Five months after his shock exit from Melbourne Victory, Patrick Kisnorbo will lead Yokohama F. Marinos in an Asian Champions League Elite quarter-final as their new interim manager.
Marinos sacked manager and former England assistant Steve Holland on Friday, with Kisnorbo, 44, named caretaker effective immediately.
“We would like to inform you that we have terminated the contract with manager Steve Holland, effective April 18, 2025,” Marinos said in a statement, translated from Japanese.
“Head coach Patrick Kisnorbo has taken over the team on an interim basis, starting from today’s training session.”
Former Socceroos defender and ex-Melbourne City boss Kisnorbo stunned Victory when he walked out just eight league games into his three-year contract on December 17.
Less than a week later he joined Yokohama as their “head coach”, working under Holland.
Kisnorbo will lead Marinos, who are winless in six league matches and sit 19th, firmly in a relegation dogfight, against Urawa Red Diamonds on Sunday.
Marinos will then head to Saudi Arabia to take on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Elite final eight next Sunday morning (AEST).
It is Kisnorbo’s second stint overseas after a disastrous spell with French club Troyes between 2022 and 2023.
Kisnorbo is the fifth Australian in recent years to take the helm at Yokohama.
Ange Postecoglou (2018-21) and Kevin Muscat (2021-23) both won the J1 League.
Former Socceroos star Harry Kewell, appointed in December 2023, made an Asian Champions League final but was sacked after just six months because of poor league results.
John Hutchison was caretaker from July to December 2024 after Kewell’s sacking.
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