Down in Bavaria, in the region’s proud capital city, there lies a sleeping giant of German football.
Cast under the shadow of a modern-day behemoth, loyal supporters of TSV 1860 Munich have long been deprived of much joy.
A resurgence is desperately sought, one which will raise the tradition-rich club back to its rightful place in the Bundesliga.
1860 Munich were a founder of the first division in 1963 (neighbours Bayern were not) and were crowned German champions three years later.
Since 2004-05, however, the club has been entrenched in the second division, thanks to poor administration, financial woes and continuously losing its best players to the Bundesliga.
Yet among the current gloom there rests many examples of personal triumphs, and the latest comes from an unlikely source.
Miloš Degenek, a Serbian born in Croatia, who called Australia home for most of his youth, has emerged from his own dark cloud to reforge a once stuttering career, establishing himself at the heart of the Lions’ starting XI.
In typical Australian fashion, Degenek admits he is “pretty stoked” about his surprising rise in fortune.
“My life has been up and down all day, every day, every year I think,” he explains.
“There have been times where it was really hard and it wasn’t that easy for me to concentrate on football. But I try to live my life in the most positive way possible.”
To understand just how impressive Degenek’s rise has been, you not only have to go back three years to his first foray into European football with VfB Stuttgart but also back to his childhood.
Born in the Croatian town of Knin into a Serbian household during the Croatian War of Independence, Degenek and his family were forced to flee when he was still a toddler. Tensions continued in their home country under the rule of Slobodan Milošević, and a move to Australia followed in 2000.
Not knowing the language and introduced to a new culture, Degenek found his love for football on the streets of Liverpool in Greater Western Sydney. And at the age of 17, after representing the Joeys and training with the AIS, Degenek was offered a three-year deal with Stuttgart as a youth team player.
His move started brightly under current Hamburg SV coach Bruno Labaddia as he trained with the first team and was named on the bench for three Bundesliga matches. He was expected to make a swift transition to Bundesliga football in the 2013-14 season.
From there, however, the youngster’s promising journey took a nasty turn.
“[Labaddia] wanted me to stay and play with the first team,” Degenek reveals.
“Yet three rounds in he got fired and my first-team chances dropped.”
Next came an untimely Achilles injury, and one which Degenek says was misdiagnosed, with Stuttgart’s medical staff refusing to let him operate.
“It dragged on for four months. Every time they said I was fit to play I would have pain again after two weeks. So I went on holiday and took it into my own hands and got the operation,” Degenek says.
“When I got back after my operation and was fully fit the coach sent me on rehabilitation for another three weeks. That was mentally a huge setback. No one at the club cared. Everyone forgot about me.”
It is an all too common story for many youth players, particularly Australians, who venture to Europe at an early age and are cut down through injuries and coaching changes.
“If I’m honest, I lost the two most beautiful years of a footballer’s career,” Degenek laments.
“Those years where you’re 19, 20, where you get to make your breakthrough and get out on the scene, I missed them.
“The last two years haven’t been the way I wanted them to be. But I’m not a person who’s going to cry about it.”
Indeed, Lions fans would have been forgiven for letting out a groan rather than a roar when Degenek was signed at the start of this season. A third division player with injury problems who had failed to make a competitive debut for Stuttgart, Degenek was not an ideal recruit.
Yet after impressing in a trial with the second team, Degenek has experienced an astonishing ascent and his name is increasingly making its way back into the Australian football scene’s vernacular.
“I was apparently too good for the second team and then I ended up doing really well in the first team trial, which obviously got me the two-year contract,” Degenek says.
“It’s been a life-changer for me because I was depressed and negative. Now my whole family are very proud and I’m very proud to be playing on TV – it’s every kid’s dream.”
He has slipped into the first team with ease, playing all but two games as a holding midfielder to replace Julian Weigl, who was snapped up by Borussia Dortmund and is the talk of the Bundesliga. That connection alone is enough to ensure people take note.
Degenek’s play is a distinct mix of Serbian and Australian culture, with positivity and a fighting spirit mixed with technical proficiency.
Off the ball he is a mongrel, getting stuck into the dirty work in the mould of Mark van Bommel, while on the ball he is a measured, driving force, looking to make things happen from deep, much like ex-Sechziger and Socceroo Ned Zelic.
