?Melbourne Victory hope to have an advantage in their quest for A-League glory next season, with all three of their latest recruits boasting experience of capturing silverware.
?Melbourne Victory hope to have an advantage in their quest for A-League glory next season, with all three of their latest recruits boasting experience of capturing silverware.
Victory unveiled Matthieu Delpierre on Thursday, a French defender who claimed the Ligue 2 title with Lille early in his career, before going on to win the Bundesliga at Stuttgart in 2006-07.
Besart Berisha’s pedigree is no secret after he fired Brisbane Roar to two A-League championships in the past three seasons.
Even Carl Valeri has been part of a winning team, although the midfielder had to watch from the sidelines as his Sassuolo colleagues finished top of Serie B in 2012-13, earning promotion to Italy’s top flight without the services of their injured Socceroo.
Addressing the media for the first time in navy blue and white this week, Delpierre emphasised just how special it is for a group of players to achieve something tangible together.
“Every team is playing to win this championship,” he said.
“It’s a nice feeling if you walk out and you win at the end [of the season] with your team-mates.
“It’s a beautiful moment that you remember for all your life.”
Victory’s Football Operations Manager Paul Trimboli hopes Delpierre – together with vice-captain Adrian Leijer – can make the difference to a junior backline consisting of youngsters such as Jason Geria, Dylan Murnane, Scott Galloway and Nick Ansell.
“His CV is very impressive,” Trimboli said.
“Our defensive area of the park, even though they’ve played quite a few games, they’re still relatively young. Adrian Leijer’s really the most experienced.
“These young guys can learn off the professionalism (of Delpierre). You don’t spend 10 years in the Bundesliga without being a good professional and a good performer.”
The man himself is happy to embrace those lofty expectations, with Delpierre aiming to have a positive impact on and off the field.
“It’s a big club and I’m proud to be here,” he said.
“I’m excited to start and to win.
“I hope I can help the team to win more than last year. I hope to help the young players and maybe give more security, more stability and confidence for the team and my team-mates.”
Asked if his experience of Europe’s top leagues will equip him to hit the ground running in Australia, Delpierre said: “I hope so. I know what I have to do. I know I have to perform.”
“The next three months are very important for us, to be fit.”
The value of extended preparation for the new recruits should not be understated, with Delpierre’s predecessor Pablo Contreras having taken some time to acclimatise to Australian football after signing little more than two weeks before the start of last season.
“We’re excited that we’ve recruited three players and they’re all pretty much ready from the start of pre-season,” Trimboli said.
“It’s important for the coaches. Besart Berisha, Carl Valeri and now Matthieu.”
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