Wellington Phoenix star Kosta Barbarouses has signed on for another season at the club, fresh off the second most-prolific campaign of his career.
The 34-year-old ‘resisted overtures from rival A-League clubs’ to commit to his hometown club for the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season, with an option for a further year.
Barbarouses scored 13 goals and registered five assists as the Phoenix enjoyed a record-breaking campaign under Giancarlo Italano, moving into fourth on the competition’s all-time goal scorers list and becoming just the eighth player to reach 300 games.
“It’s a season to be proud of individually and as a team,” Barbarouses said.
“Obviously we had our best ever year as a club and it’s probably no surprise after the season we had there was a fair bit of interest in me.
“I weighed up everything and decided Wellington is by far the best place for me to be.
“I’ve still got big aspirations to do something special here and to play at a good level heading into the 2026 World Cup. That’s a big goal for me.
“Wellington’s home as well so it was a very easy decision and I’m very happy to extend and stay on.”
He added: “I’m really proud of what we achieved as a club this year. We were millimetres, seconds, minutes away from a grand final and we want to keep building on that.
“I think it’s important we’ve kept a big core of the squad together already, which is great stability wise.
“I’m sure Chiefy and the staff would have learnt from this year and want to go above and beyond and better as well.
“It’s a great place to be at the moment and there are so many positives to take out of this season going into next season.”
A four-time Isuzu UTE A-League champion, the veteran forward believes he still has what it takes to perform at a high level, while playing a key role helping the club’s next generation into senior football.
“As long as I keep feeling good I obviously want to be a mentor for the young ones and I want to be one of the best performing players in the league as well,” he said.
“I don’t want to kid myself when I don’t think I’m there and probably wouldn’t keep playing if I didn’t.
“I think I’ve still got so much to offer and this season’s obviously proven that so I’m not going to put a limit on myself.”
Phoenix head coach Italiano is thrilled to have secured Barbarouses’ services for another year.
“It’s good for the group in general and good for team chemistry,” Italiano said.
“Kosta really suits the way we play. We build towards him. You saw this season when he became the central nine, we had a really different dynamic and were really exciting to watch.
“On the park his numbers do all the talking, but what he does off the pitch when it comes to leadership and how he keeps a good vibe in the team, is also very, very important for us.
“He brings a lot of cohesion in the changing room. A lot of the young boys lean on him for advice and he’s a calming influence.
“Kosta also looks after himself quite well and shows the young boys what it’s like to be a good professional.”
He added: “Age is not something I’ve taken into consideration. For me it’s about his output.
“He’s outperformed so many young guys this season. It’s beyond what anyone else thought he could do at that age.
“It’s more about how fresh he is in the mind and how he applies himself.
“One more year here with a possibility of another year will get him to the 2026 World Cup. His goal is to get in that squad, and we want to support him to get there.”
The Phoenix currently have 18 players contracted for next season, with discussions continuing with other off-contract players.
