Frank Farina

Frank Farina OAM (born 5 September 1964) is an Australian football (soccer) coach and former player who played as a forward.

His playing career spanned Australia, Belgium, France, Italy and England, and was a major player for the Australian National Team in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as managing the national team in the early 2000s.

He was the first Indigenous Australian to manage the national team.

he is a member of the inaugural National Indigenous Advisory Group of Football Australia.

Born in Darwin, Northern Territory, Farina spent part of his childhood in Papua New Guinea and grew up in Cairns, north Queensland and went to school at St Augustine's College.

While in Cairns, he played youth soccer with Stratford United and Edge Hill United FC.

He won a prestigious position and scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1982 and played in the National Soccer League for the Canberra Arrows the following year.

When he was 16, one of his school teachers suggested he try out for Mareeba United of the semi-professional Queensland State League, with whom he played four games towards the end of the season, which was his first paid soccer experience.

Farina's early playing career was spent in Australia, playing the National Soccer League.

He played for the Canberra Arrows, Sydney City and Marconi-Fairfield.

His early seasons were solid, scoring just under 10 goals a season for Canberra in the 1983 and 1984 season.

He earned the Most Entertaining Player award for the National Soccer League from SBS-TV in 1984.

He made his full international debut as a substitute in Australia's 2–3 loss in China in 1984.

Farina moved to Sydney City in 1985, and that season City made the 1985 NSL Grand Final, losing 2–0 over two legs to Brunswick, as well as winning the 1986 National Cup.

With the demise of Sydney City a few weeks into the 1987 season when owner Frank Lowy pulled out of funding the team, Farina moved to Marconi Fairfield for 1987 and 1988.

His form flourished, scoring 16 and 17 goals respectively.

In both years he won the Golden Boot Award, the Players' Player Medal (equivalent of Johnny Warren Medal) and, in 1988, the Most Entertaining Player award again from SBS-TV and the 1988 Oceania Player of the Year awards.

This interest led to him leaving Australia, for Belgium, and Club Brugge in the latter half of 1988.

His finishing ability was well regarded, and he played over 70 games for Brugge, scoring 43 goals and playing a major role in the club winning the Belgian First Division title in 1989/90 as well as the Belgian Cup in 1990/91 and Belgian Supercup in 1990 and 1991.

Farina won the Belgian Golden Boot and Best Foreign Player awards in Club Brugge's successful 1989/90 season.

Farina subsequently transferred to Bari in Italy in 1991/1992, where he became the first Australian to play in Serie A on a then record transfer fee for an Australian player of more than AUD$3m.

However, with a change of coach nine games into the season and not in the same scoring form, he was considered one foreigner too many and dropped from the squad.

He had a brief loan period at Notts County in England in 1991/1992 until another change of manager, and transferred to RC Strasbourg in France in 1992/1993 where he had 2 solid seasons in French First Division, scoring 8 goals from 24 appearances in 1992/1993, then 6 goals from 23 appearances in 1993/1994.

He cemented his place in the Australian national team, the Socceroos, until his retirement from international competition in 1995, as well as attracting overseas interest.

Farina's return to Australia was with the Brisbane Strikers, for the 1995/1996 Season, scoring 20 goals from 20 matches, coming 2nd in the Golden Boot awards behind Damien Mori (31 Goals).

Brisbane finished 5th in 1995/96.

In 1996/1997, the Strikers needed a new Coach, and Farina stepped up to the position as the new Player/Coach.

Farina led the Strikers to their first ever NSL title that year, as they defeated Sydney United 2–0 (with Farina scoring their first goal) in the Grand Final at Lang Park in front of a then capacity crowd of a little over 40,000 fans.

He was named the Coach of the Year in 1997.

The Strikers could not back their title win however, crashing to 3rd last in the 1997/1998 season.

Farina only managed a solitary goal in 18 appearances, with long-term injury and age (34) getting the better of him.

He left the Strikers, and joined Marconi as a player/coach for a final season, with coaching being dominant, Farina only made 2 appearances for the Stallions, without scoring.

However, he did coach the team to the Minor-Semi final place, eliminating the Northern Spirit, then losing 0–1 away to Perth Glory in the minor semi-final.

He retired from playing that year.

Farina was appointed the Australian National Coach in 1999, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to manage the Australian National Team.

He was chosen over many candidates including the then current caretaker coach Raul Blanco (who had replaced Terry Venables).

His first match was a 0–2 Loss against a second string Brazilian team in Sydney, followed by a 2–2 draw with Brazil in Melbourne 3 days later.

The team under Farina won its first match in February 2000, with the majority of the European-based players in the side, they defeated Hungary 3–0 in Budapest.

In 2000 Australia played in, and won, the Oceania Nations Cup, and subsequently qualified for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.

His final season playing in Europe was for Lille OSC who finished 14th in the French First Division, Farina scoring 6 Goals from 27 appearances.