Wollongong coach completes Moscow dash to lead championship defence
Wollongong Wolves coach Luke Wilkshire flew 14,500km to Moscow for a two-day visit to former club Dynamo before returning to lead his team.
Luke Wilkshire made a whirlwind trip to Moscow after his team's Australian Championship opener against Preston on October 15. Wilkshire played 149 games for Dynamo Moscow over two spells, with the majority in his first stint from 2008 to 2014.
He was invited to watch their Russian Premier League derby against CSKA Moscow. Wilkshire flew via Abu Dhabi, spent two and a half days in Russia, and returned home Tuesday night to prepare for Sunday's home match against South Hobart.
Wilkshire said the club means a lot to him. "When I went there, it really took me in," he said.
"It's not easy for any foreigner to go into, but I loved and enjoyed adapting to the lifestyle there." The Wolves won their opening match under the new penalty shootout format.
- 149
- Games for Dynamo
- 14,500 kilometres
- Distance to Moscow
- Two and a half days
- Time in Russia
- 2008 to 2014
- First stint at Dynamo
Why it mattersWilkshire's ability to manage both his loyalty to a former club and his duties to Wollongong shows how global coaching commitments now overlap with domestic competition schedules.
AustraliaWollongong faces a crucial home game in the Australian Championship title race, with the coach returning just days before Sunday's match.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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