Sydney FC Head Coach Ufuk Talay says his side are ready and excited to begin their 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign this Friday night against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium.
After a long pre-season and a busy transfer window, the Sky Blues will travel south full of belief that they can start the new campaign strongly.
“It’s been an exciting week knowing we’re going into the first game of the season,” Talay said.
“Pre-season has been a very long process, but it’s given us a chance to build the team that we believe is going to bring us success this season.”
Building a Balanced Squad
Sydney FC made several key signings during the off-season, strengthening both their experience and depth across all positions after seeing many depart in the winter.
“We’ve recruited some experienced foreigners, some young talented ones, and also some good Young Socceroos,” Talay explained.
“We really looked at what we needed after last season and we needed a more balanced squad, and I think that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
Talay emphasised the importance of depth in creating competition within the team and sustaining performance over a full season.
“Last year we probably lacked that balance in certain areas. This year we’ve worked hard to make sure we have the right mix of youth, experience, and quality across the board.”
Marcel Tisserand Set to Start
Talay confirmed that Congolese international Marcel Tisserand is set to make his competitive debut for Sydney FC after a solid pre-season integration.
“He’s been with us for about eight weeks now and we’ve got him to a really good place,” said Talay.
“He’s played minutes in our friendlies, which was important, and he’s going to be very important for us as a senior player in our back line — a leader for our younger players.”
“Marcel will start the game. We’ll push him as far as we can, and hopefully he can use his experience to organise and lead the group.”
Adelaide Challenge at Coopers Stadium
Talay is expecting a strong test first up at Coopers Stadium, one of the league’s most iconic venues.
“Coopers has always been a great atmosphere,” he said.
“We’re the first game to kick off the season, so hopefully there’s a big crowd — the pitch is always great, and the atmosphere is always intense.”
“We’re going there to start the season well, do what we need to do, and hopefully come home with three points.”
Updates on Ben Garuccio and Abel Walatee
New defensive recruits Ben Garuccio and Abel Walatee have been carefully managed through fitness programs after disrupted pre-seasons following Western United’s exit from the league.
“Unfortunately for Benny, he’s still a little behind where Abel is,” Talay explained.
“They both had disrupted pre-seasons, so we’ve been loading their legs gradually. We don’t want to rush them and risk a setback.”
“Benny’s been training fully with the team for the past two weeks. He had a small calf niggle when he first came in, but we’ve managed that. He’s had about 30 minutes in an in-house game, and we’ll keep building him up.”
Despite the circumstances, Talay said both have integrated smoothly.
“Football is football wherever you go. The boys would have loved to stay at Western United, but circumstances didn’t allow it. We were fortunate to get two quality players who’ll add real value to our squad.”
Depth, Competition, and Improvement
Reflecting on last season’s narrow miss of Finals qualification, Talay said Sydney FC’s off-season focus was on depth and defensive strength.
“Last year we played in two competitions; this year we have one game a week, but we still need depth to get through the season,” he said.
“We scored goals last year, but we also conceded, so we needed more experience and leadership in the back line.”
“Bringing in Marcel, Alex Grant, Rhyan Grant, and Ben Garuccio gives us that. We’ve also added attacking quality with Victor, Piero, Al Hassan and Abel — players who can score, assist, and stretch teams.”
Creating a Competitive Environment
With a deeper squad, Talay stressed the importance of internal competition and clear communication around expectations.
“Once we had the full group together, we had a meeting about expectations — individual, team, and club,” he said.
“Players understand that this is the environment we want to create. The player starting needs to know there’s someone behind him ready to take his spot.”
“That’s how we stay competitive. At times, players won’t be involved in certain games, but they’ll need to be ready for the next one. That’s why we rely on depth.”
Confidence in Joe Lolley & Toure available
Talay backed English winger Joe Lolley to play another key role this season and dismissed any notion that he had a quiet year.
“I don’t agree that Joe didn’t have a good season,” Talay said. “He produced good numbers for us and continues to be an integral part of our attack.”
“He’s influential in creating moments in games, and we rely on that. Joe will continue to do his job to the best of his ability — he’s always an important part of what we do.”
Toure has recovered from a minor calf strain sustained in the Australia Cup and is available for selection again.
“He’s very good now,” Talay confirmed. “We made sure we managed him carefully because he’s had repeat injuries in that area before. We’ve given him the time to prepare his body properly so he can be available every week.”
The Sydney FC Standard
Finally, Talay reaffirmed his belief that Sydney FC remains the benchmark club in Australian football, both on and off the pitch.
“I definitely think we’re still the glamour club,” he said.
“A lot has changed, but the ambition remains the same.”
Match Details
Adelaide United v Sydney FC
Isuzu UTE A-League Round One
Friday 17th October 2025
Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, SA
Kick Off: 7:00pm AEDT
Broadcast Live: Paramount+
Tickets: Click Here
