When news of his appointment as Melbourne Victory head coach was set to break, Arthur Diles picked up the phone to call his father.
Diles heard the news on Monday night and by Tuesday afternoon, it was official.
Patrick Kisnorbo’s shock departure from the role after just seven Isuzu UTE A-League games in charge at Victory was soon to be public knowledge; the news has since sent shockwaves through Australian football as the former Melbourne City player and coach turned his back on a three-year deal at Victory to pursue an overseas opportunity.
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“It happened very quick,” Diles said in his first press conference as Victory coach.
“I rang my old man prior to him reading about it just to say: ‘Look, this has happened, just so you’re aware. You didn’t hear it from me! So I’ll talk to you about it later’.”
When asked for his instant reaction to Kisnorbo’s surprise exit, Diles replied: “Like everybody: shock.
“We didn’t see anything coming. This is football, things happen and you move on Everyone does things for a reason, he’s *made) that decision, and there’s nothing else really to add to that.
“This job has come up very, very quickly and there’s only one focus right now: and that’s to make sure the players are ready for a game on Saturday. “
READ MORE: Patrick Kisnorbo departs Melbourne Victory for ‘overseas opportunity’: Full details
There’s arguably no bigger game on Victory’s annual calendar than the one that marks Diles’ first step into senior management: the Melbourne Derby at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
Dubbed the ‘Christmas Derby’, the two Melbourne rivals meet each December in one of the biggest games of every Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Diles has a wealth of experience as an assistant, having worked under Arthur Papas at Newcastle Jets for two seasons and with Tony Popovic at Western Sydney Wanderers, Greek club Xanthi and Victory.
His debut as a head coach comes in the high-stakes environment of a Melbourne Derby but Diles says he’s unfazed by the task at hand; when asked whether he felt as though he was ready to become a head coach, however, Diles admitted there hadn’t been enough time to even think about it amid the hectic derby build-up.
“Obviously no one expected this, so there hasn’t even been any thought given towards that,” Diles said.
“Being the assistant coach, the club has put trust in me to look after the team moving forward. My focus is this Saturday; it’s a short turnaround and the most important thing is we don’t miss a beat in our preparation to make sure we give our fans an opportunity to see a team that’s going out there and is going to press, perform and do the right thing for the club and themselves.
“I’m not fazed by this situation, or this opportunity. It’s football. I’ve been coaching and been around professional football for many years. It’s a progression, it happens, I’m ready for it, however long that is.
“The most important thing is Roddy (captain Roderick Miranda) and the boys are ready for Saturday. It’s a fantastic changeroom, they’ve overcome this situation pretty quickly and the strength of that changeroom is the most important thing right now.”
GAME-BY-GAME PREVIEW: What you need to know for Round 9 of the Isuzu UTE A-League
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Victory host City at AAMI Park on Saturday night in the second Melbourne Derby of the season; Kisnorbo oversaw a 3-1 win to Victory in Round 2 in which his side scored three times inside the first 25 minutes of the game.
READ MORE: ROUND 9 INS & OUTS
Melbourne Victory v Melbourne City
Saturday, December 21 – AAMI Park – 7.35pm AEDT
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