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'A lot of lessons': Wellington Phoenix ready to rise from the ashes
Kieran Bingham • July 10th, 2025 8:00 am
Photo: Photosport
The Wellington Phoenix has become a two-headed creature. While the men's team are picking up the pieces after a disastrous 2025 season, the women are building momentum. But there's a clear sense that change is in the air.
For the men, last season was a gut punch. From finishing second in 2023-24 to slipping all the way to 11th, it was a year of disappointment and reflection. The team struggled with cohesion and internal conflict.
Speaking on Sport Nation’s weekly football podcast Studs Up!, Director of Football Shaun Gill offered a candid look at what went wrong.
“When the cracks started to appear, they became massive cavities,” he told Daniel McHardy. “We had a bit of conflict within the group. The team cohesion wasn’t great, you know, both the playing group and staff group.”
It was not finger-pointing. It was honest reflection. And Gill made it clear the club is determined to bounce back.
“We’ve taken a lot of lessons, we’ve got a lot of feedback from players and coaches and those that were here last year,” he said.
“What I can say to the fans and to the people out there is that we have definitely taken our lessons. We're putting stuff in place and we definitely expect to have a better performance on the park than we did last year.”
Already, there is a different energy around the group, with an opportunity to play newly promoted English Football Championship side Wrexham AFC - owned by Hollywood’s Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – at Sky Stadium later this month.
“At the moment we’ve got players there that are itching to get out on the park against Wrexham,” Gill shared.
The fire is back. And there is a shared understanding within the coaching staff, led by Giancarlo Italiano, that stronger leadership is essential.
“Both 'Chiefy' (Phoenix men’s head coach, Giancarlo Italiano) and I have accepted that there needs to be a far higher degree of leadership that’s shown and displayed across the programme,” Gill said.
Recruitment is a major focus. With Kosta Barbarouses moving on, there is a gap in the squad but the club is already deep into negotiations.
Kosta Barbarouses netted 23 goals in 54 games during his third stint with the 'Nix | Photo: Photosport
“We’ve got two visas, and we’re pretty much done on a striker,” Gill revealed.
“There’s an agreement on terms there. We expect to be in a position to announce the striker next week.”
The final visa spot remains open, with the club weighing up options in defence or midfield. A replacement for Sam Sutton at left back is also on the table.
While the men look to rebuild, the women are gaining momentum. Backed by increased investment from the ownership group, including a bigger player budget, the club has raised its ambitions and its recruitment standards.
“It’s no secret that the ownership group have decided to invest further into the A-League Women's programme - that’s enabled us to recruit higher profile players. I think we’ve managed to succeed in doing that.”
The headline signing is close. A striker revealed to be from the top division in France is expected to be unveiled soon. “We’re very close to announcing a striker who we think will be phenomenal for this league,” Gill teased.
One big question still lingers. Who will coach the team?
Most fans believe it is former Canada coach Bev Priestman, who was at the centre of the Dronegate incident at the Paris Olympics, and Gill did not shy away from the speculation.
Bev Priestman was a FIFA Best Coach nominee in 2021 and 2022 | Photo: Photosport
“Bev’s in Wellington, obviously,” he said with a laugh.
“She’s currently serving a ban with FIFA and at the moment, you have to respect that ban. That will end at the end of this month and then let’s see where things go from there.”
Reflecting on last season, Gill said the women were strong defensively but lacked finishing power up front. “Ultimately, I think we just didn’t have the goal scorers that we needed last year to be successful,” he said.
“It’s a key focus for us this year to get players in with goal scoring records who can serve those chances for us.”
There is a sense that both teams are on the verge of something new.
For the men, the pain of last season has prompted accountability and renewed purpose. For the women, the investment and ambition are setting the stage for a breakthrough year.
As Shaun Gill put it, “We definitely expect to have a better performance on the park than we did last year.”
Listen to the latest episode of Studs Up! below:
