Some big names in world football and some familiar faces are being tossed up as candidates to coach Sydney FC next season but the Sky Blues plan to take their time to find the right successor for Vitezslav Lavicka.

Sydney announced on Friday Lavicka would depart at season's end by "mutual consent", with the club wanting to take a new direction and the Czech coach keen to return to Europe to be with his family.

The announcement came amid a flood of tributes for the well-respected Lavicka, who led Sydney to the championship-premiership double in 2010/11, with Sydney renaming their clubman of the year award in his honour.

The rumour mill also kicked into overdrive with speculation over who would become Sydney's sixth coach in 2012/13.

Among the first names to be linked with the job was former Italy and Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola, who coached Premier League side West Ham from 2008 to 2010, and Sydney chief executive Dirk Melton embraced the hype.