PIERRE LITTBARSKI

The German World Cup hero led a bling-tastic Sydney FC to an A-League Championship in the competition’s first season…and promptly headed straight for the exit.

Sydney threw everything at the 2005/6 opening season of the A-League with Dwight Yorke ensuring they made headlines at home and abroad and Littbarski’s German savvy translating it into success on the park.

But the hangover after the long, late-night celebratory post-Grand Final party at Sydney’s Star Casino meant chairman Walter Bugno had to do some cold-hearted calculations for the coming season…and Littbarski’s reported $700k salary was one of the key items on the agenda for cost-cutting after a season which saw the club run up a reported $6m loss.

When Littbarski turned down a reduced salary, it led to the first exit of an A-League trophy winner before they could defend their title.

Littbarski clearly needed all the cash he could get though - his furious daughter back in Germany put all his old club memorabilia up for sale on eBay over unpaid pocket money… and even included semi-naked pics of herself into the bargain.

Meanwhile Sydney replaced the German with former England hero Terry Butcher, who seemed to spend more time in Vintage Cellars in Double Bay than on the training pitch, but amazingly held onto his job all the way through Sydney’s disappointing second season before finally getting the arse.

 

JOHN KOSMINA

The former Socceroo has to go down as one of the most successful managers to be forced out his job in A-League history…but boy, did he go out in a blaze of glory!

In four years of bossing Adelaide United from their pre-A-League incarnation in 2003 through to the new national top tier, he took the Reds to the Premiership in the debut season of the A-League.

He backed it up with a second place finish on the ladder the following season and a spot in the Grand Final, only to be thrashed 6-0 by Melbourne Victory in a fractious match that ended in ugly scenes and even uglier sportsmanship by the losing side.

Combined with the now infamous pitchside throttling of Victory skipper Kevin Muscat after the two collided on the sidelines, Kosmina’s position was considered untenable and he was pressured to quit the side.

The scene of him clashing with Muscat will forever be one of the defining moments of the A-League though, and that’s a helluva legacy to leave behind!