After almost four years at the helm, Ribot told the gathered crowd at the Mercure Hotel that the club will always hold a particular place in his heart.

“This is a special club and it has been a unique experience for me. I’ve never failed to be amazed at the support the club has harnessed in such a short time and to see so many people dressed in their orange outfits on match days was inspirational.

“I’ve made a lot of good friends in my time there and the club is now well positioned to move forward and has a bright future; I wish them all the very best,” Ribot said.

Queensland Roar CEO, Lawrence Oudendyk, thanked the departing Chairman, adding that there would be no rush in appointing his successor.

“John was with us for almost four years and was instrumental in our bid to enter the Hyundai A-League ultimately being successful. He was particularly helpful through some difficult set-up phases and as a result we are in a better position now with the brand well established in the marketplace.

“His experience and advice has been invaluable to us and now we must look to the future. We will consider all our options in terms of appointing a new Chairman, but as we are now in off-season there is no need for us to rush into an appointment,” he said.