Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers | A-leagues)

MetalLegNZ

I hope he slams Chiefy publicly and the NIX get egg on their faces for keeping him in his role.

Lost his staff, two of his most experienced players and and now our best player over the last two years!

He just has slammed Chiefy publicly with this move.  He's probably one of the best paid players in the A League and is leaving without having a club to go to.  This is a move of a guy who has had enough.

You have to wonder at the departure of the senior players and the coaching staff (Including the architect of the defence that kept us in some games) that it's not a happy camp.  And you don't have to look too far to see where the unhappiness comes from.

Kosta wanted to win things with the Nix but based on the evidence of this year that was never going to happen, so he has made his call which is probably the correct one for him.

Good management retains good players...this is a failure of management.

Gill said he has an idea where Kosta is going, so its not necessarily true he doesn't have a team. Saying that, his departure message seems pretty damning to Chief.

I'm guessing, from his point of view, he has had two great seasons, has become a reliable goalscorer, if he's being offered by, say, WSW twice as much as the Nix can afford, he knows he only has another year or two in him, money can talk a lot. Maybe when Kosta came back and he said that he pretty much wanted to see out his time with us, he didn't realise his form would become so prolific.
I honestly think staying with the Nix would be the best for his AW World Cup hopes.

Half a Pint

Simon B

One Barba, two Barba, three Barbarouses
Four Barba, five Barba, six Barbarouses
Seven Barba, eight Barba, nine Barbarouses
Byyyyeeee Barbarouses

Turns out you got to see his last match and last goal for the Nix by going to Darwin

Good point, I do feel fortunate to have been there but It's a pity he couldn't have had a better farewell from all the fans. Maybe a special appearance at the Wrexham game? It would be cool to be able to chant "Kosta's in the zone" like we did for Bally.

I reckon David Ball generally loved the club not sure Kosta did.  That's just my general feeling.  

Procrastinixing

I reckon David Ball generally loved the club not sure Kosta did.  That's just my general feeling.  

Kosta loved the city and the fans imo. Had a bit of a chip about Ricki and not getting game time when he was younger or going to the World Cup…
He’s an A league legend who’s lived in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and he also has the draw of his Greek heritage and the Greek culture in the larger Aussie cities. Lived in Greece too of course!

He’s able to command a big final contract because of his success for us and hopefully despite the terrible football this season, he has good memories overall of this stint- not least playing the target man knocking the ball down for Zawada! 😁

Certainly don’t begrudge him wanting to move. He gave it his absolute all the last two years and it’s on the club for allowing such a sharkshow this past season. If I was him, I’d want to enjoy my football before retiring too.

risky move for him. He might end up on the bench at a bigger club and there goes his world cup spot... 

He must have very little faith in our team for next season.

Elemenop

risky move for him. He might end up on the bench at a bigger club and there goes his world cup spot... 

He must have very little faith in our team for next season.

Not likely that he would end up on the bench.  He would be an excellent signing for Auckland, for example, who have not really sorted their soft-ish attack line.  

Would I care where Kosta plays? Not really. That is his choice. And  Auckland FC is not our enemy.  WelNix tolerance of comfortable mediocrity is. The rest is just noise.

Looks like WSW have won the bidding war for Kosta's services. 

coochiee

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360706227/going-my-gut-kosta-barbarouses-speaks-wellington-phoenix-exit-world-cup-ambitions

On this I think Kosta may have made a mistake.

I was thinking more about this more after the article. Along with making it to the World Cup, you would think that he also actually wants to play in it and have as many minutes as he can. 

He isn’t going to dislodge Wood and his best bet for a starting posi is on the right. 

By moving to Western Sydney, he will likely play there rather than playing in the centre at the Nix.

Think this was likely a factor in his decision making 

I think there is a higher risk of him missing WC selection, by leaving the Nix.
Just more unknowns how his new club will go, what is role will be there, will he start etc.

But his decision. It's all on him if it goes more Sydney 21/22 rather than Nix 23/24.
Even during the shark 24/25 season he kept scoring goals, and kept being picked by Bazeley.

