It could have been long and painful, but instead the managerial saga at Adelaide United ended quickly and somewhat quietly last weekend.

Social media sites were abuzz with rumours prior to the 1pm press conference, because well, who calls a presser on Sunday?

Was manager Rini Coolen out? Were heads going to roll at a higher level? Was Nathan Burns going to return from AEK Athens and save the day?

As some had guessed, Coolen had been removed from his managerial role, and replaced by former Adelaide coach and Football Federation Australia (FFA) Hall of Fame member John Kosmina.

In a statement, club chairman Greg Griffin explained the appointment.

“We have gone to John [Kosmina] because he is a passionate South Australian with a great history.”

“He has taken this club to being premiers before, he is a man who believes in the club, he has passion, and essentially the reason this ownership group got involved with Adelaide United was so that there would be a strong football presence in South Australia.”

A local newspaper columnist, Kosmina’s signing is unexpected given only several weeks ago the pundit was told he was no longer welcome in the club’s corporate boxes because of his views.

And the passion Griffin hopes Kosmina will bring was certainly evident in his opinion piece after Adelaide’s loss on Friday night. “They [the players] are well past blame and are instead simply part of a great club that has had its heart and soul ripped out. Until it gets them back, things won’t change.”

The resignation of Coolen was also not overly expected, despite a run of poor results and Adelaide’s poor position on the A-League ladder – ninth. On a four year contract, the former FC Twente coach’s position was still seen as safe, simply due to the club’s poor financial position.

But rather than give Coolen the boot, Adelaide decided to be slightly more inventive with their million dollar problem. The manager was moved into a youth development role, in what is a blatant demotion.

Despite talk that Coolen could be given a football director role, Adelaide instead chose to risk the wrath of the 44-year-old and his lawyers. If Coolen was to quit his new job in the near future, the Reds may be liable under a constructive dismissal claim.

Without getting into the legal technicalities, such a claim can arise when the conduct of an employer leads to the resignation of an employee – which could include significantly demoting a manager. Coolen is understood to be in discussion with his legal team regarding the weekend’s occurrences (http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/kosmina-an-inspired-choice-to-revive-ailing-reds-aloisi-20111219-1p2f4.html).

Lawyers may not be the only thing getting in the way of Adelaide and their new boss, with FFA technical director Han Berger reportedly unhappy with the move. Kosmina only holds a B coaching licence, which falls short of the A-League required A licence.

While Sydney Morning Herald journalist Michael Cockerill may disregard this issue (http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/shocked-kosmina-called-in-from-the-cold-to-fill-the-reds-hot-seat-20111218-1p0uz.html), writing “Good luck to Berger if he thinks the Reds will rescind that appointment,” the Dutch football guru certainly holds sway at the FFA.

Previously compromises have been reached in regards the need for a licence, with leeway given to a number of coaches as they sought to update their qualifications. It is probable that Berger and the FFA will agree to another such plan, although the national federation may soon crack down on the flouting of their regulations.

Nonetheless, under such circumstances, the appointment of Kosmina is somewhat disappointing. Adelaide have shown blatant disregard for rules designed to improve the A-League’s quality, and yet it is unlikely the FFA will have the appetite to take action.

But if he can avoid Berger and Coolen’s lawyers in the next few days, Kosmina will travel to Sydney on Thursday for a clash against the Sky Blues.

Having started his A-League managerial career at Adelaide United, before moving north to Sydney FC, Kosmina first game back in charge will be against another former club. It has been more than four years since the Socceroo legend was sacked from the Adelaide in acrimonious circumstances, and it is fitting his first match back at the club is against Sydney.

Kosmina’s return certainly won’t be a walk in the park, with Sydney steadily gaining momentum. A win last weekend against Newcastle Jets leaves the side in equal third, and they will be hoping to continue their three match unbeaten run against Kossie.

Adelaide on the other hand is off the bottom of the ladder by the slimmest of margins, with only one point separating them from Gold Coast United – who beat the Reds three-nil last Friday.

If Kosmina can help Adelaide triumph over old foes Sydney before leading their resurgence up the A-League ladder, it will be a fairytale in the making. With storm clouds circling and a frail squad, the 55-year-old manager is certainly in for a rocky ride.

Perhaps thankfully for Kosmina, it cannot get any worse for Adelaide. If he fails, it will be Coolen’s fault, yet if he succeeds the board’s decision will be heralded.

Kossie’s back. And the only way is up.