorer, with 83 goals in all competitions.Rhyan Grant has the most appearances for the club, having played 379 games.
The first steps towards the foundation of Sydney FC were taken in April 2004 when Soccer New South Wales (nowFootball NSW) announced its intention to bid for a licence in the newA-League competition.[11] The bid was lodged with the Australian Soccer Association (nowFootball Australia) on 19 July, challenged only by a consortium headed byNick Politis, known as the "Sydney Blues",[12] for Sydney's place in the 'one team per city' competition.[13] A public row broke out between the two bidders after reports that the ASA were set to vote in favour of Sydney FC,[14] causing Politis to withdraw his support for a team,[15] and leaving Sydney FC as the only candidate remaining.[citation needed]
Sydney FC was officially launched as a member of the new 8-team A-League on 1 November 2004, with a 25% stake in the club held by Soccer NSW, the remainder privately owned.[16]Walter Bugno was announced as the inaugural chairman of the club. On 11 December 2004, Soccer NSW announced that it would pull out of its involvement with Sydney FC amid concerns over part owner Frank Lowy's autocratic style in establishing the club and lack of consultation with Soccer NSW on key Sydney FC issues. These included the choice of theSydney Football Stadium overParramatta Stadium as the team's home ground, and the erosion of Soccer NSW's initial 100 per cent involvement to just 25 per cent.[17]
By February 2005, Sydney FC had filled 16 of its allowed 20 squad positions—attractingSocceroosAlvin Ceccoli,Clint Bolton,Steve Corica andDavid Zdrilic as well as youth internationalsJustin Pasfield,Mark Milligan,Wade Oostendorp,Iain Fyfe andJacob Timpano.[18] GermanPierre Littbarski was signed as head coach, assisted by formerNorwich City playerIan Crook. Sydney FC played its first ever match againstManly United on 25 March 2005, winning 6–1.[19] Shortly after, Sydney FC set off on a tour to theUnited Arab Emirates to play against local teams FC Hatta,Al Ain andAl Jazira, winning all three.[20][21][22] While inDubai, Sydney FC announced that it had agreed to terms with formerManchester United playerDwight Yorke as the club's "marquee player"– one paid outside of the $1.5millionsalary cap— for two seasons.[23]
Sydney FC's first competitive match was againstQueensland Roar atCentral Coast Stadium inGosford as part of the2005 Australian Club World Championship Qualifying Tournament. After winning 3–0, Sydney went on to defeatPerth Glory andCentral Coast Mariners to qualify for the2005 Oceania Club Championship, held inTahiti. Despite an early scare against New Zealand clubAuckland City,[24] Sydney FC won all of its matches and qualified for the2005 FIFA Club World Championship inJapan. The start of the2005 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup marked Sydney FC's first match atAllianz Stadium, as well asDwight Yorke's first appearance for the club. Yorke scored the first goal of Sydney FC's 3–1 win which stretched its unbeaten run to 9 competitive matches (15 includingfriendlies). Upon reaching the semi-finals, Sydney's unbeaten run finally ended at 11 with Perth GlorymidfielderNick Ward scoring in injury time to inflict the new club's first ever loss.[25]
Sydney FC's first season was ultimately a success. Finishing second behindAdelaide United they went on to defeatCentral Coast Mariners 1–0 in the2006 A-League Grand Final withSteve Corica scoring in the second half of the game. However, the club's success wouldn't last long, with German managerPierre Littbarski leaving the club after refusing to accept a lower salary[26] and inaugural marquee playerDwight Yorke being signed byPremier League clubSunderland.[27] FormerEnglish internationalTerry Butcher was signed as Sydney FC's new coach for2006–07.[28] However it was regarded as an overall failure, with Sydney playing poorly despite the signing ofAlex Brosque andBenito Carbone as a Guest player. Sydney also had 3 points deducted during the season, after it was found that they had breached theSalary cap, involving playerDavid Zdrillic.[29] Despite the off field problems, Sydney managed to scrape into the finals series, however they lost in thesemi-final toNewcastle Jets. Although Butcher led the club into the finals, Sydney fans were unhappy with his tactics. In the end Butcher and Sydney FC went their separate ways at the end of the season.[30] Sydney FC would go on to signBranko Čulina for its2007 AFC Champions League campaign, where they finished second in the group, one point behind ultimate champions andJ-League heavyweightsUrawa Red Diamonds. Despite the ACL success, Sydney FC's start to the2007–08 season was poor, and the club sacked him, replacing him with formerAdelaide United managerJohn Kosmina.[31] Sydney FC played well for the rest of the season but were knocked out in the finals byBrisbane Roar. Kosmina couldn't repeat the success of the previous season, replacingBrazilian internationalJuninho withSocceroos heroJohn Aloisi on a million dollar contract.[32] The club also unveiledNewcastle Jetschampionship winnersMark Bridge andStuart Musialik as well asSoccerooSimon Colosimo for the2008–09 season.[32][33] The season did not live up to expectations even with these key signings. Aloisi didn't perform very well during the season and came under heavy fire. So too did manager Kosmina, whose tactics were seen as controversial. His relationship with the media often became angry and frustrated which didn't help causes. Many players fell out of favour with the coach, includingSteve Corica andClint Bolton.[34] For the first time in the club's history, they failed to make the Finals. As a result Kosmina was fired whenRussian billionaire David Traktovenko became owner in March 2009.
