Paul Agostino

Paul Agostino (born 9 June 1975) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played the majority of his club football outside Australia, most notably with 1860 Munich in Germany for ten years. He played 18 times for Australia, winning the OFC Nations Cup of the year 2000.

Paul Agostino
Agostino
Personal information
Date of birth (1975-06-09) 9 June 1975
Place of birth Adelaide, Australia
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Youth career
Salisbury United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990 Salisbury United
1991 West Adelaide 17 (6)
1992–1994 Young Boys 29 (3)
1994–1995 Yverdon-Sport 9 (3)
1995–1997 Bristol City 85 (19)
1997–2007 1860 Munich 248 (77)
2006 1860 Munich II 4 (1)
2007–2009 Adelaide United 20 (4)
Total 412 (113)
National team
1991 Australia U-17 4 (4)
1993 Australia U-20 6 (2)
1996 Australia U-23 3 (1)
1996–2005 Australia 18 (7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Agostino attended Findon High School in his hometown of Adelaide. In 2011, he returned to Munich, where his wife Monika was born, with a view to settle there permanently. There he has since partnered with his former 1860 teammate Roman Týce and opened a soccer school called MunichSoccerCamp.[1][2]

Club career

Born in Adelaide, Australia, Agostino started his club career at Salisbury United. He on to the national scene in 1991 in his first season at senior level with West Adelaide SC in the NSL. It was at this time that "Aga" was picked in the Australian World Youth Championships squad – a squad which contained the likes of Paul Okon and Mark Bosnich during one of Australia's 'Golden Generations' – which made the semi-finals of that competition.

Overseas

Agostino left for Europe in 1992 and headed for Switzerland, where he signed with Young Boys. Agostino stayed in Bern for two seasons which was invaluable in enabling him to adapt to European life and football. It was in Switzerland that he learnt to speak German which would later help his move to Germany in 1997. He then had a short stint with Yverdon before making the move to England. Agostino signed with Bristol City in 1995 and it was in his second season with Bristol City that he began to score more regularly, bagging 16 goals in the Second Division (the third tier of English club football).

After two productive seasons in Bristol, Agostino's growing reputation caught the eye of German Bundesliga side 1860 Munich. He was signed by the club in 1997 at the age of 22. Agostino stayed with the Munich club for a full decade, enduring spells both in and out of the side. Agostino played at the highest level while in Munich, representing 1860 in both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. He enjoyed his best form for 1860 in the 2000–01 season, scoring 12 goals for the light blues, while Agostino regularly featured in the first team from 1999 to 2002. He fell down the pecking order at 1860 after this and typically played only a handful of games each season until it was revealed that he would be leaving the club on amicable terms at the end of the 2006–07 2. Bundesliga season.

Adelaide United

It was announced in February 2007 that A-League team Adelaide United had agreed on a two-year contract with Agostino which saw the striker return to his home city for the first time in 15 years. It was announced on 30 December 2008 that Agostino would retire at the end of the 2008–09 season.

International career

Agostino debuted in 1996 in a match against Chile for the "Socceroos," the Australian national team. In 2005, he played versus South Africa for the 18th and last time for his country. In his 18 full international matches he scored seven goals. In 1996, he was part of the Australian squad for the Olympics in Atlanta, but he was not used in Australia's three matches there. In 1999, he played twice against the Brazilian "B" team, scoring two goals. In 2001, Agostino earned the penalty resulting in Australia’s goal in the 1-0 home victory over Uruguay in their ultimately ill-fated World Cup playoff.

Career statistics

Club
Club Season League1 Cup International2 Total Ref.
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
West Adelaide 1991–92 National Soccer League 176??00176 [3]
Young Boys 1992–93 Nationalliga A 122????122 [4]
1993–94 Nationalliga A 141????141 [4]
1994–95 Nationalliga A 30??0030 [4]
Total 293293 –
Yverdon Sport 1994–95 Nationalliga A 93??0093 [4]
Bristol City 1995–96 Football League Second Division 4010–4010 [3]
1996–97 Football League Second Division 45976–5215 [5]
Total 851976009225 –
1860 Munich 1997–98 Bundesliga 1641010184 [6]
1998–99 Bundesliga 1320000132 [6]
1999–00 Bundesliga 2280000228 [6]
2000–01 Bundesliga 271200723414 [6]
2001–02 Bundesliga 2981021329 [6]
2002–03 Bundesliga 321100203411 [6]
2003–04 Bundesliga 2892000309 [6]
2004–05 2. Bundesliga 3172100338 [6]
2005–06 2. Bundesliga 31932003411 [6]
2006–07 2. Bundesliga 1971000207 [6]
Total 2487710312327083 –
1860 Munich II 2006–07 Regionalliga Süd 41––41 [4]
Adelaide United 2007–08 A-League 1040000104 [4]
2008–09 A-League 1001030140 [4]
Total 2041030244 –
Career total 412113189153445125 –

1 – included A-League final series statistics
2 – includes Club World Cup statistics; UEFA Cup statistics; UEFA Intertoto Cup statistics; Asian Champions League statistics (included in season commencing after group stages).

International
Source:[3]
Australia
YearAppsGoals
199620
2000125
200120
200411
200510
Total186

International goals
Source:[3]
Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first.
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.15 February 2000Estadio Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile Bulgaria1–01–1Friendly
2.29 June 2000Papeete, Tahiti Cook Islands1–017–0OFC Nations Cup 2000
3.29 June 2000Papeete, Tahiti Cook Islands12–017–0OFC Nations Cup 2000
4.7 October 2000Dubai, United Arab Emirates South Korea1–02–4Friendly
5.7 October 2000Dubai, United Arab Emirates South Korea2–02–4Friendly
6.18 February 2004Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela Venezuela1–01–1Friendly

Honours

Country

Australia

References
  1. Griss, Oliver (25 August 2011). "“Maurer wird nur ein großer 1860-Trainer, wenn er aufsteigt”" (in German). dieblaue24.de. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  2. "msc" (in German). munichsoccercamp.de. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  3. Paul Agostino at National-Football-Teams.com
  4. "Paul Agostino » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. "Games played by Paul Agostino in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm.
  6. "Paul Agostino". kicker (in German). Retrieved 9 April 2020.
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