David Villa in action for Atletico Madrid. The Spanish striker will play for Melbourne City in the A-League.
But the short-term acquisition of Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer could just be the first of an incredible string of signings for the newly branded Melbourne City Football Club as the Australian football landscape is turned on its head.
David Villa says A-League will be 'marvellous experience'
Melbourne City, formerly known as Melbourne Heart, announced its much-anticipated name change Thursday. And the club now owned by English Premier League giant Manchester City has made its first huge splash in to the market by luring Villa from sister club New York City FC.
The signing made headlines around the football world, with reports of the stunning development appearing on websites such as the BBC, Bleacher Report, Eurosport, the UK Independent and the Indian Express.
Villa said he was excited about the prospect of playing club football in Australia.
“It’s very good for me in every sense,” Villa said. “From a football point of view it’s the opportunity to play in a new league in a different country, and of course it will be ideal for me to get some competitive football in the period before the MLS season gets under way.
David Villa poses with the Melbourne City away jersey after confirmation of his signing to play in next season’s A-League.
“I’m sure that playing for Melbourne City FC will be a marvellous experience.
“What I’ve always done throughout my career is do the best I possibly can. That is what I will do for Melbourne City FC in every game that I play for them.
“I’ll be giving everything for the team, just like I have with every club I’ve played for.”
Villa said he was looking forward to heading Down Under.
“It’s (Australia) somewhere I’ve never been lucky enough to visit, so if I do get the chance I’ll certainly be enjoying that wonderful opportunity.”
David Villa signing incites 'overwhelming excitement'
City’s head coach John van’t Schip said he was delighted Villa would be joining for part of the 2014-15 campaign.
“David Villa is still at the peak of his game; he is playing in his third World Cup in Brazil, has just won the Spanish league and is an instinctive and gifted striker who will contribute significantly to Melbourne City FC,” van’t Schip said.
“We are confident David will be an incredible asset to the playing group and his experiences in Europe and for his country will help our players not only on the pitch, but in training as well”, he added.
Melbourne City chief executive Scott Munn said Thursday: “It’s going to be truly exciting to have one of the world’s best footballers running out for Melbourne City FC. “It’s already generated a lot of interest but, from our point of view, the value of having a player of that calibre on the training ground and around the club is going to be equally important.”
David Villa pictured after signing for Atletico Madrid.
Villa is likely to be available for games between October — when the 2014-15 season begins — and December.
A-League clubs are permitted to sign one guest player per season, with wages to be paid outside of the $2.55 million salary cap, for a maximum of 10 games.
But the sting in the tail is that Melbourne City has not yet confirmed Villa’s status.
There is the potential that he could be categorised as a player on loan from New York and take up one of the five visa — overseas player — slots
That could allow City to sign another guest player for a 10-game stint if it so wished. Villa is not a permanent signing, so City can and will sign another superstar player as its international marquee.
It will also snare a high-profile Australian marquee player — likely to be either of Socceroos Mark Bresciano or Josh Kennedy.
Mark Bosnich on Melbourne City snaring David Villa
Melbourne City has six slots left to fill in its 23-man squad for next season, including three visa players. It is 133 days since Manchester City took over Melbourne Heart.
Munn said coach John van ‘t Schip was working closely with staff in Manchester to “create the strongest possible squad” for the club.
“David Villa coming here is obviously a high-profile part of that,” he said. “But we expect to be making additional player announcements in the coming weeks.”
Yesterday the club, in its new guise, came alive and was officially rebranded.
City’s new home kit is predominantly white with a single blue stripe running vertically down one of the sides.
But fans of the red and white stripes worn by Heart in its previous four seasons should not fear — that strip will now be the away kit.
Nike was announced as its official on-field kit supplier.
Melbourne City’s home (left) and away kits.
It was long speculated that The City Group would rebrand the club after registering ‘Melbourne City Football Club’ as a trademark on January 16. A Victorian state league fourth division club of the same name, which is based in South Kingsville, sought to challenge the name change.
It also attempted to revert to an all sky blue home kit, in line with Man City, but its attempts to do so were thwarted when a protest by Sydney FC — who also wears sky blue — against the potential switch was upheld.
Munn said the new playing strips and crest should satisfy fans who were initially against any change to the club’s look.
“The new kits are a great expression of both the club’s traditional colours and its association with Manchester City FC and New York City FC,” he said.
“We’ve worked really hard to create an identity for Melbourne City FC that celebrates the traditions of the past but also positions us to succeed in the future.
“Between the name, the badge and our two new playing strips I think we’ve found a great balance that both existing supporters and new fans can get behind.”</p>
David Villa 'still at the peak of his powers'
The striker has scored 56 goals in 94 games for Spain, including five in his country’s 2010 World Cup-winning campaign, and may line up for the Spaniards against the Socceroos in Brazil on June 24.
That he might line up against the country where he will be residing was not lost on Villa.
“We’ve been drawn together in the same group and it’s going to be a difficult game for us. Australia will want to make things as hard as they possible can for an opponent like Spain, especially with being at a tournament like the World Cup. So I’m sure it won’t be an easy encounter for us, far from it.”
David Villa celebrates after scoring for Barcelona against Real Sociedad in 2010.
Villa scored 15 goals in 47 games for La Liga winners Atletico Madrid in 2013-14, playing in the European Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in his first season since moving from Barcelona.
While playing for the Catalan club, he scored in the 3-1 Champions League final win over Manchester United in 2011, won two La Liga titles and a Club World Cup.
Heart, in its former guise, was formed in 2009 and has taken part in four A-League campaigns, making the finals for the first and only time in 2011-12.
The City Group announced its takeover of the club on January 23 for a fee of about $11 million.
It has long been speculated the club would change its name in time for the new season.
The club’s new home kit will be mainly white with blue stripe trim and the away kit will be red and white vertical stripes, like Heart’s old home kit.
Melbourne City will play its first game as a newly named club in the first-ever FFA Cup, a knockout competition based on England’s FA Cup, in early August.
Villa will not be available to play in that game as he will go on holidays after his international commitments with Spain conclude after the World Cup.
0 comments:
Post a Comment