Struggling Sydney FC appoint Farina as coach

Australian club Sydney FC appointed former national coach Frank Farina to lead the team as they struggle to reverse a string of poor results despite boasting Italian star Alessandro Del Piero. Farina will take charge of the Sky Blues for the rest of the 2012/13 A-League season as head coach, beginning with Sunday's clash against Melbourne Heart in Sydney. "We believe Frank has the experience, leadership and coaching acumen to have a positive and immediate impact on Sydney FC," said club chairman Scott Barlow. After eight rounds of the domestic A-League competition, Sydney FC are languishing at the bottom of the 10-team ladder, with only two wins for their efforts despite scoring 12 goals. Farina, who coached the Socceroos national team from 1999-2005, becomes the seventh coach in eight seasons. He fills the position left by former English Premier League player Ian Crook who resigned after just six games citing the pressure. "Frank has coached at the highest level and has dealt with the demands of coaching a high-profile team," Barlow said. "He also brings with him a wealth of A-League coaching experience that will serve him well as he joins us part-way through our season." Farina, who has previously coached the Brisbane Roar for three seasons, described the appointment as a "fantastic opportunity". "There is a lot of attention on Sydney FC and I'm looking forward to getting to Sydney and working with the players and staff to create an environment where we can be successful on the pitch," he said. "There are some very good players at the club... and I've got no doubt that with hard work we can turn things around and get Sydney FC heading in the right direction." Italian superstar Del Piero has scored dazzling goals in his stint at Sydney but they have not been enough to save the team from a string of losses.