The long, 10-week pre-season was drawing to a close. In our final test match, we faced off against our A-League rivals from Sydney, the Western Sydney Wanderers, and came away with a 3–1 win (1–0 at half-time), thanks to a much-improved second-half performance. We were ready for the season to begin.
I had said my goodbyes; to family, to friends. It was hard. Incredibly hard. However, with my eyes fixed firmly on what lay ahead, I looked forward to the new challenge as Assistant Coach at Macarthur Bulls FC. My journey had begun. To Australia. To the other side of the world.
Sydney greeted me with a tough, cold, and rainy winter. I arrived in early July, alone.
It reminded me of my 20s; that January in 2007 when I left for England and signed with Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. Only this time, the distance was even greater.
Just as it was in my Blackburn days, I immediately focused on what mattered most: football, only this time in Sydney. Together with head coach Mile Sterjovski, a former Socceroos striker, and the rest of the staff at Macarthur, we got to work without delay.
Our football philosophy? Bold, attacking play, backed by a solid, disciplined defence. That was our blueprint throughout pre-season.
Unfortunately, our cup run ended in the quarter-finals with a 3–0 defeat to the Newcastle Jets. But our focus quickly shifted to the upcoming start of the AFC Champions League 2. Our first match was in Hong Kong, against Tai Po FC.
We had three excellent training sessions leading up to the trip. We felt ready – and confident. On the morning of 16 September 2025, we boarded a flight from Sydney to Hong Kong. After a 10-hour journey, we arrived in the evening to find hot and humid conditions.
The day before the match, we were allowed a one-hour training session in the stadium. The pitch was far from ideal. Not a traditional lawn-like playing surface; more like a thick-bladed mountain meadow you’d cross while hiking high up in the Swiss Alps. The players adapted quickly. No complaints.
On match day, I felt a healthy sense of focus and a great deal of anticipation. The moment had finally arrived. Kick-off.
We went into half-time 1–0 down, and to make matters worse, we were reduced to 10 men after a red card just before the break. In the second half, we threw everything we had at it, but in the end, we suffered a 2–1 defeat.
Despite having up to 70% possession in the first half, we lacked decisiveness in the final third. The conviction, that inner drive to score goals at all costs, just wasn’t quite there. Tai Po FC, with seven Brazilians in their starting line-up, delivered a mature and clever performance.
We acknowledge and respect the quality of our opponent, and we’re determined to improve in the next AFC Champions League 2 match.
The 10-hour overnight flight back to Sydney felt heavy, weighed down by the defeat. But we arrived safely on Saturday morning.
Matchday 2 – 2 October 2025
Beijing Guoan will be a tactically astute opponent, with individually strong footballers across the pitch. Quique Setién, the former FC Barcelona manager, will no doubt have his team well prepared for us.
They drew 2–2 at home in their first AFC Champions League 2 match against Công An Hà Nội FC.
We’re aiming to secure our first win in the competition, driven by teamwork, passion, and determination, in front of our home crowd at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Come on, MFC!