Sydney FC striker Marc Janko admits a return to Europe could be on the cards next season, with a number of clubs believed to be interested in signing the Austrian skipper.
Janko was brought to the club by Graham Arnold as the Sky Blues’ marquee player following Alessandro del Piero’s exit and been an unqualified success with eight goals in 14 games.
His current one-year deal is for a whopping $1.4 million but Janko said talks about extending his stay in the A-League haven’t taken place and refused to give any assurances that he would return in 2016.
“At the moment I am only focusing on performing good this season and everything else will then be resolved,” Janko said.
“I am open-minded about a lot of situations. My agent called me the other day and said there had been some interest from Europe.
“So we will wait and see what will be the solution.”
Janko will lead the Sydney attack against the Central Coast on Saturday after being passed fit from a toe injury and said he has thoroughly enjoyed working under Graham Arnold who rescued him from a nightmare spell in Turkey.
The 31-year-old, who counts Porto and Dutch side FC Twente among his former clubs, arrived just before the start of the season from Trabzonspor where he made just 23 appearances in two years.
He admits he was not in shape and praised the former Socceroos coach for showing patience with him as he got up to the speed of the A-League.
“I came from two horrible years in Turkey where I barely played and it took me some time to find my rhythm,” he said.
“I am only as good as the team around me and the boys are starting to know me now and what sort of balls I like.
“A striker lives on confidence and that comes from scoring goals. When you rarely play for two years it means you suffer.
“It’s not usual for a coach to have that much patient with a player who hasn’t played for two years and is not is great shape when they sign.
“I am very pleased with the way he has treated me.”
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Having a look at some of the comments below, I suspect Johnno doesn't realise Janko is not Australian but Austrian.
Kaks
Roar Guru
...what?
Batou
Guest
Winners are grinners hey jb. The two clubs that really stand out for me there are Victory (that is an impressive increase) and SFC who have managed to *increase* crowds despite the departure of Del Piero. I think in Sydney's case this is exciting as they built the crowds up with ADP but critically have managed to hold those new supporters this time with a more holistic package (good coach, good team, exciting to watch and support). It's good times at Moore Park I've got to say, especially as we are only half a season in to the Arnie revolution (and after Farina it really is a revolution).
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
It is refreshing to see that players of his calibre view the A-League as a place where they can get back into the "zone" and hop back onto the European radar as opposed to a quiet backwater for a final pay-cheque.
Franko
Guest
Austria top their group in Euro 2016 qualifying, he'll want to make sure he is back in Europe and scoring goals to be on the team sheet for this tournament.
j binnie
Guest
Dan -You are correct in your advice re. "rolling average" but I was not trying to compare last season's average with this season"s average,I was using aggregate scores taken over 86 matches to highlight that at this given point in time (86 matches) we are simply pulling the same number as we were pulling last year despite what head office was forecasting at the start of the season.(8% growth) Earlier in the season I pointed out that the ADP factor and the WSW factor that brought us the huge increase in crowds of 2 season's ago would be hard to emulate as not only would fans dissipate because of familiarity,but also the "growth" figure would be harder to attain due to the comparison being made using figures of an already attained average as the basis for comparison. Waz and I were talking about the attraction a true marquee player should bring no matter where he plays (as ADP did in his first season) but there has been no marquee of his stature employed anywhere in the comp that would again encourage that type of growth. If it is of some interest to you here are the gains and losses per team at this point in time compared with last years total average based on 13 home games. Victory = + 6000 per game Adelaide= + 2000 per game Melb City= + 1500 per game Perth =+ 800 per game Wellington = +400 per game Sydney FC = + 300 per game WSW = - 600 per game Roar = -700 per game CCM = - 1500 per game. Jets = - 2000 per game You will note that the gains ,11,000 ,greatly outmeasure the losses 4,800 and by season's end this anomaly may correct itself, but only time will tell. Cheers jb
Dan
Guest
There is a challenge with maintaining growth and the lack of genuine marquees this season may be part of the problem. Comparing this to last season is always difficult as two of the biggest crowd pullers (Roar and Wanderers) have both been down at the wrong end of the table replaced at the top by Phoenix and Glory both with poor attendances in comparison. So moving aggregate attendances up is best measured over a three year period, a sort if rolling average if you like, which will smooth out dips in individual teams performances.
