The Dutchman plans to leave Australia in the next few weeks after settling his $2.2 million lawsuit with the Reds but still fancies a return to the A-League.

After a long-running dispute Coolen this week agreed to a $760,000 payment including $400,000 in exemplary damages and damages for misrepresentation.

Speaking with au.fourfourtwo.com the coach reflected on his successful inaugural season with the Reds and the fight to salvage his professional reputation.

He spoke positively about the future, wished the club well and thanked his family, friends and Adelaide fans for their support.

But there were also regrets – the tough start to his second season which led to the falling out with the club owners.

And perhaps, the most poignant, the failure to hold onto former skipper and long-time Red Travis Dodd, a player he rates highly.

Most of all he believes there are lessons to be learned from his experience and has called for the establishment of a football coaches association much like the players union.

“It has not been an easy period that’s for sure but now I and my family and the club can move on,” Coolen told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“That’s why I’m very happy with the end result because it vindicates my position and sets things right. It protects my reputation and this was very important to me.

“The club has agreed to damages payments and has publicly affirmed my capacities as a football coach and manager.

“It cost a lot of time, a lot of energy and lot of money and I think it should have been dealt with a bit different - but that was not my choice.

“This thing I was fighting for – what I achieved – is that you have to respect contracts.

“In Australia there is a players' association but I think in the future it would be good if there would also be a coaches' association.”

Coolen earned a four year contract with the Reds after taking them from wooden spooners to third place in 2010-11.

But the celebrations were cut short. A poor start to the following season saw him dumped to youth coach in favour of John Kosmina, precipitating his resignation.

During the ensuing legal battle, the family stayed in Adelaide while his 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son finished their schooling.

Despite the dark times, Coolen says he prefers to focus on the positives.

“What I want to look back on is my first year," he said,

"We became number three in the A-League season, we qualified for the finals, we qualified for the Asian Champions League, we won the best player of the league, the top scorer of the league and the fans were the best in the league.

"We played entertaining football - that’s why I got a new contract for four years.

“The first three months of the new season could have been better for sure but I should have been given the time to fix that.”

To the fans, he added: “You are great supporters with a big commitment to your team and I want to see you do well.  I am sure that you will.”

If Coolen regrets anything from his time at Adelaide it’s that more wasn’t done to keep talismanic skipper Travis Dodd on the books.

Adelaide-born Dodd played 137 games over seven seasons for the Reds, leaving the club for Perth Glory in 2011.

“In Travis’s case I think we should have tried harder to keep him because he’s a very very good player, an important player and at the end of the day when you look back on that we should have done more to keep him,” Coolen said.

“All the players who left our club all had options to sign a contract and a good example is Travis Dodd. Travis had a two year contract proposal as the captain for my team, so I think that’s clear enough that I wanted him with our club.

“But the financial direction was decided by the club and that was a club decision.”

An official statement issued by the club yesterday wished Coolen the best in his future coaching career and said there were never any personal ill feelings towards the Dutchman.

“Adelaide United’s position in the court case was never one which meant to suggest that Rini was not a capable football coach and manager and Adelaide United withdraws any suggestion that it was ever misled by Rini,” the statement read.

“Adelaide United accepts that Rini at all times conducted himself professionally and properly”.

For his part the former AZ Alkmaar defender simply wants to get back to coaching as soon as possible which is why a return to Europe seems likely.

“At the moment there is nothing on the table,” he said.

“The season in Europe has just started up for the second part of the competitions so that’s why I feel it would be better to be physically available, show that I’m there and hopefully that will open some doors.

“If I look back on the A-League I really enjoyed it. I was definitely looking forward to be coaching one of the A-League clubs but unfortunately there are not so many jobs available.

“At the moment we are going to leave Australia but football is football – everything can change in a couple of days, a couple of weeks.

“If I get an opportunity to coach in the A-League somewhere, sometime I would definitely consider that as an option.

“I really liked the A-League and it’s getting better and better.”