Committee and Coaching Staff

Head Coach NPL First Grade

Dean Ugrinic

Canberra FC can today confirm the appointment of Dean Ugrinic as Head Coach of the Canberra FC Men’s NPL side for season 2020.

Ugrinic is a well-known figure in the Canberra and wider football community, having taken on high-level coaching positions at a number of clubs with great success across his 18-year coaching career.

Of most recent note, Ugrinic was appointed the head coach of the Canberra United National Youth league squad for 2018/19 and won the 2017 PlayStation4 National Premier Leagues Grand Final over Premiers Canberra Olympic. He has also won a Championships and a Federation Cup with Belconnen United in 2017, a Federation Cup with O’Connor Knights, led Woden to its first appearance in the NPL finals in 2013 and was at the helm with Olympic in 2011 making a Grand final appearance.

Club President Tony Vidovic said the appointment was a great step for the club which was looking to build upon its impressive record of 23 league titles and 9 trebles.

“We are excited to welcome Dean to the Club and look forward to working with him,” Vidovic said.

Dean has enjoyed an extensive and successful career in the ACT winning multiple Premier League Championships and Federation Cup titles during his 18 years as a coach.

Speaking about his appointment, Ugrinic said he was looking forward to the opportunity of working with Canberra’s premier football club which have set the benchmark in the league over last 60 years.

“I’m looking forward to reuniting with the club, this time as its head coach,” he said.

“The prospect of guiding a club that has produced exceptional talent over its proud 60 year history and building on the work from last season with some of the best local talent is exciting to say the least. Canberra FC is undoubtedly a breeding ground for success and I am very keen to continue that into my tenure at the club”.

With recent upgrades to facilities at Deakin Stadium and some new signings, Ugrinic is quietly confident that the club will again make an impact in season 2020.

First Grade Assistant Coach in 2020

Andy Rakic

Coming soon

U13 NPL Coach in 2020

John Rakic

John has an extensive history with the club as both a coach and player. His playing history includes representing Canberra FC at both junior & senior levels in the local competition and the NSW State League, ACT junior & senior representative teams along with playing abroad, and spending time in Europe with NK Sibenik in the Croatian 1^st division. John has a proven track record in providing a positive and well structured environment to develop young footballers.

Over the last few years John has worked closely with the likes of Elliot Zwangobani and Daniel Jukic – both of whom have a decorated history with the club and notable playing experience at state and national level. Elliot and Daniel have coached at junior and youth level and in addition to local club football, past coaching roles between them include Canberra United Academy, National Youth League (Canberra FC) and FC Barcelona Escola Academy (Australia/New Zealand). We welcome John back to the club in 2020.

Relevant licences and qualifications across the group include FFA Youth C Licence, FFA Skills Acquisition Certificate, Australian Sports Commission Level 2 Coaching, as well as value add qualifications – Bachelor of Sports Management and Advanced Diploma in Sports Management.

U13 WNPL Coach in 2020

Martin Asplund

Martin Asplund has been coaching Canberra FC WPL13 for the last three years, making the finals in each season and twice making the grand final in 2017 and 2019. Before moving to Canberra FC, Martin coached various girls’ teams at Woden Valley Soccer Club for five years, including winning the competition on two occasions as well as being heavily involved in the WVSC academy program. He has completed the skill training and game training certificates through Capital Football and is currently completing his youth C coaching license.

Martin’s coaching philosophy is all about player development in terms of technical skills and understanding of the game, both individually and as a team. He places particular emphasis on providing a supportive and inclusive atmosphere within the team to ensure that all players have a fun time while furthering their football skills together. Martin prides himself in that all of the teams he has coached have had a very strong bond and friendship within the playing group and as a result, have in every case over-performed relative to expectations.

Martin’s own playing career took place in Sweden and the USA. Progressing up through U18’s, he moved from being a lethal striker to a play-making midfielder to eventually ending his career as a (too small) defender. He has not (yet) represented Australia or Sweden and fears that this window may have now closed!