PREVIEW-Soccer-Auckland defend A-League title after management shake-up

Auckland FC launch ​their A-League championship defence this week under new management ‌as ​a sweeping coaching shake-up adds intrigue to a competition still grappling with financial uncertainty.

The Black Knights became the first New Zealand club to win Australia's top flight when they defeated Sydney FC in last season's Grand Final, completing ‌a remarkable rise just two years after entering the league. But the departure of title-winning coach Steve Corica to Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos has posed a new challenge ahead of their opener against Melbourne City on Saturday.

Much-travelled Portuguese boss Pedro Moreira takes over a squad depleted by the departures of key players, including Guillermo May, ‌Jesse Randall and Louis Verstraete. Auckland nevertheless remain among the favourites, with Golden Boot-winner Sam Cosgrove spearheading their attack and veteran Japanese defender Hiroki Sakai providing ‌experience.

Moreira is one of five new coaches in the 12-team competition, with Melbourne Victory, Western Sydney Wanderers, Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur also making changes. Victory have turned to Venezuelan Giovanni Savarese, a former Portland Timbers coach, in their latest attempt to end a championship drought stretching back to 2018.

His reign began with disappointment when Victory were stunned by second-tier South Melbourne in last weekend's ⁠Australia Cup final. The ​four-times champions bid a fond farewell to ⁠Juan Mata in the off-season but made the biggest recruiting splash in the league, signing Australia forward Awer Mabil on a three-year deal and bringing in Danish midfielder Emiliano Marcondes along ⁠with Costa Rica defender Julio Cascante.

Western Sydney will hope for a rapid rebound under former Sydney FC boss Ufuk Talay after finishing bottom last season, while former Socceroo Sasa Ognenovski ​has taken charge of Macarthur in his debut as an A-League head coach. Macarthur finished seventh and missed the playoffs last season but expect better ⁠this campaign with the help of new strikers Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Musa Toure, the younger brother of Socceroos Hassan and Mohamed.

Central Coast have entrusted club favourite John Hutchinson, who captained the Mariners to ⁠their ​first A-League championship in 2013, with rebuilding a youthful squad after their ninth-placed finish last season. The competition continues to battle familiar economic headwinds, with clubs receiving modest distributions from governing and commercial body Australian Professional Leagues, and a reduced A$3 million ($2 million) salary cap which excludes one marquee player per team.

While making ⁠player recruitment and retention a huge challenge for all clubs, the cost-cutting drive has made teams leaner and smarter about developing home-grown talent, with transfer ⁠fees becoming an increasingly important revenue stream. Sydney ⁠FC winger Akol Akon is set to become the most expensive teenager sold by an Australian club, with Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids agreeing to a reported fee of A$1.5 million ($1.04 million) for the 17-year-old to join them next July.

The ‌A-League season opens with ‌a derby on Friday as Sydney host the Wanderers. ($1 = 1.4403 Australian dollars)

($1 = 1.4403 ​Australian dollars)