Melbourne Knights legend Ivan Franjic has stepped down as coach of the National Premier League club.
The Knights announced on Monday that Franjic had handed in his resignation and the club had accepted it.
Franjic stepped in as player-coach last season before retiring from playing at this level and focusing just on coaching. Franjic had returned to the club as a player after his international and A-League career ended.
“Appointed midway through the 2024 season following the departure of Ben Surey, Ivan led the team to a strong finish, narrowly missing out on a top-six finals berth by just two points,” the Knights statement said.
“With a full pre-season and the opportunity to build his own squad, both Ivan and the club had high hopes of building on that momentum in 2025.
“However, a string of injuries—both long-term and short-term—dating back to the middle of pre-season severely disrupted squad consistency and performance.
“In light of these challenges, Ivan has made the difficult decision to step down as head coach of the Knights.”
The Knights sit in 11th spot after 12 rounds with three wins and nine losses. In Franjic’s last game in charge, the Knights lost 2-0.
Speaking to Star Weekly after the club’s round four Australia Cup win, Franjic said they believe they are a better team than what they are showing.
“We’re building and starting to get the scores,” he said at the time. “We’ve had a fair few injuries since round two.
“We’re starting to get them coming back into the side. It makes it tough when you have key personnel out.”
The Knights thanked Franjic for his service and commitment and said while his time as coach comes to an end, they look forward to seeing him play an ongoing role in the club’s future.
Assistant coach Josip Loncaric has also stepped down from his duties with the senior squad but will continue on in his role as football director.
The Knights face Altona Magic on Saturday night.
