City scoop Club of the Decade again

Words: ACFC Media

Wednesday 19 May 2021

Picture: Phototek

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Auckland City FC has been named the Best Oceania Club of the Decade by International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) for the second time.

Auckland City FC first received the award for its exploits in the first decade of the 21st century at the World Football Gala in Barcelona in 2012.

A certificate and a trophy were presented to club board member Colin Cook.

During that period, Auckland City FC won two OFC Champions League titles, three New Zealand Football Championship titles and appeared at two FIFA Club World Cups between 2006 and 2010.

The IFFHS ranking system was based on clubs performances in national club competitions and competitions held by the continental Confederations and by FIFA.

With Australia no longer part of the Oceania Football Confederation by January 1, 2006, their Oceania rankings dropped accordingly, allowing Auckland City FC to surge past their Australian and Oceania rivals.

In the second decade of the 21st century, Auckland City FC's list of prizes has expanded exponentially.

Between 2011 and 2020, Auckland City FC won a bronze medal at the FIFA Club World Cup, seven OFC Champions Leagues, one OFC President's Cup, another five New Zealand Football Championship titles (including nine league titles, eight consecutively), five NZF Charity Cups and the Nike Lunar New Year Cup in Hong Kong in 2017.

Auckland City FC were ranked ahead of former rivals Team Wellington and New Caledonia's AS Magenta.

The Navy Blues achieved a club world ranking of 863, while Eastern Suburbs AFC, New Zealand's other competitor at last year's cancelled OFC Champions League, were ranked 1005th.

Club chairman, Ivan Vuksich, was delighted with the accolade.

"These accolades are often subjective and always stir debate but we're honoured to be recognised for our club's achievements over the past two decades.

"We've followed the exact prescribed regulatory formats of our national governing body, OFC and FIFA, throughout our existence and in that time we've won a lot of trophies and given a lot of players a good environment to develop in.

"Our club turns 20 years old in 2024 and its our hope that we can continue to be as successful into our third decade as we have been in the first two of this century.

"Our story began a lot longer ago than 2004, with Central United FC blazing a trail forward and this accolade is as much theirs as it is ours," he said.

Former All Whites and Navy Blues midfielder, Ivan Vicelich, was named in the OFC Team of the Decade alongside one other former Navy Blues player, Fiji international, Roy Krishna.

David Browne, currently with HJK Helsinki, was named in the OFC Team of the Year for 2020.

New Caledonia's AS Magenta won OFC Club of the Year for 2020 with their points from their victory in the OFC Champions League 2019 offset by the cancellation of the OFC Champions League 2020 because of the global pandemic.

Ends.

EXTRA INFORMATION

Listed below are a selection of awards relevant to Auckland City FC.

For a full list of IFFHS Award winners, including OFC referees, women's and youth football, please visit www.iffhs.com

DECADE AWARDS

OFC BEST CLUB OF THE DECADE 2001-2020
Auckland City FC

OFC BEST CLUB OF THE DECADE 2011-2020
Auckland City FC

OFC TEAM OF THE DECADE 2011-2020
1. Stefan MARINOVIC (GK)
2. Winston REID
3. Tommy SMITH
4. Ryan NELSEN
5. Roy KRISHNA
6. Marco ROJAS
7. Ivan VICELICH
8. Ryan THOMAS
9. Chris WOOD
10. Raymond GUNEMBA
11. Teaonui TEHAU

AWARDS FOR 2020

OFC TEAM OF 2020
1. Stefan MARINOVIC
2. Liberato CACACE
3. Michael BOXALL
4. Winston REID
5. Roy KAYARA
6. Sarpreet SINGH
7. Joe BELL
8. Cedric SANSOT
9. Chris WOOD
10. Roy KRISHNA
11. David BROWNE

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