His crowning moment arrived on September 19 at the Allianz Arena during 1860 Munich’s 1-1 draw with 1. FC Kaiserslautern.
Perched at the top of the opposition box, a loose ball fell to the 21-year-old, and he sent a sweet first-time effort zinging into the bottom corner of the goal. Less than three months after contemplating his next step in football, it was clearly an emotional moment as Degenek rushed to embrace his then coach Torsten Fröhling.
“It was one of the nicest moments in my life,” Degenek says.
“The relief when I scored that goal was unbelievable. Everything from the past two years just went through my head.
“I thought to myself when I scored that goal – patience and hard work really does pay off. Talent gets you so far but if you work hard, and want something more than anyone else, it’ll happen.”
Degenek’s performances have also finally garnered the attention of the national team setup, with Aurelio Vidmar calling him up for Olyroos duty over the past few months.
It is another sudden turnaround after communication broke down between the player and national coaches during his Stuttgart stint, which saw Degenek represent Serbia Under-19s two years ago.
“I was disappointed that I didn’t get contacted while I was in Europe, but now I’m very happy to be called back,” he says.
“It was a great feeling to see some of my old mates and I see myself doing better things. Not just for the Olyroos, but I see myself being helpful for the Socceroos too.”
That drive may be what pushes Degenek towards reaching his career goals. As a number six who can also play the role of a ball-playing centre-back – another trait which draws comparisons with Zelic – he could be a handy player for Ange Postecoglou to introduce into the first-team squad.
“I’m not a player that’s satisfied with playing second league in Germany. I want to do every player’s dream, or, at least, 80per cent of players, and play in the Champions League and try to win it,” he says.
“I know football careers are very short, and I want to achieve my goals.
“Hopefully, I can be called into the Socceroos soon, because if I’m realistic after playing 20 games in the 2. Bundesliga, it is not a small thing. It is one of the hardest leagues in the world and hopefully, Ange recognises that and gives me a chance in the New Year.”
The Rio Olympics, as well as a Socceroos call-up, are high on Degenek’s list over the next six months, yet first and foremost is saving 1860 Munich from relegation.
Last season, demotion to the 3. Liga looked a certainty heading into injury time of a promotion-relegation playoff against Holstein Kiel. It would have been an embarrassing disaster for the proud club, however a last-gasp goal saved them.
This season, the club has not fared much better, with 1860 Munich sitting second last and Fröhling sacked last month to be replaced by Benno Möhlmann. Due to Munich’s precarious position Degenek has been refused permission to join the Olyroos in January for Olympics qualifiers, as the games fall outside official FIFA dates.
“They’ve said I’m very important to the team and the fact that we’re second-last makes it difficult,” Degenek says.
“And I’m happy I heard that. If [Möhlmann] had said I could go I would think twice about things, ‘why does he let me go so easily?’
“I can’t say anything bad. They pay my bills and that’s the difference. Without the club you don’t play for the national team. But I’m always available to the national team as long as it’s a FIFA date.”
It’s unfortunate for Degenek and the Olyroos, especially since he has only recently been reintroduced into the national setup, but it’s positive nonetheless. Alongside Daniel Adlung and Maximilian Wittek, Degenek has been one of the Lions’ best performers this season.
The team has been relatively stable as a defensive unit but is mainly struggling to find goals, with star striker Rubin Okotie going through a rough patch of form.
The quality is there, but with only two wins in 19 games the revival needs to happen soon. Thankfully German football hibernates for winter, giving the club a period of reflection before action restarts in the first weekend of February.
“[1860 Munich] is a traditional club and it’s disappointing the things that have happened to them. It has a huge fanbase and deserves better,” Degenek says.
“The most important thing now is to survive and get out of the relegation zone. Personally, I want to come back better, fresher and sharper and do the next five or six months a lot better.”
“Then we’ll see what happens.”
Degenek’s progression from forgotten man to emerging star has been a dramatic and fast-paced journey and is down largely to his drive and determination. It may be the second division and a relegation scrap for now, but his ambitions and ability suggest it could be a brief stopover.
For 1860 Munich and its fans, they will be desperately hoping his rapid rise in fortunes can be mirrored in their own fate.
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