The fresh change at the club was about to bear fruit, when Sydney announced they had signed Czech Republic managerVítězslav Lavička.[35] Lavicka completely changed the structure of the club, and for its first time turning it into a serious, European style soccer club. He kept faith inSteve Corica andJohn Aloisi and several others who had threatened to walk out, and as a result, Sydney FC won its first premiership. Sydney made it to the Grand Final of the fifth season of the A-League after defeating Wellington Phoenix in the preliminary final. The Grand Final was played againstMelbourne Victory atEtihad Stadium inMelbourne. Sydney took the lead after 61 minutes through aMark Bridge header, just seconds after Melbourne had a goal disallowed for offside. Melbourne equalised throughAdrian Leijer in the 81st minute, and the game went to apenalty shootout with no goals scored in extra time. Melbourne skipperKevin Muscat missed his penalty, with his shot hitting the post. Sydney FC won the Grand Final 4–2 on penalties which handed the club its second Hyundai A-League Championship.
Sydney FC's title defence did not go smoothly. The club lost key players from its championship-winning side includingSteve Corica (retired),[36]Karol Kisel (return to Europe),[37]Simon Colosimo,[38]John Aloisi,[39] andClint Bolton[40] (all Melbourne Heart). The club however picked up the services of formerSoccerooNick Carle from his stint in England withCrystal Palace. This wasn't enough to steer the team in the right direction. The club was winless for the first ten rounds of the competition. Sydney FC managed to pick up a few points over the next few rounds but another five-game losing streak ensured they would not qualify for the finals competition, finishing ninth. The third season under Lavicka began with the major signing ofBlackburn Rovers playerBrett Emerton on a three-year deal.[41] The signing was significant in that Emerton became the first player to directly exchange theFA Premier League for the A-League by terminating his Rovers contract one year early.[42] The season however, only provided minimal success as the club scraped through to the finals series with a 3–2 win overNewcastle Jets in the final round of the regular season. Before the end of the season the club announced that head coach Lavicka's contract would not be renewed for the following season.[43][44]
"This is huge for Sydney FC, huge for the A-League and huge for Australian football. We feel honoured that Alessandro has decided to play for Sydney FC and we share his excitement that a move to Sydney FC will create a lasting legacy for football in this country."
The2012–13 season was one of high drama. There was a new head coachIan Crook[45] and a high turnover of players in the off season. The expectations changed from a year of rebuilding to title contenders when the club acquired the services of international superstarAlessandro Del Piero.[46][47] He signed on for $2 million per year and became the highest-paid player ever in the A-League.[48]
After only six weeks into the regular season Sydney were forced to find a new coach with the shock resignation of Crook. He cited the role was "a constant burden" and was adversely affecting his health.[49]Frank Farina was confirmed as Crook's successor for the season two games intoSteve Corica's interim spell.[50] During the January transfer window, Farina bolstered his defensive stocks with Socceroos captainLucas Neill[51][52] and BrazilianTiago Calvano[53] joining the team. The pair made nil significant impact and with a 3–1 loss away from home toBrisbane Roar, Sydney were unable to pick up a vital point that would have seen them play in the finals, finishing seventh.
