Born in Osijek in the former Yugoslavia (now Croatia), Vidosic moved to Australia in 1988 with a one-year-old Dario to play for the Queensland Lions in the National Soccer League.
Like so many other foreigners who came to play in Australia, he never left โ migrating permanently and commencing what would become a decades-long contribution to the sport and, through it, the country.
Ange Postecoglou, captain Matt Smith and Rado Vidosic with the 2012 A-League grand final trophy.Credit: Getty Images
After a period of coaching with schools and local clubs in south-east Queensland, he served as an assistant coach at Brisbane Roar from the A-Leagueโs first season, working under Miron Bleiberg, Frank Farina and then Ange Postecoglou, with whom he won back-to-back grand finals in 2011 and 2012 in the clubโs famous โRoarcelonaโ era.
When Postecoglou left to coach Melbourne Victory in 2012, Vidosic succeeded him as the Roarโs head coach.
He later worked as an assistant at Sydney FC, Victory and Wellington Phoenix, before becoming the technical director and head coach of Melbourne Cityโs womenโs team, with whom he won the premiership-championship double in the 2019-20 season.
After that, Vidosic replaced Patrick Kisnorbo as head coach of Cityโs A-League Menโs side, guiding them to the 2022-23 premiership and a grand final appearance.
Players from Cityโs menโs and womenโs teams will wear black armbands in their fixtures this coming weekend, the club has announced.
โRado was a hugely respected figure within Melbourne City and the broader Australian football family,โ the club said in a statement.
โHis contribution extended far beyond results and trophies. Over five years at the Club, he played a significant role in shaping both our football program and the people within it, leaving a lasting legacy. He helped align coaches and pathways under a shared approach, raised standards, and had a profound influence on the development of both staff and players.
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โRado will be remembered most fondly for the person he was. He was a committed, thoughtful and deeply caring coach who placed enormous value on relationships, trust and respect.
โHe built strong bonds with his players and colleagues and was widely admired for his generosity, humility and genuine interest in the people around him.
โRado had a rare ability to challenge those he worked with while also making them feel supported, and his presence left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.โ
