Melbourne Victory SignKristijanDobras on 12-Month Contract

Melbourne Victory have been able to bring up Austrian midfielderKristijanDobras on a one-year contract. It is seen as a major signing for manager Marco Kurz. The 26-year-old has become the first midfield signing for the manager, who expects the player to have a major contribution in the year ahead. Melbourne Victory are hoping for a successful 2019 campaign after failing to get past the semifinals of the play-offs last season. The club also finished mid-table in the top six places. Among the several new factors that the club have to adjust this year,KristijanDobras is one among them.

Dobras comes into the game with more than 130 appearances. He was able to feature for clubs like Rapid Wien, Grodig, RheindorfAltach, and Sturm Graz. Even though he is not a renowned goalscorer in the Bundesliga,Kurz expects things to change in the upcoming campaign. The player will make the switch to Australia in order to grow his game and also get regular first-team opportunities. The departure of Kevin Muscat is a major blow for Melbourne Victory, butKurz needs to establish his own identity. Recently, the club played the first match without Kevin Muscat in the dugout in more than 15 years. Muscat has went straight into retirement after leaving the club.

“Kristijan is an exciting player who has developed a strong game in Austria.We see a great opportunity for him to come to Victory and not only grow his game further, but also add a spark to our midfield,” said Kurz. The major changes at Melbourne Victory could make it a very interesting 2019 campaign. The club will be hoping to come out on top of the difficult start to the season with a positive result.Victory start the new season with a derby against Melbourne City followed by a game against Western Sydney Wanderers.