For the2013–14 pre season, the club became the first club in A-League history to tour in Europe, as Sydney toured inVenice, Italy, where the club played against Del Piero's first professional club,Padova,Udinese Calcio,Vicenza Calcio,A.S. Cittadella,Venezia andReggiana.[54][55] Sydney won half of these six games however upon returning home lost five consecutive friendly games in the lead up to the season proper. Two-thirds of the way into the season and with Sydney FC only accumulating 4 points from 8 games, fans began to express concerns over the vision for the club. Banners at the club's home game against Adelaide included sentiments like "We want Farina gone."[56] There was also a mass exodus from the club's active supporter group, The Cove.[57] The club then held a fan forum to receive questions and communicate the direction of the club.[58] During the last nine rounds, Sydney FC only lost two games making the finals. The club lost toMelbourne Victory in the first week of the finals. This marked the end of theFrank Farina reign.[59][60]
On 8 May 2014, Sydney FC announced its new head coach for the2014–15 A-League season.[62] With retirements toBrett Emerton in January[63] andTerry McFlynn,[64] and the contract expirations of marquee playerAlessandro Del Piero,[65] foreign playerRanko Despotović and formerSoccerooRichard Garcia, there was a lot of experience to be filled by the club. Arnold announced his first signing on 12 May 2014, acquiring the services of his formerMariner wingerBernie Ibini-Isei.[66] Sydney FC then announced signings of prolific A-League goalscorerShane Smeltz and SoccerooAlex Brosque.[67] After months of searching Arnold found his new marquee man inAustria national football team captainMarc Janko.[68] On 8 October 2014, Brosque was announced as captain for the 2014–15 A-League season, alongside vice-captainsSasa Ognenovski andNikola Petković.[69] Sydney FC's season began with the highly anticipated match-up against the newly re-brandedMelbourne City and guest superstarDavid Villa. Whilst not starting the game, Villa came on early in the second half to claim the equalising goal, the result ending 1–1. Sydney FC continued on an eight-game undefeated streak that ended whenPerth Glory came from behind to score two goals in the final seven minutes to claim victory at Allianz Stadium.[70] The following week saw another thrillingBig Blue inMelbourne ending 3–3.[71] Sydney FC struggled for form as they moved closer to the January break for the2015 Asian Cup,[72] not scoring in four consecutive matches. During this break, Sydney FC were able to bolster their stocks, signingSenegalese internationalsMickaël Tavares andJacques Faty as injury replacement players.[73] Upon resumption, Sydney FC posted 19 (out of a possible 21) points in the next seven rounds. Whilst slipping up twice at home to Melbourne City andAdelaide United (with scores of 0–1 in both games) during the final six rounds, Sydney FC managed to win all four other games away from home to finish second on the ladder with 50 points for the season. By the end of the regular season, Sydney FC had broken many records including a record club home season attendance (41,213 vs.Western Sydney Wanderers FC) and a league record number of away games undefeated in a season, as well as becoming the first club to score three or more goals in five consecutive games.[74] Marquee Marc Janko also set his own A-League record for most consecutive goalscoring appearances with seven.[74] After having the first week of the finals off, Sydney FC metAdelaide in the semi-finals at home. A brace fromAlex Brosque set Sydney up for a 4–1 win.[75] Ultimately, Sydney FC were outplayed in the2015 A-League Grand Final, defeated byMelbourne Victory 3–0 atMelbourne Rectangular Stadium.[76]
The following season was significantly less successful, finishing seventh in the league despite the star power of marqueeFilip Hološko, and Serbian playmakerMiloš Ninković. However, Arnold coached the Sky Blues through a tough Asian Champions League group, finishing first and defeating defending championsGuangzhou Evergrande 2–1 at Allianz. Sydney progressed to the knockout stages for the first time, losing on away goals to Chinese sideShandong Luneng withHao Junmin scoring a 90th-minute equaliser to finish the Sky Blues continental hopes.
