We have exciting news to share with you about the appointment of our former Head Coach and Sporting Director Frankie Barilla. Frankie has been appointed as the Coordinator of Football Schools at Melbourne City Football Club.

This is a fantastic appointment for Frankie as it offers him the opportunity to take a huge leapin his career, accessing an important position which became available when its former holder became the MCFC Academy Director. At RFI we have always focused on developing coaches aswell as players. Frankie is a great example of someone who started their coaching career at RFI, grew in its program and has continued through to the point now where he's able to make it his career in an influential full-time role.

In the past years, Frankie had been coaching at Green Gully SC, successfully leading its more talented and competitive teams - teams with a strong core of former RFI players. Frankie’s new appointment led to Santi moving across to take his team, in what is a clear demonstration ofthe level of our coaches and how we keep looking after RFI players. For us, this means growth for them and for RFI, continuing to extend our arms to keep taking care of our community andkeep making a positive impact in the football scene.

At RFI we are immensely proud of Frankie’s achievement, and we can’t help feeling it as ourown too. Frankie is an RFI person thoroughbred - he hasn’t just been a part of it, he’s helped shape RFI and make it better. For that matter, we will keep cheering for him and supportinghim at every step, just like he has always supported RFI, and we look forward to celebrating more and more of his achievements as well as all of our players and coaches.

Carlos Drechsler's words:

"I’m really pleased that Frankie has been given this opportunity. I’m 100% confident he will do brilliantly and will continue to gointo bigger and better things. He has been deserving of a chance like this for years, and I’m relieved to see it happen.

Having known him since he was 18 and having seen him developand grow into the man he is today, I have no doubt that Frankieis one of the very few outstanding professionals in Melbourne’syouth football, perhaps even Australia. His capacities andmentality is within the level of European football; for me, seeing that Frankie keeps taking these steps forward is a sign of hope for Australian football as a whole."

Frankie Barilla's words:

“It’s an incredible feeling to be able to commit myself to football on a full-time basis. It wasn’t something I necessarily strived for. It was always much more important to do good honest workand take responsibility and care for players and families. This was something instilled in me since early in my career by Carlos and RFI. Without those lessons, coupled with the meticulous, challenging and continuous development process that RFI coaches endure, this would not have been possible.

In my new role I will coordinate several City Football School locations across Melbourne. It’s a fantastic program that operates globally at many different clubs under the City Football Group.”

Having Frankie involved with Melbourne City will provide a positive connection for those RFI players that participate in their programs. We are extremely proud of what Frankie has been able to achieve and wish him all the best as he takes the next step in his football journey.