Arthur Diles is adamant he’s good enough to step into another A-League head coaching role despite being shown the door by Melbourne Victory.
As revealed on Monday night by NewsWire, Diles was not offered a new deal by the four-time A-League champions, with the club on Tuesday morning confirming the 44-year-old mentor’s departure in a statement.
“We feel now is an appropriate time to make this change, viewing this juncture as an opportunity for the club to continue to evolve and build for success both today and tomorrow,” Victory chairman John Dovaston said.
“I would personally like to thank Arthur for his efforts.”
A former Victory assistant coach, Diles was elevated to the top job in December 2024 following the departure of Patrick Kisnorbo.
In his 50 A-League games in charge of the Melbourne club, Diles won 20, lost 17 and drew 13.
He guided Victory to last season’s grand final. This season, Victory finished fourth on the ladder – enough to secure a berth in the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two competition – before being knocked out in the first week of the finals by the Kisnorbo-coached Sydney FC.
“A grand final, a fourth-placed finish and Champions League (Two) qualification in two seasons is something that I’m very proud of,” Diles told NewsWire.
“Now is an opportunity to reflect on my time there and get ready for the next challenge, which I’m sure won’t be too far away. I’ve done enough to be worthy of an another opportunity in the A-League.”
Diles – who had been involved in Victory’s player recruitment and retention discussions before being told his services would be no longer required – isn’t interested in dropping back down to being an assistant.
“I think I’ve shown enough to go straight into a head coaching role.” he said.
“Coaching Melbourne Victory for two years and achieving what I’ve achieved, I’ve proven enough that I’m a confident and capable coach who is able to coach any club in Australia.”
Victory managing director Caroline Carnegie said Diles had “always fulfilled his duties with the utmost professionalism”.
“We extend our thanks to him for the role he played both on and off the pitch while at the club, and of course, wish him all the best for the future,” Carnegie said.
“This is an important time for us to be bold and unapologetic in our ambitions as a club, and we will look to do just that ahead of next season.”
Ex-Western United star and former Italian international Alessandro Diamanti has been interviewed for Victory coaching, while the club’s director of football John Didulica has had discussions with ex-Macarthur FC coach Ante Milicic.
With Victory intent on hiring a foreign coach, Milicic seems out of the running.
Diamanti has his fans, however, sources close to the club have indicated that he too isn’t expected to be offered the job, with Victory officials considering a host of other mentors from overseas.