Arnold reformed Sydney for the 2016–17 season, beginning with the signings ofSocceroos centrebackAlex Wilkinson,[77] and leftbackMichael Zullo[78] both fromMelbourne City.Joshua Brillante joined the Sky Blues on a three-year deal, keeping him at the Harbour City until 2019.[79] The goalkeeping ranks were soon bolstered by the signing ofDanny Vukovic, the A-League's most capped player who also held a record A-League clean sheet tally.Bernie Ibini-Isei also rejoined the club on loan fromClub Brugge, following a horrific leg injury. The biggest signing however was that of Brazilian strikerBobô on a one-year marquee deal,[80] rejoining his formerBeşiktaş teammate Filip Holosko. The season started with a 4–0 win over rivals Western Sydney in theSydney Derby with new striker Bobô scoring on debut. They went on a six-game winning streak from this, conceding one goal. The club also reached the2016 FFA Cup Final for the first time, losing to Melbourne City 1–0, in a highly controversial match.[81]
This did not affect the momentum however, with Arnold's men going 19 games unbeaten before losing to arch rivals Western Sydney Wanderers in theSydney Derby. Despite this setback, Sydney FC marched on yet again, winning the Premier's Plate with four games to spare and breaking numerous A-League records, including: most competition points, most wins in a season, fewest goals conceded, most clean sheets and best goal difference.[82] Marquee striker Bobô ended the regular season as top scorer with 15 goals, narrowly missingMarc Janko's record of 16. The club qualified for the2018 AFC Champions League after finishing first, which was their fourth Asian Champions League campaign.
They finished the season as double winners – winning the2017 A-League Grand Final 4–2 (1–1 AET) on penalties against Melbourne Victory at their former home ground, Allianz Stadium. The winning penalty was scored byJohnny Warren MedallistMiloš Ninković who re-signed for a following year the next day,[83] before also being named player of the year at the club's awards night.[84]
The Sky Blues went on a successful FFA Cup run in2017, starting with an 8–0 thumping of Northern Territory amateur sideDarwin Rovers, with Bobô scoring a club record equalling 4 goals in the match. The following round they played NPL2 sideCanterbury Bankstown, winning 3–0 in a fairly scrappy match, with goals from Carney, Bobô, and a debut goal from new signingAdrian Mierzejewski in injury time to put them through to the quarter finals. Sydney drewMelbourne City, marking the third battle between the two in the cup. An early goal fromJordy Buijs put Sydney up 1–0, before a second half goal from captainAlex Brosque sealed the win atLeichhardt Oval. In the semi-finals, they faced yet another Melbourne side, with a trip toLakeside Stadium to playSouth Melbourne booked. The Sky Blues ran out 5–1 winners, with a brace from Bobô sealing their date with destiny in the2017 FFA Cup Final to playAdelaide United. The final was played atSydney Football Stadium, only the second time it had hosted an FFA Cup match. The Harbour City Originals opened the scoring on 20 minutes, as Milos Ninkovic latched onto a through ball, before sliding past a defender and poking a shot past goalkeeperPaul Izzo. The slender one-goal lead only had them in front until an equaliser byNikola Mileusnic got Adelaide back into the game. The game was forced into extra time, before Bobô scored a header on 111 minutes to win theFFA Cup for Sydney FC.
The 2017—18 season proved to be successful after the FFA Cup win, with the Sky Blues becoming the first ever club to win back-to-back premierships in the A-League era, and the first in Australian national league history sinceMelbourne Knights.
With Graham Arnold being chosen to take over the Australian national team coaching role after the 2018 World Cup, his time at the club ended when his team were defeated 3–2 by Melbourne Victory, after extra time in a semi-final of the A-League finals series of 2017/18.
