SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Croatia-born Branko Culina has signed a two-year contract to coach Sydney FC in Australia's A-League soccer competition, the team's third coach in less than a year. Culina, 49, was made interim coach after the departure of former England captain Terry Butcher in early February. Culina has led Sydney FC to five wins in eight games, including a 2-1 away win over China's Shanghai Shenhua in the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League. Butcher was fired after Sydney FC lost in the first round of the A-League playoffs. The former Motherwell manager and Ipswich Town defender had signed a two-year contract in May of last year, replacing Pierre Littbarski after the German coach could not come to terms on a new contract. Culina's first match as full-time coach will be Wednesday's AFC Champions League game against Indonesia's Persik Kediri at Parramatta in western Sydney.
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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Croatia-born Branko Culina has signed a two-year contract to coach Sydney FC in Australia's A-League soccer competition, the team's third coach in less than a year. Culina, 49, was made interim coach after the departure of former England captain Terry Butcher in early February. Culina has led Sydney FC to five wins in eight games, including a 2-1 away win over China's Shanghai Shenhua in the Asian Football Confederation's Champions League. Butcher was fired after Sydney FC lost in the first round of the A-League playoffs. The former Motherwell manager and Ipswich Town defender had signed a two-year contract in May of last year, replacing Pierre Littbarski after the German coach could not come to terms on a new contract. Culina's first match as full-time coach will be Wednesday's AFC Champions League game against Indonesia's Persik Kediri at Parramatta in western Sydney.
