Paul Okon appointed interim A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers coach for 2009

Okon, winner of 37 caps for his country, is seen by the A.P.I.A board of Directors as the ideal individual to take the club forward. His extensive experience in arguably the two biggest leagues in the world, Serie A and the English Premier League, no doubt will ensure that APIA is in capable hands.
?Paul Okon?s pedigree speaks for itself, a remarkable career both with the National Team and at club level, announced a chuffed APIA president Tony Raciti.
?Lazio, Fiorentina, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Player of the Year in the Belgian Jupiler League, Socceroo Captain, and the list goes on.
Although recently appointed as assistant coach to A-League side Gold Coast United, Okon has pledged to ensure that he provides a solid and professional base for the inheritor of the head-coach position once he takes up his commitments with the newly admitted Queensland franchise.
?Behind the scenes the board of Directors has worked very hard to make this club a competitive force on the playing arena. In saying that, fifth and sixth position on the ladder in consecutive seasons is nothing to be ashamed of, but with the playing staff we have recruited, the board believe we should have been challenging for a top three finish. It wasn?t achieved, and we feel it is the right time to move on to bigger and better things. The appointment of Paul Okon demonstrates that we are a serious club with massive ambitions,? added a motivated club president Raciti, entering his 37th season as honorary President.
Okon will be assisted by former A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers defender Mark Brady, who is in his third season as the clubs first grade assistant coach.
?Mark has been with this club for a number of years, at youth level through to first grade. He won the National League with Apia in 1988 and he?s a tiger through and through,? continued Raciti.
Okon?s first assignment will be to oversee the clubs open trials on Monday night in the hope of filling the void left by key departures to A-League clubs.
Goal-keeper Matthew Nash and left back David D?Apuzzo have joined the central Coast Mariners while TeleChoice Premier League Golden Boot Robert Younis has moved onto Adelaide United. A fourth player, Marton Vass, is rumoured to be on the radar of a few A-League clubs.
?Sixth position in the league suggests we are mediocre club, the board will not stand for that given how successful we have been in producing players with the ability to step-up into the A-League.
?We are the most successful club in Australia as far as Socceroos and National Team captains are concerned. And we were the only club in the league to lose three possibly four players to the top-tier of football in Australia in season 2008.
?This is why we have appointed someone of the calibre of Paul Okon. Paul is a motivated professional in every sense. He will help move this club in the right direction, a professional direction, a successful direction, something we have lacked in recent years,? concluded an extremely excited Raciti.
-A.P.I.A.-Leichhardt Tigers Press Release