Steve Corica became the ninth permanent head coach of Sydney FC when his tenure was officially announced on 16 May 2018.[85][86] The announcement followed his ongoing thirteen year involvement with the club, signing on as a player in the inaugural 2005/06 season. After his retirement in 2010, Corica served his time as staff member for the club in various roles of assistant coach, youth team coach and the caretaker first team coach for two games in 2012.[86] The off-season would prove be a crucial first test for Corica in terms of recruitment for some key positions. It had already been announced that key players from prior seasons including Dutch defenderJordy Buijs, former SocceroosLuke Wilkshire,David Carney andMatt Simon had all left the club as well as youth productAnthony Kalik returning to Europe as his loan deal expired.[87][88] After the re-signing of current captain and club legendAlex Brosque within the first week of Corica's tenure as manager[89] things appeared to be going well for Corica. On 7 July 2018, after weeks of speculation, the club officially confirmed the exit ofJohnny Warren MedalistAdrian Mierzejewski and the newly re-signedGolden Boot winner, Bobô, leaving big holes to fill in attack.[90] In the following weeks after Bobô and Mierzejewski closed the door on their times at Sydney, the club announced the signings of formerEnglish Premier League starAdam Le Fondre[91] and Dutch midfielderSiem de Jong on loan fromAjax.[92] Fellow DutchmanJop van der Linden was also revealed to be joining Sydney FC on a one-year deal.[93]
This was the first season Sydney temporarily moved toJubilee Oval while their home ground,Allianz Stadium, was under renovation.[94] The team played their home matches at Jubilee, theSydney Cricket Ground and also atLeichhardt Oval during the 2018–19 season.
The2018–19 season was a successful campaign for Sydney FC, as they finished second in the regular season with 52 points, eight points behind premiers Perth Glory.[95] In the2018 FFA Cup, Sydney FC reached the final for the third consecutive year. They defeatedRockdale City Suns,Cairns FC,Avondale FC, and local rivalsWestern Sydney Wanderers 3–0 in the semi-finals, before facing Adelaide United in thefinal for the second consecutive season. Sydney FC lost atHindmarsh Stadium 2–1 in the final after a brace fromMark Viduka MedalistCraig Goodwin, with Le Fondre scoring Sydney's only goal of the night.[96][97]
In the finals series, Sydney FC thumped Melbourne Victory 6–1 in the semi-finals, thanks to goals fromAaron Calver,Alex Brosque, an own goal fromLeigh Broxham,Adam Le Fondre andMiloš Ninković equalling the record for the largest margin of victory in The Big Blue. Sydney then travelled to Perth for the2019 Grand Final, defeating Perth Glory in the grand final after a dramatic penalty shootout, which ended 4–1 thanks to mid-season signingReza Ghoochannejhad scoring the decisive penalty andAndrew Redmayne saving two penalties.[98][99]
Overall, the 2018–19 season was largely a success for Steve Corica's first season in charge and the team's first season away from Allianz Stadium. They finished in the top two in all domestic competitions. However, their performance in the2019 AFC Champions League was disappointing, as they failed to progress from the group stage. Finishing at the bottom of their group, with just three points from six matches.[100][101]
On 7 April 2021, Sydney FC became the firstA-League club to record 200 wins with a 1–0 win overPerth Glory.[102]
Sydney FC moved into their newly rebuiltSydney Football Stadium inMoore Park ahead of the2022–23 season, with their return match to the venue coming in a round 1Big Blue against arch rivalsMelbourne Victory, losing 2–3 in a game impacted by heavy rain.[103] Sydney made the semi-finals that season, having finished the season in fifth but having defeated Western Sydney Wanderers in an away derby Elimination Final.[104] Sydney FC managed a 1–1 draw at home in the first leg of the semi final againstMelbourne City, but were comprehensively beaten 4–0 in the second leg atAAMI Park inMelbourne.[105]
The 2023–24 season started with success for Sydney FC, winning the2023 Australia Cup with a 3–1 victory overBrisbane Roar in the final at home.[106] However, a poor start to theA-League season which saw Sydney FC lose their first three matches without registering a goal, and languishing on the bottom of the table, saw Corica resign as Sydney FC coach after 5 full seasons in charge, 3 weeks after lifting the Australia Cup.[107]
The day after the mutual resignation of Steve Corica, Sydney FC appointed another former player as their new head coach,Ufuk Talay.[108] On 20 June 2024, AFC confirmed that Sydney FC will participate in the inaugural2024–25 AFC Champions League Two marking their first appearance in the competition.
.svg){kind=logo}
The primary club colour of Sydney FC issky blue, which represents thestate colour ofNew South Wales. The secondary club colour isnavy blue, with additional contrasting colours oforange andwhite, however the colour orange does not feature in the club's 2017 redesign of the crest.
