Corica leaves Auckland FC after leading club to title

June 19 : Steve Corica, who led Auckland FC to the A-League championship in only their second season, is leaving the club to pursue an opportunity overseas, the team said on Friday.

Corica guided Auckland to a first-place finish in the regular season in their inaugural 2024/2025 campaign before they lost in the semis of the Finals series.

This season, they secured the A-League championship to become the first New Zealand team to win the Grand Final in the competition's 20-year history.

"It has been a fantastic two years with a city, a fan group and a team that have all been way beyond my expectations," the 53-year-old said in statement.

"I didn’t know quite what I was getting into when I joined two years ago, but what an experience it has been.

"We started with nothing. Then year one we’re Premiers, winning the first piece of A-League silverware for any Kiwi club, and then year two we’re riding a bus down the middle of Queen Street parading the championship trophy."