Brisbane Roar has confirmed the full football staff who will work alongside Head Coach Michael Valkanis for the 2026/27 Isuzu UTE A-League Men season.
The group brings together coaching, analysis, sports science, performance and medical expertise drawn from Europe, Major League Soccer, the A-Leagues and elite Australian sport, and completes the technical structure the club began building under Sporting Director James Gow after last season’s review.
Football Operations
Shane Stefanutto continues as Head of Football Operations. Few people have given the club more than Stefanutto, who made more than 110 A-League appearances at left back across six seasons in orange, winning three Championships and two Premierships. Stefanutto has been part of the club’s football department since hanging up the boots. His role covers the day to day logistics and organisation, to forward plan to achieve training and match day outcomes.
Coaching and Analysis
Iacopo La Rocca continues as Assistant Coach. La Rocca joined the club following coaching roles at Melbourne City FC’s Academy, Preston Lions, Football Victoria and FC Bulleen Lions. As a player he featured for Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United and Melbourne City.
Maxim Gaydovskiy takes up the role of Head of Analysis. Gaydovskiy previously worked within the coaching structure at FC Zenit Saint Petersburg before relocating to Australia, where he held roles at Preston Lions FC and Heidelberg United FC. He went on to serve as Senior Head Coach at Port Melbourne Sharks SC and most recently as Head of Analysis at Avondale FC.
Thomas Fawdry returns to Brisbane as Head of Goalkeeping. Fawdry arrives from Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, where he led the goalkeeping department for three seasons and oversaw the development of Dayne St. Clair, named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2025. Before Minnesota, Fawdry spent three years at Barnsley in England and two seasons as Head of Goalkeeping at Melbourne Victory. He first came to Australia in 2018 to work in Brisbane Roar’s academy, making this a return to the club where his A-Leagues career started.
Performance and Medical
Tim Schleiger continues in the role of Head of Performance, bringing more than 30 years of high-performance experience working alongside professional athletes and international footballers, including A-League players and current and former Socceroos. Schleiger holds tertiary qualifications across human movement, biomechanics, applied science, sports massage, and strength and conditioning, and has consulted to elite organisations in football, cricket, AFL, tennis and Olympic sport.
Luis Resa leads the men’s medical department as Head of Medical, having returned to the club from the Queensland Academy of Sport. Resa has previously held lead physiotherapy roles with Football Australia, Cirque du Soleil and the North Queensland Fury.
Raffaele Moro joins as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, arriving from Wellington Phoenix. Moro spent his most recent seasons across the Phoenix programme before making the move to Brisbane, and works closely with Schleiger and Resa on the physical preparation of the playing group.
Tevan Sandhu continues at the Club in a restructured medical role as a full-time Club Physiotherapist. Sandhu’s capacity will be split between supporting Resa within the A-League Men’s program, however, continuing his important role as Head Physiotherapist for the A-League Women.
Dr Dougal Middleton has been appointed Chief Medical Officer. Middleton works across a range of elite Australian sport and has held senior medical roles with Softball Australia, the Brisbane Bullets and Queensland Reds Women, with earlier work spanning the NRL, QRL and national hockey programs.
Player Development and Support
Andy Bernal continues in Individual Player Development, working with players as they move between the B Team and the A-League Men’s squad. The former Socceroo has been a consistent presence in the club’s pathway, and his role remains central to how young Queensland players step up into the first team environment.
Lloyd Cabilan also continues as A-League Men’s Kit and Equipment Officer, a role he has held through several seasons at the club and one that underpins the day to day running of the squad on training days and matchdays alike.
2026/27 Men’s Football Staff
- Head Coach: Michael Valkanis
- Assistant Coach: Iacopo La Rocca
- Head of Analysis: Maxim Gaydovskiy
- Head of Goalkeeping: Thomas Fawdry
- Head of Performance: Tim Schleiger
- Head of Medical: Luis Resa
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: Raffaele Moro
- Individual Player Development: Andy Bernal
- Club Physio: Tevan Sandhu
- Chief Medical Officer: Dougal Middleton
- Kit and Equipment Officer: Lloyd Cabilan
- Head of Football Operations: Shane Stefanutto
- Sporting Director: James Gow
