David Villa, Melbourne City’s Spanish star and one of the best players to grace the A-League, will depart the club after Round 4 to head to New York.
Villa is contracted with New York City, and is playing in the A-League as a guest stint, with Manchester City the owners to both Melbourne and New York clubs.
In a statement, Melbourne City said that the number of games he will play, should he return to Australia after heading to the States, is still up in the air.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have David as a member of our squad for the first part of the A-League 2014-15 season. We would obviously want a player of his calibre to represent the club in as many games of the guest allowance as possible between now and the commencement of MLS pre-season training in January.
“The precise number of A-League games that David will play will be determined by the best interests of the player and his now New York-based family and the prioritisation of the requirements of both New York City FC and Melbourne City FC.
“That means that his playing and training schedule will be the product of all of those factors and subject to ongoing assessment.”
Villa is reportedly required to fulfil marketing obligations with his new club, putting his return to Australia in doubt.
Fans have taken to Twitter to express their feelings over the idea of Villa only playing four games in the A-League.
Originally touted as a 10-game guest stint, we are unlikely to see Villa play that many games for his adopted Australian club.
The news compounds the loss of fellow marquee Robert Koren, who has been ruled out of A-League action until at least December.
The Slovenian midfielder has suffered a recurrence of a calf muscle injury and coach John van `t Schip says it’ll be four weeks before he can even resume training.
Villa has scored two goals in his two appearances for the club.
Syd
Guest
Melbourne City and it's supporters should consider themselves luck and be thankful that they had Villa at all. The owners of the parent company of Melb City didn't have to send him Downunder.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Well said. And its not costing MC a cent.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
:-)
savic
Guest
David Villa's signing was just a thinly veiled smokescreen to soften what the rest of the press release said, that of the new owners not listening to the existing Heart fans and announcing the new name, colours and badge. He was just a puppet to dress the new logo in and deflect criticism. I'm surprised he played any football at all. Job done.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Everyone take a step back and just be stoked you got a world class player for a few games in the bloody A league.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
"Misleading Nature" CK ? You make it sound like something you can buy at the corner store ;-)
Matthew Skellett
Guest
I agree with RF here about Melbourne City/Heart being a dishonest shambles -but hey they still have kisnorbo , mooy , williams and partelluu to clean up the mess. I'm sure that fact goes a long way to reassure those 10, 000 troubled souls ;-)
Realfootball
Guest
So not much has changed at Melbourne City/Heart. Was a shambles, still a shambles. But at least it was an honest shambles before. Now we have a dishonest shambles. Anyone in any way connected with this Villa business should hang their head in shame. We are just two games into the season and already the new Melbourne "City' ownership have been guilty of misleading advertising at best, and blatant dishonesty at worst. To say that the "explanations" offered up are unconvincing is a massive understatement. The Man City group have treated Australian football fans with contempt. This does not bode well as a guage of how seriously they take their investment in Melbourne.
Pablo
Guest
So hoist up the John b sail, See how the mainsail sets, Call for the captain ashore, Let me go home, I wanna go home, i wanna go hooo-oo-ome, This is the worst club ive ever been to, Doo doo doo dooo :-)
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Good to see the increased level of interest in the machinations at my club. Last year it was about folding and relocation and point of difference and this year it's about whether we'll be seeing one of the best strikers in the world complete his 10 game stint. Not to mentions the great contrbution that Duff has already made and he'll be staying a full season. Incredible how the HAL has changed in 10 years. Keep it up folks ;)
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Errr 'marketing genius". Folau at GWS and Hunt at Suns being a spot of marketing genius???? How?? Folau gone and GWS crowds rubbish, and Ablett far more than Hunt doing the business at Suns.
Isaac Nowroozi
Roar Guru
Disappointing news.
Pablo
Guest
4 weeks is a bit different than 52. As far as I am concerned if you make a commitment you honour it, specially when its such a short term. How many fathers work away doing FIFO so they can build up some money for their families and here we have a multi millionaire that could afford to fly his family to Australia and rent the best pad going. Surely this family business was discussed before he accepted the stint ... or maybe 10 weeks was never the deal. Either way I am surprised the vast majority of ye are letting him off so lightly ... Unless someone in the family has some medical issue we are unaware of, I think its a cop out.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Harry Kewelll left after one year to be with his family. John Van't Schip left after one season for family reasons. Footballers have families too.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Great work MVFC.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Where's any evidence that he's going back for promotional reasons. They don't even start training till the end of January 2015. "Villa’s family have now officially relocated to New York and that is the main reason for his return, pre-season training at New York City FC not getting underway until the back end of January."
Bondy
Guest
Regardless of who knew what when , why doesn't the Club just come out and say that he misses his wife and family and would like to return taking into consideration that everything here is all " pioneering days", as far as sheikh mansour's football operations are concerned. Theres no level of misrepresentation in such a statement ....
AR
Guest
"The subtlety of my humour was lost on the reader To translate, I am simply accusing Melbourne City of being hypocrites – not Villa of being a circus act." Which was precisely the point I was making...unless that was lost on the reader...
Justin Mahon
Guest
Furthermore, David Villa playing football and boosting club memberships (notwithstanding he buggered off early) makes much, much more sense than code jumping, which, were a circus act, would equate to the elephants throwing knives at the high wire performers :-)
Justin Mahon
Guest
It is a specific quote, attributed to the CEO of Melbourne Heart upon hearing of Melbourne Victory's signing of Harry Kewell, one of Australia's greatest ever players, who played for a full season at our great club. The subtlety of my humour was lost on the reader :-) To translate, I am simply accusing Melbourne City of being hypocrites - not Villa of being a circus act. He is a world class exponent of the most important sporting, cultural artefact in human history. Football.