Adelaide United is the pride of football in Australia according to Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO, Ben Buckley.
Adelaide was defeated by Gamba Osaka at Hindmarsh Stadium tonight, 0-2, after they had a 3-0 loss in Osaka the week before in Final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League played over two legs.
“Even though Adelaide was beaten by Gamba Osaka, it’s a fantastic achievement for a club from the Hyundai A-League to get this far in just the second year of participating in the competition,” said Buckley.
“The players, the coaching and other staff have all done themselves proud and helped put the Hyundai A-League competition on the AFC ‘map’.
“They have also been terrific ambassadors for football in Australia, as well as great representatives of Australia everywhere they’ve visited.
“None of us underestimate the achievement and congratulate Aurelio Vidmar, the management of Adelaide United, and the players and other staff.”
Buckley said it also was a night to remember for the fans who came out in force to support the Reds.
“Hindmarsh Stadium was awash in a sea of red, and the level of support from the people of Adelaide throughout the AFC Champions League campaign shows the strength of the code in Adelaide.”
Buckley also congratulated Gamba Osaka on their victory.
“They are a good team who did the business on the field with flair and efficiency.”
Adelaide United will next be seen in action at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday to meet the Central Coast Mariners to complete Round 11 in the Hyundai A-League.
