Milos Ninkovic announced his exit from Sydney FC, though the Isuzu UTE A-League club said discussions over the future of the two-time Johnny Warren Medallist remain ongoing.
Three-time A-League Men champion and former Serbia international Ninkovic took to social media to reveal the news on Friday night, with Sydney responding on Saturday morning.
Sydney released a statement, which read: “In the late hours of yesterday evening, club legend Milos Ninkovic posted on his social platforms in regard to the current state of his contract negotiations with the club.
“Milos is a legend of our club and we are continuing discussions with him about his future. We will keep everyone updated in the coming days.”
Ninkovic – regarded as one of the ALM’s greatest imports – has won three Championships and three Premierships during his seven years in Sky Blue.
The 37-year-old attacking star, who arrived from French outfit Evian in 2015 having also played for Ukrainian powerhouse Dynamo Kyiv and Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade, also claimed the Australia Cup in 2017.
Ninkovic was an A-Leagues All Star this season, going up against LaLiga powerhouse Barcelona.
“I have an important announcement to make and I feel my fans/followers should be the first ones to know as our loyalty is to each other and to the great game of football that we all love…,” Ninkovic, who was named the Joe Marston Medallist in 2019, wrote on Instagram.
“With great disappointment I will no longer be playing in the colours where you are most familiar with me and the club with whom I’ve achieved many victories.
“My young family grew up in Sydney and we love the life we made here.
“My decision doesn’t come lightly, my hand was forced so to speak, but it had to be made as my integrity is most important for me and the sport that I’ve dedicated most of my life to so far.
I totally understand that Sydney FC is moving in another direction and has a different vision moving forward.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sydney FC for all the support they gave me over the years and for the memories that we made together.
“Having said that, it’s far from over, there is still a lot of passion in me and I hope to continue to play, however at this point in time I will have to explore some other opportunities and options.
“I hope you all stay well, thank you all for years of support , and I am looking forward to seeing you in the new season wherever that may be but with the same excitement you help me bring to each and every game.”
Steve Corica and Sydney are are rebuilding after the club missed out on the ALM finals for the first time in six years.
Sydney have already farewelled Bobo (retirement), Michael Zullo, Kosta Barbarouses, Luciano Narsingh, Trent Buhagiar, Mustafa Amini, Harry Van der Saag, Callum Talbot, Anton Milnaric, Liam McGing, Chris Zuvela and Calem Nieuwenhof.
