![\"Auckland](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4JWMB5I_auckland_fc_webp.jpeg\")
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\nAuckland FC move on from fitness coach with months left in A-League season.
\nPhoto: www.ofcproleague.com\n<\/p>\n
Auckland FC have parted ways with their inaugural head of performance midway through the A-League season.<\/p>\n
Australian Elias Boukarim was credited with establishing a high-performance unit and running pre-season training sessions that players described as “hardest I’ve ever had”<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boukarim left the club last week.<\/p>\n He had previously worked in the A-League with Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC before arriving in Auckland.<\/p>\n Last year Auckland FC director of football Terry McFlynn told A-League media<\/a> players took a while to get used to Boukarim.<\/p>\n “I think the first two, three weeks, the boys absolutely despised him, hated him. But once you get to know him and know that everything he’s doing is coming from a good place, and it’s to make you better, they all love him.”<\/p>\n The club said after Boukarim’s sudden departure he had returned to Sydney to be with family and would not discuss his exit further.<\/p>\n Boukarim’s role with Auckland FC involved fitness and injury prevention.<\/p>\n The club said the “wider coaching team” was filling Boukarim’s duties and recruitment for a replacement would happen at “some stage soon”.<\/p>\n \nElias Boukarim, fourth from right in cap, with Auckland FC coaching staff in April. The fitness of the Premiers Plate-winning<\/a> playing squad last season was often referred to as a reason that the team could be competitive<\/a> late in games.<\/p>\n Despite Auckland dropping competition points by conceding late goals in their second season in the league, coach Steve Corica brushed off suggestions fitness was a contributing factor to the lapses.<\/p>\n “That’s a tiring period for a team but I think we’re fit enough, it’s a mentality thing not to want to concede and be in the right spot, everyone working hard for each other I think is very important I think that’s part of our motto from the start and if everyone does that I think we start winning games again and get back to the top as soon as possible hopefully,” Corica said before Saturday’s 1-0 win over Sydney FC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Last season the club had one major injury, with defender Dan Hall breaking his ankle in training and being sidelined for months.<\/p>\n This season captain Hiroki Sakai has battled with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of the side over two stints and Guillermo May has worked back from a knee injury.<\/p>\n \nElias Boukarim, left, during an Auckland FC training session at North Harbour Stadium this season. Among the latest injuries are goalkeeper Oli Sail<\/a> who has had season-ending knee surgery and defender Nando Pijnaker who was also injured in the same game as Sail and has a leg injury that prevented him playing last week.<\/p>\n Auckland are currently second on the A-League ladder and play Sydney FC in Sydney on Tuesday in a catch-up game for a match that was postponed<\/a> in December due to poor pitch conditions.<\/p>\n![\"Auckland](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4K8A4K5_250427AKL_FCvGlory_027_JPG.jpeg\")
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\nPhoto: Andrew Cornaga\/www.photosport.nz\n<\/p>\n![\"Auckland](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4JWZ7M7_0Z9A2307_jpg.jpeg\")
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\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Marika Khabazi\n<\/p>\n