If he stayed at the Nix he would’ve played as a 10 with a new striker like he did with Kraev when Zawada  was fit.

Definitely a position he could start in for the AWs, and is essentially a narrow RW.

I mean reading between the lines he was coming back to retire, not having scored a lot for 4-5 years, but is now able to cash in on having had two of the best seasons of his career to get a last import gig in Aussie.

i dont think there was any intention of getting a new starting #9 in if kosta stayed

Friar Tuck

If he stayed at the Nix he would’ve played as a 10 with a new striker like he did with Kraev when Zawada  was fit.

Definitely a position he could start in for the AWs, and is essentially a narrow RW.

imanixsupporter

i dont think there was any intention of getting a new starting #9 in if kosta stayed

Friar Tuck

If he stayed at the Nix he would’ve played as a 10 with a new striker like he did with Kraev when Zawada  was fit.

Definitely a position he could start in for the AWs, and is essentially a narrow RW.

Probably would’ve depended entirely on what happens with Ishige - all moot now anyway

Starting to worry Kosta might be going to Auckland. Was thinking, surely he wont be going on international duty without having signed somewhere first, would be negligent, he could have done an ACL today and then nobody would want to sign him.

So he has surely signed somewhere, but if so, why the delay in announcing it? If he has signed for Auckland you can see why they wouldnt straightaway, it'd be a grenade of an announcement, especially right before an international window. We know Auckland have lost Mata and Moreno and could use someone like Kosta. He has lived in Brisbane, Melboure & Sydney before, maybe he'd like living somewhere new, where he is still relatively close to his Wellington family.

Edit: quote from Kosta "...I felt like it was the right time to move on and at this stage of my career, to try a new experience and try a new environment as well.”

Is going to WSW that much of a new experience, when he was in Sydney not that long ago?

imanixsupporter

Starting to worry Kosta might be going to Auckland. Was thinking, surely he wont be going on international duty without having signed somewhere first, would be negligent, he could have done an ACL today and then nobody would want to sign him.

So he has surely signed somewhere, but if so, why the delay in announcing it? If he has signed for Auckland you can see why they wouldnt straightaway, it'd be a grenade of an announcement, especially right before an international window. We know Auckland have lost Mata and Moreno and could use someone like Kosta. He has lived in Brisbane, Melboure & Sydney before, maybe he'd like living somewhere new, where he is still relatively close to his Wellington family.

Edit: quote from Kosta "...I felt like it was the right time to move on and at this stage of my career, to try a new experience and try a new environment as well.”

Is going to WSW that much of a new experience, when he was in Sydney not that long ago?

In fairness, it was that comment that piqued my interest too. Neither victory nor WSW would be vastly different to what he’s already experienced but hadn’t really thought about JAFAFC. That would genuinely be a shark move on his part (from a fan perspective). 

You may be right but the same thing would apply to a few of the squad at the moment, Crocombe, Garbett and Waine are in a similar boat being free agents. You would think one or more would have signed with a club by now and we are still awaiting news. 

Yeah, but like... Wouldn't going to Corica at Auckland be a lot more similar to playing under Corica at Sydney in 21/22 than just being in the wider Sydney region under a different manager for the Wanderers?

I saw his ‘new experience’ comments as a polite way of saying he wants out of the Nix without burning any bridges. It sounds like the kind of thing people say when they’ve had enough of their current boss or work environment but don’t want to be a dick about it. 

Yeah, 90 per cent of what people say is BS when they leave work 

Saying “most” of the club were great, is the most honest part 

Wouldn’t put too much weight on it

Kosta started yesterday - 18 months ago he was very much a fringe option for us at National level. Shows what a good run of form can do.

In saying that, we were way too direct in the first half for him to be of any use. It was like we forgot that Wood wasn't up top.

Kosta has never really cared about moving to rivals - was a hero at Victory then ended up at Sydney etc.

Would not be surprised to see him at Auck

There is an end on clip of Just's goal, that shows once Stamenic wins the ball, Barba's sets off on a quick central swerving run, and ever so slightly draws a defender away from Eli.

