Socceroos legend John Aloisi opens up about coaching against his brother Ross in the A-League for the first time – and reveals why they WON’T have a drink afterwards no matter what the result is
- Socceroos great John Aloisi will coach against his brother Ross
- A first in the A-League, family bragging rights await on Friday evening
- Ross previously worked under his younger sibling as an assistant
- Western United take on Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park from 6pm AEDT
EXCLUSIVE
Socceroos legend John Aloisi insists Western United's upcoming match against Brisbane Roar is 'just another game' – despite the fact he will coach directly against his brother Ross.
The siblings will face opposite duos at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Friday night, with family bragging rights on the line.
It is also a first in the A-League, with two brothers as rival head coaches.
Both men have had prolific careers in football, with John best known for his heroics from the penalty spot for Australia in their 2005 World Cup qualifying victory over Uruguay.
Ross Aloisi made his debut as a 17-year-old with Adelaide City in the now defunct National Soccer League, before later testing himself abroad in Europe with the likes of FC Aarau in Switzerland and Austrian club Grazer AK.
Socceroos legend John Aloisi insists Western United's match against Brisbane Roar is 'just another game' – despite the fact he will coach directly against his brother Ross
Ross Aloisi took over as head coach of Brisbane Roar in May and guided his team to second place on the A-League ladder after seven games
He then returned home to play in the A-League, where his football journey began in Adelaide before enjoying a spell with Wellington Phoenix.
Both men turned their attention to coaching after hanging up their boots, and John already has an A-League grand final win on his CV from last year, a 2-0 victory over Melbourne City.
Meanwhile, Western United looks set to play for 90 minutes on Friday evening.
John Aloisi's side currently sit 12th on the A-League ladder and have lost six consecutive games following a season-opening win against Melbourne City.
Brisbane, on the other hand, is flying and takes second place after seven laps.
John Aloisi told Ny Breaking Australia his older brother was a mentor and source of motivation as a teenager, with the pair growing up kicking countless footballs in the backyard of their Adelaide home.
“Ross made me get better from a young age,” he said.
“I saw him play for Australia (under 17s) and in the old National Soccer League and wanted to do the same.
John Aloisi is best known for his heroics from the penalty spot for Australia in the 2005 World Cup qualifying win against Uruguay (pictured)
He also won an A-League grand final with Western United in May 2022 (pictured)
“I'm not surprised he's doing well at Brisbane, he's got a great mix of youth and experience to call on… and the playing group (Roar) understands how he wants to play.
'In my opinion, it's actually just another match (next Friday) if you take the sentiment out of it.
“But in saying that, hopefully Ross isn't laughing full-time on Friday night!
Aloisi also revealed that the pair are unlikely to enjoy drinks together in the sheds full-time, regardless of the outcome.
“Probably not, one of us will probably feel disappointed,” he said.
“My boys are not used to being at the bottom of the ladder, but they remain optimistic and have trained well all week.
'In this competition it is very close, everyone can win on his or her day, so our focus is on three points. From there we can build momentum and hopefully make a winning run.”