j binnie
Guest
Waz - point taken but I think the term 'marquee" has to be examined after the ADP experiment. Take the case of Berisha who had 2 or 3 seasons with Roar as a non-marquee but is then signed by Victory as a "marquee". Now that may or may not have been a great bit of business by Victory but I don't think anyone would argue if I suggested Berisha hasn't put "bums on seats" all around the country as ADP did in his first season.He has done a job for Victory no doubt,but is he showing any more skill than he did when he was at Roar? To me the ADP experiment set a standard for the purpose of a marquee here and that is to add something to our game that wasn't there before. Your thoughts???? jb ps For your info the 86 match crowd figure for this season reached 1,185,425 for the season so far. Last seasons aggregate crowd figure for 86 matches was 1,185,064 so you see our "growth' has all but disappeared. jb
Waz
Guest
Look I agree (and note my original post here was misplaced and was in response to someone who said had thought he "made money for SFC") - I remember him coming to Suncorp and he put 5,000 on the gate including people who had never been before. So take my post as a response to "he made money for SFC" but irrespective of whether he did/didn't he was a great signing for the HAL. Janco of course is not in that same league but still a great player for SFC.
j binnie
Guest
Waz -There is a factor about ADP that everyone seems to ignore, not only was he a success for Sydney FC but in that first season he played in the HAL everywhere he went,Heart,& Victory (derbies excepted)CCM,Glory,Jets,Roar,& Wests all enjoyed their best crowds of the season. Only Adelaide and Wellington missed out.It was that factor and the entry of WSW into the league that gave the crowd figures such a big boost that season.I suppose that is the true test of measuring a marquee's effect on the our game, not to mention the franchise who have outlaid the money to sign the marquee in the first place jb.
Bondy
Guest
Waz I thought that it was around $3.5 M or there a bouts. Wel vs Jets 0-0 10 mns in ....
Waz
Guest
Just did a bit of research as I was quoting from memory - $3.5m per season seems the most reliable number ..... someone else may have something different? But it's doubtful he made money for SFC unless there's was external help (FFA, sponsorship ect) but definitely a PR master stroke and it did put bums on seats home and away.
Waz
Guest
Fair point - probably someone supporting SFC can answer the comparative question better than me ... as far as this season goes he only now seems to be coming into form after a slow start blamed on lack of fitness. He seems to be an out and out No. 9 in the sence he's a finisher and not a playmaker but again, that may change over the last ten games as he grows into the SFC side. As a Roar fan he looks definately worth keeping for one more, possibly even longer, season.
Johnno
Guest
Waz This is the point, I knew all the golden generation players around the top 50 of them, a lot of bandwagon fans like me hardly know any of this current generation of socceroos.
britesparke
Roar Rookie
I don't think Del Piero was on $6 million per season. I think the figure was closer to $4 million for the two seasons in total plus "extras". Can anyone confirm or deny ?
Waz
Guest
Wasn’t DP on $6m per season – that’s a lot of merchandising to be sold (the FFA keep most of it anyway) and at $40 per ticket say that’s 150,000 people through the gates to break even on his salary alone. No doubt in my mind DP was a hit off the field but less so on it and very doubtful it was a commercial success.
Waz
Guest
Wasn't DP on $6m per season - that's a lot of merchandising to be sold (the FFA keep most of it anyway) and at $40 per ticket say that's 150,000 people through the gates to break even on his salary alone. No doubt in my mind DP was a hit off the field but less so on it and very doubtful it was a commercial success.
Waz
Guest
I agree - good finishers are hard to find and can take half a season to bed down in a team. As a Roar fan I'll be happy if they let him go but it'll be a mistake for SFC and the HAL if they do
Waz
Guest
Johno - why are you asking such deep and meaningful questions if you can't even name the Soceroos AC strikers?? What would the answer mean to you if someone said he was better/worse than say Juric???
Waz
Guest
I'd say he's worth another season - joint top scorer in the HAL and making the difference between SFC drawing and winning matches now.