Poletti 
Dario Vidosic coaching during an A-League Women's Melbourne Derby at AAMI Park. Photo: Melbourne City
Melbourne City announced on Tuesday that A-League Women coach Dario Vidosic will leave the club to become coach of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Vidosic, who has been in charge of Melbourne City for the past two seasons after taking over from his father Rado Vidosic at the start of the 2022/23 season, helped guide the side to the Premiers Plate last season, securing qualification for the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League.
He becomes the second Melbourne City A-League Women coach to make the move from City to a WSL club, joining Joe Montemurro, who made the move in 2017 to Arsenal.
Vidosic described his departure as a bittersweet moment after his two seasons at the helm.
“Winning the Premiers Plate this season and qualifying for the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League is something I will never forget,” he said.
“I leave behind a really special group of players and staff that I’m confident will continue to achieve great things.
“From my time as a player, through to a head coach, I’m extremely grateful for the support I have enjoyed during my time at City and wish the team and the club every success going forward.”
Melbourne City CEO Brad Prowse said that while the club was disappointed to lose someone of Vidosic’s caliber, he said that it was important to value allowing staff and players to take these opportunities, and that the club will continue to provide a platform to allow that to happen.
Vidosic joins Hannah Wilkinson, Emina Ekic, Julia Grosso, Naomi Thomas-Chinnama, and Daniela Galic as having departed the club this off-season, with Kaitlyn Torpey and Lysianne Proulx having departed during the season to the NWSL, with City securing record-breaking transfer fees for both.
With only Mariana Speckmaier and Alexia Apostolakis having been announced as the only new signings for the club thus far, with Taylor Otto having re-signed on a one-year-deal, it leaves City in a precarious position.
The A-League Women premiers now require a new coach in addition to several starting midfielders, attackers, and a new goalkeeper to join Melissa Barbieri, with time running out before pre-season starts and its AFC commitments.