The current Sydney FC badge was released on 17 May 2017 and is a reworking of a design by Liam Johnson on behalf of and submitted by the club's supporter group, The Cove. The crest features theSydney Opera House in white pictured in front of a sky-blue backdrop on top of a navy blue base featuring theCommonwealth Star. The Opera House represents an iconic landmark ofSydney, the sky-blue represents the club's primary colour and the state colour ofNew South Wales, and theCommonwealth Star, also found on theAustralian flag, is a symbol representing theFederation of Australia.[109]
The initial Sydney FC badge was created and used since the club's founding in 2004. It featured a soccer ball set centrally in a stylised crest shape. Above the ball was the shape of three shells of theSydney Opera House, and below that was theCommonwealth Star.[110]
There is a silver star atop the badge with the numeral five written inside it, representing the number of championships the club has won.
Sydney FC plays its home matches at the newly constructedSydney Football Stadium. The team moved into the stadium for the2022–23 A-League Mens season. Their first match at the stadium was against the club's fierce rivals,Melbourne Victory on 8 October 2022 in front of 21,840 supporters. Sydney lost the match 2–3.
The home ground was built as a replacement for the originalSydney Football Stadium. This stadium was built in 1988 to be the premium "rectangular field" forrugby league matches. It was also used forsoccer andrugby union for major matches and domestic competition. The stadium was then demolished in 2019 to be rebuilt into a boutique, world class venue.[111] It had been the venue forAustralian international matches (notablyWorld Cup Qualifier againstArgentina in 1993). The stadium's capacity was stated at 41,159 prior to renovations in 2007, although the attendance of the 2006 A-League grand final exceeded this number by over 500. The stated capacity prior to demolition was 45,500. Sydney FC's final game at the stadium was a 2–3 extra time loss to Melbourne Victory in the2017–18 A-League Semifinal.
Prior to the current season, for four years whilst the new stadium was being built between the2018–19 and2021–22 seasons, Sydney played its home games out of two stadiums,Leichhardt Oval andJubilee Oval. TheSydney Cricket Ground located in Moore Park was used in its first season of this redevelopment period. With a capacity of 46,000, it was used for the club's major fixtures during their time away from their traditional home, although this was eventually abandoned until theSydney Derby on 23 May 2021.
Sydney FC have played matches at other Sydney venues.Parramatta Stadium in western Sydney was the venue for anAFC Champions League match againstIndonesian football sidePersik Kediri in April 2007 when the SFS was unavailable due to anNRL match being played there. A friendly match againstLos Angeles Galaxy was played atANZ Stadium in November 2007 due to its greater capacity, and drew a crowd of 80,295. The club has also played regular season games there againstPerth Glory in 2012, andNewcastle Jets andMelbourne City in 2016. Sydney played one home game atWIN Stadium in Wollongong on 3 January 2015 against Newcastle Jets. They also played atCampbelltown Stadium against Perth Glory in the2011–12 A-League season. In 2020, Sydney usedCommBank Stadium as its home venue for the2019–20 A-League final series. In the semifinal, Sydney defeated Perth Glory 2–0 and in the Grand Final they defeated Melbourne City 1–0 after extra time, via aRhyan Grant goal.
