Inaugural A-League champions Sydney FC has completed the marquee signing of John Aloisi from the Central Coast Mariners in a deal reported to be worth $1.4 million a season.
The Socceroos star has signed a two-year deal with the A-League glamour club and admitted that the Sydney side provided him with the spotlight and attention that he craved as a footballer.
The ex-Coventry City (EPL) striker said that: "Going back a couple of months ago I watched Sydney play against LA Galaxy and saw 83,000 people and I thought to myself I want to be part of something big like that.
"(I) also watched Sydney against Melbourne - the last league game of the season - (and) they got 33 or 35,000.
"They're massive crowds and as a footballer you want to be play in front of big crowds, you want to win things and I'm no different.
"I've still got ambitions, goals.
"I enjoyed my time at the Mariners - I'm glad they brought me back to Australia - and now this is another challenge for me.
"This was the right move for me."
Since turning professional in 1991, Aloisi has been quite the journeyman in a career that has taken him to Holland, Spain, Italy and England - Sydney FC is his 10th club in an illustrious career - before returning to Australia with the Central Coast in 2007. He has been capped 55 times by Australia and scored 27 goals including the winning penalty that took the Socceroos to the 2006 World Cup.
Aloisi wheels away after scoring THAT penalty
Also joining Aloisi at Sydney FC next season is 22 year-old Mark Bridge from reigning champions Newcastle Jets and 29 year-old Simon Colosimo from Perth Glory.
Sydney coach John Kosmina and chairman Andrew Kemeny were suitably delighted at the player unveiling and said that they were trying to develop a culture of success at the club and that starts by signing players of the highest quality.
The inaugural A-League champions Sydney FC has signed Simon Colosimo from Perth Glory for the 2008/09 season on a two-year deal.
The former Manchester City player is delighted to be joining one of the competition's glamour clubs and is well aware of the spotlight that he will be under from now on.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Sydney FC,” Colosimo said. “They are a big club and I am looking forward to the extra pressure and expectation that goes with playing for Sydney FC.
“I enjoyed my time at Perth but I’m now looking forward to the challenge of establishing myself in the Sydney team and helping them stay at the top of the A-League.”
The central midfielder made his Socceroo debut in 1998 and has played a total of 24 internationals, scoring three goals in the process. He was also a member of the Australian team at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Sydney FC CEO George Perry was equally delighted with the capture of Colosimo.
“Simon is a quality player and will make a great addition to our squad for the next two years and we are committed to giving the Sydney FC fans a strong side and Simon’s arrival is the start of our recruiting for 2008/09.”
For those of you that have been living under a rock, full-time celebrity and some-time footballer David Beckham has been in Australia for the past week in preparation for the exhibition match between his club side LA Galaxy and A-League's Sydney FC.
The match took place last night at the Telstra Stadium in front of a packed house of 80,295 spectators all there to see one thing: Beckham magic.
And the former England captain duly delivered in the first-half stoppage time when he curled home a trademark free-kick. Although unable to prevent his team from succumbing to a 5-3 defeat by the home side, his fans were happy to see their idol deliver some magic on Australian soil.
Sydney FC has today confirmed the signing of Brazilian World Cup winner Juninho as their marquee player for the 2007-08 A-League season.
The Brazilian playmaker was presented at a press conference at Sydney Football Stadium today and put pen to paper on a one-year deal reportedly worth $1 million.
Juninho will wear the No. 22 shirt at Sydney FC
Sydney FC chief executive officer George Perry says that Juninho, as the first FIFA World Cup winner to ink a season-long deal with a Hyundai A-League club, is the competition’s biggest-ever signing.
"Juninho is a true superstar of the world game, a household name to football fans around the globe," said Perry. "We're thrilled to welcome him aboard and can't wait to see him run out in a Sydney FC shirt."
Sydney FC coach Branko Culina is licking his lips at the prospect of working with Juninho, who has starred for Sao Paulo, Middlesbrough, Atletico Madrid, Vasco da Gama, Flamengo, Celtic and Palmeiras.
"As a World Cup winner, Juninho brings a wealth of experience at the highest possible level to Sydney FC," said Culina. "It's not often that you get to work with someone of his phenomenal footballing ability.
"Not only is Juninho's signing great news for Sydney FC but also for Australian football in general. It demonstrates how the far the game has come in this country over the past few years," Culina added.
Juninho told reporters he chose Sydney FC because of the club and manager's tremendous interest "and that make me make my head up to sign with them."
"I'm delighted to join Sydney FC and hope me and my new teammates can bring the A-League Championship back to the city," he said.
According to the latest reports, inaugural A-League champions Sydney FC is set to sign Brazilian ace Juninho Paulista as their marque player for the 2007-08 A-League season.
The pint-sized playmaker has been somewhat of a journeyman throughout his career with stints at Brazilian clubs (São Paulo FC, Vasco da Gama, Palmeiras and CR Flamengo), as well as English club Middlesbrough, Spanish club Atlético Madrid, and Celtic F.C. in Scotland.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have played for Middlesbrough in the modern era, enjoying three stints at the English club between 1995-1997, 1999 (on loan) and 2002-2004.
Juninho in action for Brasil
His first stint at the club was a huge success for Middlesbrough and the Premiership as a whole where he delighted fans with his creativity, pace and personality. It was during his third spell at the club (2002-2004) where he tasted success with Boro's League cup win of 2004.
The crowning moment in his footballing career would have to be Brazil's World Cup win in 2002 of which he was an integral member, playing 5 of the 7 matches in the tournament including a substitute role in the final against Germany.
Should Juninho join Sydney FC, it will end the glamour club's search for a marque player since the departure of former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke to newly-promoted English Premier League side Sunderland nine months ago.
Sydney FC wasted a golden opportunity to inflict an upset on Asia's biggest club site Urawa Red Diamonds over-night when they allowed the Japanese champions to come back from a 0-2 deficit to level the match at Aussie Stadium.
The Sydney-siders started the match with frantic pace which resulted in a dream start with a goal as early as the 56th second when Mark Milligan fed a perfect through ball for David Carney to open the scoring.
In the 22nd minute, Sydney doubled their lead when Ufak Talay scored from the spot after David Carney had been foulded in the visitor's box.
But instead of switching the cruise-control button on, Sydney FC allowed the Diamonds back in the game soon after when midfielder Robson Ponte pegged one back to give the visitors some hope of finding a way back into the game.
After the half-time break, Urawa Red Diamonds began to show their class and capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Clint Bolton to draw level with a Yuichiro Nagai goal in the 55th minute.
Despite letting slip a 2-0 lead, Sydney FC should be proud of the way they played against an experienced side and will be in confident mood when they play their next two games against Indonesia's Persik Kediri.
Wins in those two matches could very well see Sydney FC topping the group and qualifying for the next phase of Asia's premier club competition.
Sydney FC will face their toughest challenge yet when they take on Japanese champions Urawa Red Diamonds in the Asian Champion's League at Aussie stadium tonight.
The Japanese side boasts a host of international players in their line-up including ex-Feyenoord player Shinji Ono and are favourites to top the group.
Both teams are on three points with the Diamonds just ahead by virtue of goal difference.
Click here for Four Four Two magazine's team sheet and player profiles.
footballnotsoccer
Paladin
Hardy
KC Hill
techman
Graham Fisher
Andrew Aigner-Muehler
LukeS
Craig Hill
Add Comments
Comments (6)
