Aurelio Vidmar says his team isn’t focused on defending their Isuzu UTE A-League Championship, but instead on earning it again as a new season begins.
Speaking to media ahead of Saturday evening’s Round 1 clash with Western Sydney Wanderers, the City boss said his squad has approached pre-season with hunger and purpose.
“I don’t like saying we’re defending the title, because we’re not,” Vidmar said. “It’s a new season and you’ve got to go out and earn it again. Everyone understands that, and that’s been the focus from day one of pre-season.”
After an extended build-up that included two AFC Champions League Elite fixtures, Vidmar said he’s been pleased with the team’s progress and match conditioning heading into Round 1.
“It’s been a good few weeks,” he said. “The ACL games were tough but good for us. The group’s in a good place fitness-wise and ready to go.”
Leckie and Kuen return a big boost
City will be strengthened by the returns of Mathew Leckie and Andreas Kuen, who have both been cleared to play after missing the Club’s recent trip to Japan.
Vidmar said the experienced midfielders will add important quality and leadership to the group.
“Lecks and Andy are both back in, which is great,” he said. “They’ve worked hard over the last couple of weeks to get themselves fit, and they bring a lot of experience to the team.”
Youth stepping up
Vidmar also highlighted the positive development of several younger players throughout pre-season, with a handful of Academy products pushing their case for first-team minutes.
“We’ve got some really good young players coming through,” he said. “They’ve trained well and shown they can handle the level, which is great to see.”
With a busy stretch ahead – including an AFC Champions League Elite clash and our first home ALM fixture all in the next week – Vidmar said the group is eager to get started.
“It’s a big few weeks coming up, but that’s what you want,” he said. “Everyone’s looking forward to getting into it and starting the season strong.”
A familiar face
Saturday’s meeting with the Wanderers will see City come up against a familiar opponent in Steven Ugarkovic, who played a key role in City’s Championship win last season before moving to Western Sydney to be closer to family during the off-season.
“Stevie was great for us over the last couple of years – a really good professional,” Vidmar said. “It’ll be nice to see him again, but he’s on the other side now, so hopefully we can keep him quiet.”
Fixture Details
Isuzu UTE A-League Men: Round 1
Western Sydney Wanderers v Melbourne City FC
Saturday 18 October, 5:00pm KO
CommBank Stadium
Watch live and free via 10Drama or stream on 10 and Paramount+