On 17 May 2017, the club andSydney Cricket Ground Trust agreed to a ten-year extension of the lease.[112]
Sydney FC's primary training ground is atMacquarie University inNorth Ryde, calledSky Park. It also hosts the club'swomen's team, as well as all academy players, male and female. They also make use of thesports and aquatic centre for post match recovery sessions. Occasionally Sydney FC have been seen after home games having recovery sessions at local beaches such asCoogee Beach,Bondi Beach, andMaroubra.[citation needed]
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor | Minor Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2007 | Reebok | Healthe | HBA Insurance |
| 2007–2009 | Bing Lee /JVC | ||
| 2009–2011 | Bing Lee /Sony | MBF Health Insurance | |
| 2011–2012 | Adidas | Unicef[113] | Sydney Children's Hospital /CMRI[114] |
| 2012–2014 | Webjet | Destination NSW /Caltex | |
| 2014–2015 | StarTrack / Beechwood | ||
| 2015–2017 | Puma | StarTrack ITP University of New South Wales | |
| 2017–2019 | The Star | ||
| 2019–2023 | Under Armour | Kennards Hire[115] | |
| 2023– | Macquarie University |
| Year | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Reebok | No sponsor |
| 2011 | events-sydney.com | |
| 2016 | Puma | StarTrack |
| 2018 | Aetos | |
| 2019 | ||
| 2020 | Under Armour | |
| 2022 | MA Financial Group | |
| 2024–25 | Macquarie University |
Sydney FC is the most supported A-League club in Australia, with an estimated 693,000 fans as of 2023.[10]
As they were the only A-League team from Sydney until 2012, Sydney FC draws support from across all ofGreater Sydney. The main supporter group of Sydney FC is known as "The Cove",[116] and were originally located at the Paddington (northern) end of Allianz Stadium in bays 22–26. The name came from the original name given to the colonial settlement of Sydney—Sydney Cove.
Cove members attend every home match and travel around the country to support the team at away matches as a vocal group. On 7 July 2006, Australian rock singerJimmy Barnes recorded a club song entitled 'Sydney FC for Me' with 25 members of The Cove singing back-up vocals.[117] It was released prior to the start of the2006–07 season.
The Cove was directly involved the creation of the modern Sydney FC badge, with them putting forward designs and ideas which carried over to the finished product.[109]
Rhyan Grant holds the record for Sydney FC appearances, having played 379 first-team matches between 2008 and 2024. The record for a goalkeeper is held byAndrew Redmayne, with 238 appearances.
The club's all-time top goalscorer in all competitions isAlex Brosque with 83 goals.Adam Le Fondre has scored the second most goals with 73 goals whilst in third isBobô with 71 goals.
Sydney FC's highest home attendance for a league match was 41,213, recorded on 18 October 2014 at the Sydney Football Stadium against theWestern Sydney Wanderers in theSydney Derby.[119] The highest home attendance in any fixture is 80,295 recorded on 27 November 2007 for afriendly match againstLA Galaxy atStadium Australia.
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Glory | 60 | 36 | 14 | 10 | 60.00 |
| Newcastle Jets | 57 | 33 | 13 | 11 | 57.90 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 51 | 27 | 8 | 16 | 52.94 |
| Central Coast Mariners | 62 | 32 | 12 | 18 | 51.61 |
| Western United | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 46.67 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 41 | 20 | 10 | 11 | 48.78 |
| Macarthur FC | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 46.15 |
| Adelaide United | 67 | 29 | 13 | 25 | 43.28 |
| Melbourne City | 47 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 36.17 |
| Melbourne Victory | 66 | 26 | 19 | 21 | 39.39 |
| Brisbane Roar | 64 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 35.94 |
| Auckland FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Named club captains for the season only. Does not include acting captains when club captain was unavailable or not selected.
| Name | Nat | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Rudan[121] |  | 2005–07 |
| Tony Popovic[122] | | 2007–08 |
| Steve Corica[123] | | 2008–10 |
| Terry McFlynn[124] |  | 2010–13 |
| Alessandro Del Piero[125][126] |  | 2013–14 |
| Alex Brosque[127] | | 2014–19 |
| Alex Wilkinson[128] | | 2019–23 |
| Luke Brattan[129] | | 2023–24 |
| Rhyan Grant[130] | | 2024– |
On 21 December 2009, Sydney FC established an academy to develop young players. The main goal of the academy was stated as to produce better players by providing technical and tactical knowledge, as well as to identify potential new talent that could represent Sydney in the National Youth League and A League in future. This began a continued commitment from Sydney to invest in and develop junior talent for the benefit of grassroots soccer. The initial 26 players were drawn from the NSW State League clubs and consisted of players aged 14–18 years old. They started training with the academy atMacquarie University.[131]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Ufuk Talay |
| Assistant Coach | John Maisano |
| Matt Sim | |
| Goalkeeping coach | Matthew Nash |
| Head of Sports Science & Performance | Alex Scardino |
| Head Physiotherapist | Josh Weight |
| Physiotherapist | Joshua Wilde |
| Head of Football Analysis | Justin McMahon |
| Video Analyst | Riki Totsukawa |
| Position[132] | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Jan Voss |
| Executive Vice Chairman | Sebastian Gray[133] |
| Director | Han Berger |
| Director | Walter Bugno |
| Director | Michael Crismale |
| Director | Peter Paradise |
| Director | Suzie Shaw |
| Director | Jon Sutton |
| Chief Executive Officer | Vacant |
| Head of Player Management | Alex Baumjohann[134] |
| Head of Football Operations | Alex Wilkinson[135] |
The club's current manager isUfuk Talay, after replacingSteve Corica. The club's previous manager wasGraham Arnold, who is the clubs most successful manager, managed the club from August 2014 to 2018. There have been ten permanent and onecaretaker manager of Sydney FC since the appointment of the first professional manager,Pierre Littbarski in 2005.
