Image: Mark Avellino
Arthur Papas will return to the Green Gully managerial hotseat after a ten-week coaching stint in Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of the Saudi Pro League this week.
The 37 year-old served as an assistant coach at Al-Ettifaq under Dutch coach Eelco Schattorie as they steered the club nicknamed The Commandos away from relegation.
Al-Ettifaq finished the season in eleventh, just one point and one place above the relegation play-off spot which ultimately was taken up by Al-Batin.
The 2011 VPL Coach of the Year will return to Green Gully Reserve this Monday with current first-team manager returning to take up the 20s role he occupied prior to Papas’ departure.
32 year-old Vanega led Gully to top spot on the standings, winning nine out of the 12 competitive games he took charge of which also included getting through to the FFA Cup Seventh Round with Gully drawn to play the Bentleigh Greens away from home.
His one defeat in charge of the side came against Heidelberg United in Round 6 with the 2016 Dockerty Cup finalists undone by a late Bergers comeback to lose the game 3-2 in injury time.
Vanega’s final game in charge of the first-team will be tonight’s home clash against Hume City which pits off the nine-time VPL Champions against their former marksman Liam Boland for the first time since the 25 year-olds’ move to ABD Stadium in the off-season following 18 months at Gully.