The Wellington Phoenix have signed two-time A-League champion midfielder Paulo Retre on a two-year deal.
The Australian has left Indian Super League side FC Goa to return to the A-League.
Retre (31) is well-versed in the competition, having made 181 appearances for Melbourne City and Sydney FC.
His time with Sydney spanned six seasons, and saw him lift two championships and two premierships.
He is “really happy” with his choice to experience the league from the other side of the Tasman.
“I’ve been in the A-League for a long time, and was looking for a new challenge.
“I’ve had some interest in the past from Wellington, and it’s always been a place that I’ve enjoyed playing at. It’s a beautiful city.
“I saw some of the games from last year from afar, and getting to the semis, the atmosphere was fantastic, there’s a great crowd.
“All those things enticed me to want to be a part of it.”
The move sprung from “light-hearted conversation” between his agent and head coach Giancarlo Italiano.
“I had a phone call with the coach, and he had some fantastic things to say about his vision for Wellington.
“It persuaded me to get things moving. After that, one thing led to another.”
Retre aims to translate his championship pedigree to Wellington.
“I still have that hunger to succeed.
“I could have stayed at my old club, had another season there, but I chose to try a new adventure.
“I want to try and bring that attitude to the Phoenix and I hope that we can have a successful time.”
And he thinks the foundations for success are already present.
“I’m excited about the prospect of coming to Wellington.
“I’ve heard from Shaun Gill (director of football) and Jake Piper (head of football operations) that the facilities are fantastic, everything’s going really well.
“Last year was such a great year. Obviously some players have gone, but that happens when you’re successful.
“Now it’s about trying to build on that and do something better.”
Paulo Retre’s stint in India, his first outside Australia, has set him up well for the move.
“A change of environment, playing in a different league, different conditions, all of those experiences make you a better person and better player.
“I’m originally a Melbourne boy, so I was getting used to being away internationally.
“You learn a lot of things on and off the pitch, and I’m hoping to grow from that.”
Having previously played in the Melbourne and Sydney derbies, Retre is lining up the inaugural all-Kiwi clash against Auckland FC.
“I think it is shaping up to be a fantastic derby, I’m really looking forward to it.
“I worked with Giancarlo Italiano in Sydney for a brief period. Now Steve Corica is the coach of Auckland, who is one of my old coaches as well.
“It’s going to be exciting.”
Giancarlo Italiano is delighted to be reuniting with a player he knows from his time working at Sydney FC.
“I had a lot of time with Paolo when he was at Sydney.
“He’s a great person. He fits the environment that we like here.”
The head coach knows how important Retre’s experience can be for a youthful squad.
“He’s been abroad, he’s had some good experience in India.
“He won the league a couple of times with Sydney as well, he’s been part of that winning group.
“A lot of last year’s success was about the young boys, but it was also contingent on the fact that all of the older boys stepped up.
“Kosta Barbarouses, Alex Rufer, all of them really made it easier for those young boys to shine.
“The priority for me is making sure we have a balanced squad.”
He is looking to the “very talented player” to step up on big occasions.
“In terms of the midfield role, he’s going to give us an extra layer, not only with the ball, but defensively he’s very good.
Bringing in Paulo is going to give us that one extra player that in those moments, can get us over the line.”
Watch Paulo Retre’s full interview
This story was first published on July 26, 2024.
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