An A-League Men grand final against his former side can only be described by Auckland FC coach Steve Corica as weird.
Corica's nearly two-decade history with Sydney FC weighs on his mind ahead of Saturday's sold-out grand final at Go Media Stadium in New Zealand.
Auckland are out to become the first Kiwi team to claim an ALM grand final, while the Sky Blues are eyeing a record-extending sixth championship.
Corica had guided Sydney FC to their two most recent grand-final wins in 2019 and 2020, and was also at the helm in the 2021 loss to then-coach Patrick Kisnorbo's Melbourne City.
But the Auckland coach's past with the competition's most successful club goes deeper.
Corica has been associated with the club since its inception in 2005, when he also scored the winning goal in that season's grand final win over Central Coast Mariners.
He captained the team from 2008 until 2010, when a serious hamstring injury forced him into retirement.
After honing his craft as a coach, the 32-cap Socceroo succeeded former national team boss Graham Arnold at the helm from the 2018/19 season.
Corica landed at Auckland as the expansion club's inaugural coach after being sacked by the Sky Blues in 2023.
He paid the price after Sydney began his sixth season in charge with three consecutive defeats.
But Corica isn't shying away from the strangeness of reuniting with a Sydney side captained by former teammate Rhyan Grant.
"Yes, definitely weird. Playing against my old club that I've been at for 19 years, very weird," Corica said on Friday.
"Rhyan Grant, we used to play together at the start of Sydney FC, and then I became assistant coach and head coach.
"He was a big part of my plans as well when I was there.
"There are a few other players as well that were in my squad. Definitely weird, but exciting also."
In another twist of fate, Sydney are now coached by Kisnorbo.
Kisnorbo had first taken an interim role after Corica's replacement Ufuk Talay left his post in March.
Guiding the Sky Blues to a grand-final berth after just six games, the former trophy-winning City coach was elevated to the full-time role earlier in the week and signed a three-year deal.
'We want to make history for Auckland'
Extra tickets to the weekend's A-League grand final have sold out in minutes. (Source: Breakfast)
The hosts for Saturday's clash are slight favourites, given Sydney have never beaten Auckland across competitions.
From five league meetings, Auckland have claimed two wins and drawn three.
The sides also faced each other in last year's Australia Cup, with Auckland claiming a quarter-final victory on penalties.
But the A-League's youngest side is yet to prove their mettle in finals, suffering a semi-final loss to Melbourne Victory after winning the premiership last season.
Believing last year's finals heartbreak has steeled his side for the grand final, Corica is embracing the 'favourites' tag.
"Being at home, you do feel probably a little bit more pressure," Corica said.
"I feel great at the moment ... After last season's defeat in the semi-final, we set our goal to make the final.
"But it's not just to make it, we want to win it.
"We have that opportunity to do that, and we want to make history for Auckland."
Chilean midfielder Felipe Gallegos (hamstring) returns to Auckland's extended squad, while Corey Hollman (promoted) and Al-Hassan Toure (hamstring) make Sydney's line-up.
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