Interim Yokohama F.Marinos head coach John Hutchinson is relishing his reunion with Central Coast Mariners in the AFC Champions League Elite.
A Mariners legend, Hutchinson brings his Marinos side to Gosford for Tuesday night’s showdown with two-time reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions Central Coast.
Hutchinson, who stepped into the Marinos hot seat in July following the departure of Socceroos legend and former A-Leagues star Harry Kewell, Hutchinson, made 228 Isuzu UTE A-League appearances and won the 2013 Championship as Mariners captain.
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Also a Premiership winner, the 44-year-old spent time as a player-coach and assistant with the Mariners, where he is the most-capped player in the club’s history.
Ahead of the matchday six showdown at Industree Group Stadium, Hutchinson reflected on his time with the Mariners.
“Lots of fantastic memories. I just met up for coffee with Lawrie McKinna this morning. Talking about the good times, the hard times we faced in the first five years he was manager here,” he told reporters.
“A club that I hold very special in my heart. A long time here – 12 years. Lots of good memories, lots of good people.
“In terms of the game, we come prepared. I’ve brought a squad I think can do really well in the game.
“It’s obviously exciting as well. Something I probably never dreamt about doing but it’s something happening and I’m looking forward to it.”
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Hutchinson, whose Japanese side F.Marinos are third in the ACL Elite standings – three points behind Vissel Kobe and and nine ahead of 11th-placed Central Coast, added: “This is still home for me.
“At the end of every season, we have a home here with my family so we come back to Central Coast.
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“I don’t even know if half of them know I played here. I haven’t spoken to them about it. I want them to enjoy the atmosphere of this stadium.
“I think this is one of the best stadiums in the world still. I think it’s fantastic to play football here with the palm trees and the water across the road.”
Runners-up last season, J1 League outfit F.Marinos have won five straight games across all competitions as they prepare to face the Mariners.
F.Marinos – the former home of A-Leagues legends Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat as both delivered league titles – are seventh in the table heading into the final round of the season.
The Mariners, meanwhile, are ninth in the Isuzu UTE A-League – three points outside of the top six and nine points off the pace after claiming an unprecedented treble in 2023-24.
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“You have to respect what they did last season. Winning three trophies, they done really well,” said Hutchinson.
“They won the treble – I think they’re the first club in Australia to do that. Loads of respect for Mark Jackson and Matt Simon, who I know really well.
“In terms of what they did with the squad. Now they’re in the Champions League Elite, it’s different competition to what they did last season and I think they’re doing really well. It’s a good team, it’s a young team. They have some really good players.
“Unfortunately for Central Coast, they generally lose players every season when they’re successful. When I was a player here, we lost a lot of players here every time we had success and the club have gone through that again.
“It’s a bit of a transition period for the club. I still think they have some really good players. Players we need to be careful of. We fully expect a tough game (against the Mariners). The players understand it’s a big game for us.
“I think it’s a good group. They just need to gel together and their season will get kicked off and they will go close, to hopefully, doing what they did last season.”
How to watch?
Kick-off for Central Coast’s sixth ACL Elite fixture is 7:00pm AEDT on Tuesday, December 3 at Industree Group Stadium. You can catch all the action from Central Coast Mariners v Yokohama F. Marinos LIVE on Paramount+.
Match details
Central Coast Mariners v Yokohama F. Marinos
Asian Champions League Elite
Tuesday, December 3 2024
Kick-off: 7pm AEDT
Venue: Industree Group Stadium
How to watch: Paramount+
Featured image: Yokohama F.Marinos
