Adelaide City confirms Junior Technical Directors for 2027

Adelaide City Football Club is pleased to confirm its Junior Technical Director structure for the 2027 season, with Steven Grelli continuing as Junior Boys Technical Director and Matteo Fanto appointed as the Club’s new Junior Girls Technical Director.

The structure will provide dedicated technical leadership across Adelaide City’s boys and girls programs, allowing both areas to receive greater individual focus as the Club continues to strengthen its junior development pathways.

Adelaide City President Angelo Carrozza said the decision reflected the continued growth of the Club’s junior program and the importance of providing both pathways with dedicated leadership.

“As our junior program continues to grow, we felt it was important that both the boys and girls programs had the individual attention and leadership they deserve,” Carrozza said.

“Steven has done an outstanding job over the past three seasons and has helped build strong standards throughout our boys program.

“We are also really excited to welcome Matteo, who has a genuine passion for the development of female players and will play an important role in taking our girls program forward.”

Grelli has served as Adelaide City’s Junior Boys Technical Director since 2024 and will continue to lead the program into his fourth season.

His time in the role has coincided with an outstanding period for the Club’s junior boys, including back-to-back Boys YCC Tier 1 Championships in 2025 and 2026.

Grelli said the progress of the program had been built over time and the challenge was now to continue raising expectations.

“I think it’s been a gradual progression,” Grelli said.

“The boys know the level and what is expected of them.

“For us, it is about continuing to improve, keeping those standards high and making sure the pathway continues to grow.”

With Grelli now able to focus exclusively on the boys program, Adelaide City will be able to place even greater emphasis on player development, coaching standards and preparing players for the next stages of the Club’s pathway.

Fanto joins Adelaide City following a successful period with Western Strikers, who were crowned the 2026 Girls YCC Tier 1 Champions.

The appointment also represents a return to Adelaide City for Fanto, who represented the Club from Under 14 through to Under 19 before progressing into the South Australian Sports Institute.

At Under 19 level, Fanto was coached by the late Steve Maxwell and also represented Adelaide City in the National Youth League under Club great Sergio Melta.

He also runs Unica Female Football Academy, South Australia’s first dedicated female-only football academy.

Fanto said joining Adelaide City presented an opportunity to build a clear direction for a girls program with significant potential.

“It’s a big club and you have to come in with a plan and a direction,” Fanto said.

“The girls’ game has been growing for a number of years and we want to keep developing the program.

“The aim is to keep building it and create the best environment we possibly can for the players.”

Fanto’s appointment represents another important step in Adelaide City’s investment in its junior girls pathway.

Having a Technical Director dedicated specifically to the girls program will allow greater attention to be placed on the development of female players, support for coaches and creating a stronger connection between junior and senior football.

At the same time, Grelli’s dedicated focus on the boys program will allow Adelaide City to continue building on the strong foundations and results established over recent seasons.

Together, the appointments form part of Adelaide City’s commitment to providing clear, high-quality development pathways for boys and girls across the Club.

Adelaide City congratulates Steven on his continued appointment and welcomes Matteo to his new role ahead of the 2027 season.