Conversations with two former Melbourne Victory players helped Georg Niedermeier decide that the Hyundai A-League club was the right move for him.
The German centre-back was unveiled as Kevin Muscat’s first international signing of the off-season on Thursday.
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It was former VfB Stuttgart teammates Matthieu Delpierre and Mitch Langerak who helped paint a picture of life in Melbourne for Niedermeier.
“They both said the club is really professional, the top club in Australia and that the facilities are perfect which is really important to me,” Niedermeier said.
“I also did some research about the fans and the crowd, Melbourne Victory is on top.
“At Stuttgart, the fans were always pushing us forward and when I saw the number of people at Melbourne Victory games I thought ‘yes, this is how it should be’.
“Together I think we can achieve a lot.”
WATCH: Georg Niedermeier highlights
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Until now, Niedermeier spent his entire career in Germany’s Bundesliga with Stuttgart and SC Freiburg.
He simply felt it was time for a different challenge.
“After 10 years in Germany I got to the point where I knew all the stadiums, all the opponents and I felt it was time for something new in Australia,” he said.
“I had some really good talks with Kevin and I’ve always wanted to go somewhere new through football, so I thought Australia would be a nice step in my career.”
The opportunity to compete in the AFC Asian Champions League was also a big lure for Niedermeier
“The Asian Champions League is definitely very interesting for me,” the defender said.
“To compete against Japanese clubs, South Korean clubs or wherever it will take us is really, really exciting.
“I’m sure it will be really different to European football.”
Niedermeier could make his competitive debut for Victory in the club’s FFA Cup clash with Perth Glory on Tuesday, August 7.
