Sydney FC coach Steve Corica has been given the chance to lead the club's A-League Men rebuild after being handed a two-year contract extension.
Corica's future had been in some doubt after the Sky Blues crashed to eighth this season, marking the first time since the 2015/16 campaign that the club didn't reach the finals.
But Corica's stunning success over his first three years in charge convinced the club's hierarchy that he remained the right man for the job.
Corica guided Sydney to three straight grand final appearances for a return of two championships and a premiership before this season's big form collapse.
His new deal, which will take him into a fifth and sixth season with Sydney, will see him become the longest-serving coach in Sky Blues history, surpassing Graham Arnold's record of four years.
"We understand it's not good enough to miss out on finals, so there's a lot of improvement we need to start making now for next season to get back into contention," Corica said.
"Recruitment will be key to our success as we freshen up the squad.
"We'll need a new striker, a new number 10 and I want to strengthen us defensively.
"There'll be around six to eight new players to bring in, and we will have a number of excellent young players coming into the squad from the academy who have performed well in the NPL.
"We'll also be looking at changes to the playing style to give the boys a new approach to the season."
Corica's winning percentage of 51.33 per cent places him second behind Arnold (54.98 per cent) for coaches with 100 A-League games or more.
The player movements at Sydney have already begun, with striker Bobo calling it quits, and former Socceroo Michael Zullo departing after being hampered by a calf injury for the past two years.
The futures of key players such as captain Alex Wilkinson, Milos Ninkovic and English forward Adam Le Fondre remain up in the air.
"Steve and his team have a lot to do over the off-season as we look to evolve our playing style and make a number of key player signings to rebuild our squad," Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow said.
"Next season is the most important in our club's history as we return home to our new stadium at Moore Park."
