Mexican star Ulises Davila, left, will lead Wellington Phoenix this season.
Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay is aiming high in his second year in charge of New Zealand's only professional football club despite relocating to Australia.
Phillip Rollo reports.
Will it help or hinder Wellington Phoenix to be based out of Wollongong, 2221km from home, for the duration of the 2020-21 A-League season?
Coach Ufuk Talay is unsure. It is a question he has been wondering himself ahead of an unprecedented second year in charge of New Zealand’s only professional football club.
On one hand, players and staff – and their families – have uprooted their lives to relocate to another country and will not get to play in front of their ardent supporters at Sky Stadium. But on the other, their travel has been significantly reduced and they will be better acclimated to the intense Australian heat.