Back in Australia to recharge his batteries following another gruelling season in Europe, aleagues.com.au caught up with Subway Socceroo and former Adelaide United star Awer Mabil.
It’s been more than 12 years since a young Mabil made his Isuzu UTE A-League debut for Adelaide United but the love the Socceroo still holds for the Reds is clear for all to see – so much so that the idea of one day coming back to play at Coopers Stadium is something he hopes will materialise.
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“I’ve got that special connection with Adelaide,” said the 29-year-old as he sat down to chat with aleagues.com.au whilst back in his hometown during the off-season.
“Obviously, it’s where my family is, my friends are and you never know in football, you know, but I know where I would love to go. But you can’t predict things.
“If I could, I’ll be playing in front of my family every week, because I think now they deserve that, especially being away for so long. And also, like when I do come back, I want to come back where I can give something, not just come back to just retire.
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He continued: “I want to be able to win something. So if I could do it for my home city, it would be great. If not okay, then it’s meant to be like that.
“But I do have a special feeling for this club and yeah, we never know. I hope things will work out the way we both want.”
It’s been almost ten years since Mabil left Adelaide United for Danish side FC Midtjylland, thus beginning a journey which has now seen him play football in six different countries in Europe, picking up trophies as he goes.
“My dream was always to go to Europe so when I got that, I think I was 19 when I moved over. One of my other goals was to stay over in Europe for at least 10 years.
“Because a lot of people talk about the Australian players, they go over to Europe and then they come back early, and I didn’t want that. So I’ve always wanted to to achieve that somehow in the back of my head.”
What began with a league and cup triumph in Denmark then led to a loan move to Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira. Up next was Turkey and Kasimpasa followed by a brief stint with La Liga side Cadiz in Spain before another loan, this time to Sparta Prague in Czechia where he won another league title.
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Far from finished, Mabil’s next stop on his European tour took him to Swiss side Grasshopper Club Zurich before now settling on the east coast of Spain.
But it’s here at Spanish second division side CD Castellón where the 29-year-old admits he’s the happiest he’s been in the last four years.
“Oh, this has been amazing to be honest with you,” said Mabil when discussing his move to the club which sits in the northern part of the province of Valencia.
“The last three months has been the most enjoyable period in the last maybe four years of my career in a sense of feeling like I felt at Adelaide.
“I’ve been looking for this feeling, but I have this connection now with the players, and just the environment that I’m in. I feel like I’m in a good environment compared to where I’ve been the last four years.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH AWER MABIL
“So I feel like now I can develop myself again and the club, the fans are really, really good. It’s like a small city which the fans are very passionate. Our stadium is almost full every week when we play at home, and the football we play is, very, very interesting. I think you have to see it!”
And he’s not wrong.
For context, CD Castellón are a side that’s spent the vast majority of their existence in the lower tiers of Spanish football. Recently promoted back to the Segunda Division in 2023-24, Castellón play a brand of football similar to that of iconic A-Leagues head coach Ange Postecoglou.
“It’s incredible for the ones watching, like, it’s all out attack! Like sometimes we’re winning 3-1 or 3-2 and we just leave one (defender) at the back and the other defenders, they just go forward!
“It’s incredible as an attacking player, it’s like the best thing ever! As a defender it’s not so fun,” laughed Mabil when discussing the side’s philosophy under Dutch head coach Johan Plat.
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“But I guess we all turn into defenders because we all attack, and then when we lose the ball, we all just got to run back! So yeah, it’s very entertaining you should see our highlights.
“Honestly, the club is working on a few things now, they want to get promoted (to La Liga) which is one of the biggest reasons why I am motivated to to to be part of this. So I think they’re working on a few things this off season but if we just get a few things right, I think we can destroy anybody in the league just the way we play.”
Whilst they play some of the most exciting attacking football the Spanish Segunda Division has ever seen, arguably the most fascinating thing about CD Castellón is their owner: Greek-Canadian professional gambler Haralabos ‘Bob’ Voulgaris.
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A successful pro poker player and former director of quantitative research at NBA side Dallas Mavericks, 49-year-old Voulgaris swapped US Sports and high-stakes gambling to take a punt of his own; steer a small club from regional football back to the top flight for the first time since 2009-10.
“Oh what a man!” smiled Mabil when the conversation turned to the man known as ‘Bob’.
“The first time I met him I didn’t (recognise him) – because you know, a lot of the owners they come with the suits and are like ‘I’m bigger than everyone’ but he was a normal guy.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH AWER MABIL
“He was just there eating with everybody and then he’s like ‘Hey welcome to the club, good to have you here and nice to meet you’ – and to be honest I didn’t know at the time – I’ve read about him (since) – but I didn’t know what he sort of looked like because he just fitted in with everybody.
“So I thought he was one of the staff and then I got talking with him even more and more and he’s like ‘I’m Bob’ – I was like, Oh, now should I change how I talk to you?!
He continued: “He is the most down to earth owner of a club and he talks to everybody, brings his dog to training also! He’s there pretty much every day – what a man. I can’t speak highly enough of him as a human being, because for me as a person, I think like it doesn’t matter what you really do, just how you are as a person to everybody and yeah, he is top.”
For Mabil, the ruthless nature of top flight football in Europe is now something he’s become accustomed to. Whether that’s being frozen out at clubs or having promises broken, Mabil is now in a position to guide some of the younger Australian players who are forging their own paths overseas and it’s a role he relishes.
“I’m always available, you know, I’ve said it many times. For the young players, I’m always there. My door is always open.
“When I can share, I’ll share honestly what I think they can take advantage of, and what they can can look out for to avoid, so they don’t make the same mistake or like take the longer way.
“Because I think for me, it took me a while (to head overseas) maybe I should have definitely stayed in the Isuzu UTE A-League for another year before I went over.
He went on to say: “You know, it took me three years to win my place in a team. So I think when I talk with these younger players who are coming up now making the move to Europe, I always tell them, you have to be patient. Be patient and keep working at your game.
“Because when you’re not playing it doesn’t mean that’s it. Like, it’s an opportunity for you to to say ‘okay, what can I develop that can get me closer to playing? Maybe I’m not a starter yet but you know, what can get me on the bench, and then from the bench, you’re like, okay, now I can see this player in my position is doing this, and I’m not doing that.
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“So these kind of things are what I try to advise them – I don’t know if they listen!
He added: “So I’m always here and it’s nice to see Nestory (Irankunda) now there in Europe, and then you’ve got the Toure brothers also there. You’ve got other young players there.
“So if they ever wan’t any advice, I’m always there. I think they also have to go on their journey and we just have to be there, be available when they need anything.”
