‘Going with my gut’: Kosta Barbarouses on Wellington Phoenix exit, World Cup dream
Saturday, 7 June 2025
Kosta Barbarouses believes a fresh start in a new environment is what he needs as he looks to secure a place in Darren Bazeley’s All Whites squad for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
The Wellington Phoenix announced last week that the 35-year-old would not be signing a new contract and that his third stint at his hometown club was over after three years.
When he returned to the place where he made the first of his 350 A-League Men appearances – and scored the first of his 103 goals – in 2022, Barbarouses made it clear his dream was to help the Phoenix win silverware, having previously won titles with Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.
He has done more than most to try make that a reality over the past three seasons, but after making 78 appearances and scoring 25 goals – taking his totals at the Phoenix to 124 and 32 respectively – he has decided he has achieved all he could.
“I felt like I had three really good years there – (the last) two especially – and I just sort of felt I'd achieved what I could at the club,” Barbarouses said while in camp with the All Whites in Toronto this week.
The national men’s football team play Ivory Coast there this weekend (kickoff 11am Sunday NZ time) and Ukraine there next week (9am Wednesday NZ time) as they begin the 12-month journey to next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“We ultimately fell short of winning any silverware, which was my dream, but 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.”
Barbarouses missed out on a place in Ricki Herbert’s 23-man squad the last time the All Whites qualified for the World Cup, in 2010, when he was a 20-year-old who had just left the Phoenix for the first time and was on the verge of a breakout season at the Roar.
He scored his ninth international goal as the All Whites beat New Caledonia 3-0 in the Oceania qualifying final at Eden Park in March, having been called off the bench when English Premier League striker Chris Wood was forced off with a hip injury with an hour played and both teams yet to score.
“My decision is purely based on giving me the best chance to get to the World Cup,” Barbarouses said.
“That's a massive carrot for me.”
“It's just really going with my gut,” he added, “thinking I don't want myself to get stale.
“I commend a lot of people that have stayed 15 or 20 years in one place, but I think it's good for everyone to move on when the time is right.”
The Phoenix won just one of their last 13 A-League Men matches last season on their way to finishing 11th – a massive drop from the previous season, where they finished second at the end of the regular season then were eliminated in the semifinals.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano was re-signed on a one-year deal before the end of the season despite that horror run of form, but Barbarouses said that hadn’t been a major factor in his move.
“To be honest, it doesn't ever really play a big part in my decision.
“I just go wherever I think I can be a good team-mate and affect the game in a positive way.
“I think people read too much into tactics or a lack of tactics. I think if I get on the field, I can be effective.”
While Barbarouses’ new club is yet to be confirmed, he has been linked with a return to Victory – where he he’s had two previous stints – and with Western Sydney Wanderers – a move that appears more likely and would put him at a fifth different A-League Men outfit.
Aged 35 and turning 36 in February, midway through the next A-League Men season, Barbarouses was pleased to still be commanding offers from Australian clubs, where he will take up one of the five places they have for overseas players.
With 13 and 10 goals to his name in his last two campaigns for the Phoenix, he has returned to double digits for the first time since ending his second stay at Victory in 2019.
“Some people might think of it as a gamble or a risk (by the clubs wanting to sign him), but if you're got a bit of brains about you, you'd see that I'm good value and – touch wood – I'm pretty much always available.
“I've still got a lot to offer and I've had calls from most teams that you'd probably think would be good options, so it gives me a lot of confidence.”
While anything can happen in football, a third return to – and a fourth stint at – the Phoenix for Barbarouses in the future would appear an unlikely prospect.
He said he would cherish their 2023-24 campaign fondly, even if it ultimately amounted to nothing in the final analysis.
“In the history books there won't be a premiership or a championship, but it was a great season, and probably one of my best, to be honest, throughout my career.
“I really, really appreciate that.”
All Whites – June international window
Squad
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Nik Tzanev
Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, Callan Elliot, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman, Bill Tuiloma
Midfielders: Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Elijah Just, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenić
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Callum McCowatt, Ben Waine, Chris Wood
Fixtures (NZ time)
Sunday, June 8, 11am: v Ivory Coast; BMO Stadium, Toronto
Wednesday, June 11, 9am: v Ukraine; BMO Stadium