Wellington Phoenix have a new assistant coach and he arrives from Brazil with 30 years of experience in football.
Brazilian Kelly Guimarães has been appointed Giancarlo Italiano’s lead assistant coach for the 2025-26 Isuzu UTE A-League season, effectively becoming the head coach’s right-hand man.
The 50-year-old, commonly known as Kelly during his 19-year professional career as an attacking midfielder in Brazil, Spain, Japan and the UAE, lands at the Phoenix with a decade of experience as an assistant at the likes of Paranaense, Corinthians and Gremio in his homeland.
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Italiano believes he will be the perfect fit.
“Kelly’s an amazing character that I trust wholeheartedly,” the Phoenix boss said.
“He is the most upbeat guy you would want to have in your staff and changing room.
“And he has a wealth of experience, having played and coached at big clubs.”
Guimarães will join the Phoenix once he obtains his New Zealand work visa and he can’t wait to get started.
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“I’m very happy and very excited to be joining the Wellington Phoenix,” he said.
“It’s going to be a new challenge for me, but I believe it will be a great experience.
“I have heard a lot of beautiful things about New Zealand and Giancarlo has updated me about football in the country.
“I have a lot of experience as a footballer and as a coach and I believe I can add a lot to the Wellington Phoenix staff.
“Talking to Giancarlo we have a similar idea about how we’d like the team to play; with intensity, aggression and dominating possession.
“Together we’re going to help the team play really well and have a great season.”
His key role will be to become a conduit between the players and Italiano as the Phoenix attempt to engineer a push up the table in the upcoming season.
“I know Giancarlo has a good relationship with the players but maybe sometimes the players think you can’t talk to the head coach because he’s the boss,” Guimarães explained.
“This is a very important job for an assistant coach, but we also have to be another set of eyes for the head coach.
“The head coach has a lot of things to think about, to plan and to organise and sometimes the assistant coach can see something that helps the coach.”
He added: “In Brazil as a footballer and coach I have learned the players need the freedom to play and use their creativity.
“I think we’re going to motivate the players to be free and create.
“Of course they will respect the team’s tactical plans, but they will be free to create and to make something different.
“I think Brazilian football is known throughout the world because Brazilian footballers always have something different to show.”
The Phoenix now have just one open role left in their backroom staff, with Italiano still on the look out for a lead analyst/second assistant to be appointed in the near future.
