Melbourne Victory have added plenty of experience to their defence ahead of the 2026-27 Isuzu UTE A-League season, signing German centre-back Philipp Ziereis on a two-year deal.
The 33-year-old arrives in Melbourne after a lengthy career in Germany and Austria, where he amassed more than 150 appearances for St. Pauli before spells with Austrian Bundesliga outfit LASK and most recently German second-tier club SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
A commanding presence at the back, Ziereis captained St. Pauli during the 2021-22 campaign and helped LASK qualify for European competition, featuring in 12 UEFA matches, including two against Premier League side Liverpool.
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The Bavarian-born defender made 35 appearances for Greuther Fürth before making the move to Melbourne, joining new Head Coach Giovanni Savarese’s squad ahead of the club’s first Australia Cup fixture.
“After many years playing in Europe, I am ready for a fresh challenge, a new competition, and to test myself in a different place,’ Ziereis said, after inking his new deal.
“Melbourne Victory and the A-League feels like the perfect place to do that.
“Everybody I have spoken to talks very positively about the club and now, with a new Head Coach and fresh investment, this is a very exciting time to be joining.
“It is time to get to work and make sure, as a team, we are able to start the season strongly.”
Melbourne Victory Director of Football John Didulica welcomed the arrival of the experienced defender, believing he’ll add plenty to a new-look defensive unit.
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“It is brilliant to add a defender of Philipp’s experience and quality to our squad as we look to make our mark in multiple competitions this season,” Didulica said.
“He has experience in several top leagues, as well as in continental competition against top European talents, which will be a big part of our schedule over the next few months.”
The news of Ziereis’ signing comes at the end of what’s been a busy week for Melbourne Victory.
Having already announced the signings of both Harry Shillington and Harrison Sawyer, the club also revealed academy graduate Franco Lino has extended his loan spell with Victory for a further season.
Meanwhile first-team players Charles Nduka, Jack Warshawsky, Brendan Hamill and Jack Duncan have all signed new contracts whilst Mikey Ghossaini and Jack Mihailidis have also put pen-to-paper on their first A-League deals.