| Chairman | Years |
|---|---|
| Walter Bugno | 2005–2006 |
| Edmund Capon | 2006–2007 |
| Andrew Kemeny | 2007–2009 |
| Paul Ramsay | 2009–2012 |
| Scott Barlow | 2012–2025 |
| Jan Voss[136] | 2025– |
On 16 March 2015, Sydney FC inducted eight members into its inaugural Hall of Fame at the club's 10-year anniversary lunch.[137] Additional inductees are added to the hall of fame at the annual end of season Sky Blue Ball.[138]
| Name | Role | Date Inducted |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Corica | Foundation player (2005–2010) and captain (2008–2010) | 16 March 2015 |
 Dwight Yorke | Inaugural Marquee player (2005–2006) | |
| Mark Rudan | Inaugural captain (2005–2008) | |
| Clint Bolton | Foundation player (goalkeeper), 142 appearances (2005–2010) | |
| Terry McFlynn | Foundation player, captain (2010–2013), all-time leading appearances (214) across 9 seasons (2005–2014) | |
| Alessandro Del Piero | International Marquee player (2012–2014), captain (2013–14) | |
 Pierre Littbarski | Inaugural coach (2005–2006), honours — OFC Club Championship (2005) and A-League Championship (2006) | |
 Vítězslav Lavička | Coach (2009–2012), domestic double (A-League Premiership and Championship in 2010) | |
| Alen Stajcic | W-League Coach (2008–2014), Premiers (2009, 2010–11) Champions (2009, 2013) | 14 June 2016 |
| Alex Brosque | Captain (2014–2019); most successful – two premierships, two championships, one FFA Cup Player (2006–2011, 2014–2019); most appearances (265) and goals (83), three consecutive Player of the Year awards (2007–2010) | 3 June 2019[139] |
| Alex Wilkinson | Captain (2019–2023); Player (2016–2023); one Player of the Year award (2021) | 9 June 2023[140] |
| Teresa Polias | Captain (2014–2021); Player (2010–2021); two premierships, two championships, three Player of the Year awards (2012, 2013, 2019); most A–League Women appearances (157) |
In April 2015, Sydney FC also announced its Team of the Decade at the annual end of season awards night, the Sky Blue Ball.[141]
On 4 June 2025, Sydney FC announced its 20th anniversary team which was voted by club members.[142]
ROAR striker Ante Milicic says there will be no love lost when he faces brother-in-law and Sydney FC captain Tony Popovic this Saturday.
Sydney Captain Steve Corica was left on the bench...
Executive Vice Chairman Sebastian Gray will act as the primary conduit between the club's executive team and the Board.
| Preceded by None | A-League Champions 2005–06 (First title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | A-League Premiers 2009–10 (First title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | A-League Champions 2009–10 (Second title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | A-League Premiers 2016–17 (Second title) | Succeeded by Sydney FC |
| Preceded by | A-League Champions 2016–17 (Third title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Sydney FC | A-League Premiers 2017–18 (Third title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | A-League Champions 2018–19 (Fourth title) | Succeeded by Sydney FC |
| Preceded by | A-League Premiers 2019–20 (Fourth title) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Sydney FC | A-League Champions 2019–20 (Fifth title) | Succeeded by |
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| History | |
| Home stadiums |
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| Training Ground | |
| Honours | |
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