That's Kosta value. If Wood is not fit, you do feel that is the AWs best chance of scoring. A Bell/Stamenic/Rufer turnover and then that very quick Old/Barba/Just counter. 

Stamenić ⏭️ Just 🎯😮‍💨

Precision to take the lead against the AFCON champions 🔥 pic.twitter.com/K4fX3aAAWY

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) June 8, 2025

MetalLegNZ

Kosta started yesterday - 18 months ago he was very much a fringe option for us at National level. Shows what a good run of form can do.

In saying that, we were way too direct in the first half for him to be of any use. It was like we forgot that Wood wasn't up top.

So its WSW on a 1yr deal he is headed to.😲

Wish he'd actually got himself a really good 2 or 3 year deal, to better justify him leaving. Could backfire if he gets a major injury or has a bad season. 

Took my fingers off the pulse for exams so this totally shocked me. Really not happy, woulda gathered he went abroad or something instead of going to our competition. Then again not exactly a first for him is it?

Assume the Nix were only offering one as well?

AucklandPhoenix

Assume the Nix were only offering one as well?

Yea I’m pretty sure the Nix ‘offer’ was the +1 of his 1+1 contract

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360728710/kosta-barbarouses-joins-western-sydney-wanderers-wellington-phoenix

Nix would have been offering a 1 year extension to the existing contract.
the comments from Kosta are telling though.
“It’s a very enticing football project. I think the way the club, the players, the staff, all sort of came together last year, it was something I saw and thought I’d love to be a part of that,” Barbarouses said.

“Wanderers are a very, entertaining attacking team that looks like they’re very much together and they’ve got a good bond. And the fans, of course, are right behind them.”

Enticing project - heard that before!, but key on is the attacking brand of footy and goals they've scored

and to top if off - almost the same quote he gave us 3 years ago,
“I want to come here and be successful and obviously to bring my experience, goals, and presence, and to help everyone around me. Ultimately, I want to help the team be successful and win trophies,” he added.

Time to change thread title maybe for the last time mods

theprof

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360728710/kosta-barbarouses-joins-western-sydney-wanderers-wellington-phoenix

Nix would have been offering a 1 year extension to the existing contract.
the comments from Kosta are telling though.
“It’s a very enticing football project. I think the way the club, the players, the staff, all sort of came together last year, it was something I saw and thought I’d love to be a part of that,” Barbarouses said.

“Wanderers are a very, entertaining attacking team that looks like they’re very much together and they’ve got a good bond. And the fans, of course, are right behind them.”

Enticing project - heard that before!, but key on is the attacking brand of footy and goals they've scored

and to top if off - almost the same quote he gave us 3 years ago,
“I want to come here and be successful and obviously to bring my experience, goals, and presence, and to help everyone around me. Ultimately, I want to help the team be successful and win trophies,” he added.

Well, I suppose, what else can he say?

True, maybe I'm still a little biter that he said the same 3 years ago and really jumped ship at the first sign of things not going his way.

Like you I’m a bit bitter, brought into his spill when he signed for us just to leave, understand it’s his livelihood so he takes the money and runs but again he got there off the back of the nix so it’s a catch 22 for me, I want him to have a crap season because a good season for him could be very detrimental to the Nix but if he makes the All Whites I want him to be stellar for them.

Consummate professional player and never a dickhead. And if he scores against us? Well, that is just a day in the office.   He will celebrate a goal, but will not run to the sidelines to make wild gestures at the fans.   
I wish him well whatever he does and wherever he goes.  He has nothing to prove to anybody.

Yeah can't say I begrudge him this tbh. Served the club well throughout his various stints and though it's not the perfect end he still goes down as a club legend for me.

Also, I bet Kosta has even surprised himself somewhat with his late career renaissance.

In his mind's eye, when he signed for the Nix, he probably thought by now he'd have gone the same way as David Ball - i.e. the pro game passing him by somewhat. But now, aged 35, he's still playing at a level where an Aussie team sees value in him as an import. Good on him.