Macarthur FC have today bolstered their playing stocks with the signing of experienced Australian goalkeeper Adam Federici.
Federici most recently played with Championship side Stoke City and will link up with the newest A-League franchise after his contract was not renewed by the Potters. He becomes inaugural manager Ante Milicic’s third signing, joining Denis Genreau – who only signed on in the last few days – and Tommy Oar at the western Sydney club.
Federici boasts experience across the top two divisions in England with Reading, Bournemouth and Stoke, and also has 16 international caps to his name with the Socceroos.
His most prolific club campaign, in which he was the clear number one goalkeeper in Reading’s successful promotion from the second division in 2011-12, saw him make 46 appearances in the league. In the following season, he managed 21 appearances in the Premier League.
“Adam’s knowledge and experience in the top European leagues will be invaluable to our squad. The opportunity to strengthen our roster with someone of Adam’s ability and professionalism doesn’t come around often,” Macarthur head coach Ante Milicic said.
Returning to play professionally in his native Australia for the first time, the 35-year-old said he is looking forward to the challenge.
“Football has provided me with many fantastic opportunities around the world. To be able to come back to Australia and play football, not only at a start-up club, but also only 90 minutes from where I grew up is something I could not pass on,” Federici said.
“The Macarthur region has always had a strong football following and I’m looking forward to seeing the passion from our fans in our debut season.”
Macarthur boss Milicic will need to build on Federici’s signature and get busy in the player market with the club’s first A-League game now less than five months away.
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
Macarthur FC is the retirement home
At work
Roar Rookie
You mentioned in your first comment WU had an average of 5.6k, then you say it’s just shy of 7k, which is it? My reasoning for the Bull is if have 13 home games; they’ll probably be given have 4 home derbies that they’ll conservatively get 60k to those, meaning they’d only need to average just shy of 5k to the remaining 9 home games to average 8k.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Federici is a pretty good signing for a new club. At 35, as a keeper, he will still have plenty to offer, and if they have a young reserve keeper, imagine how much they will learn from him.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
In the current environment, 250k will be enough to make you a marquee. If the salary cap drops to $1.6 mill, as has been mooted, then you'll have 20 players earning an average $80k per annum salary. Milligan will be a marquee, not because he is an actual marquee, clearly he's not that, but because his wage will be around triple the average, and therefore having him as a marquee means it is out of the cap. Having said all of that, I think Milligan is an excellent signing for the club because they will have at least half a dozen players in their squad with no A-League experience.
Winnie the Pooh (Emperor of China)
Guest
When I saw the headlines, I thought, "hello, they are getting Bozza out of retirement." Bit of a let down. He has all this hair now, more than when he was at United.
Grem
Roar Rookie
You will be proved wrong! Milligan will play well and be a great professional who will help lead the club culture. He did well in Scotland and England ( at a lower league than he was capable of) and he should have been allowed to play in the Premier League, at Crystal Palace, a few years ago by Victory. And I'm guessing he won't be getting a very big marquee salary.
Graeme Phillips
Guest
He'll be great. He'll be an absolute professional who will help guide the club's culture. He was a success in Scotland and in England, unfortunately, in a lower league but he would have done well in the Championship. He would also have done well in the Premier League if Victory had let him go a few years ago. As far as a marquee- anyone who earns more than about 300 000 may well end up a marquee at some clubs.
Charles de Salis
Guest
Milligan... 34 and from a relegated English div 3 side surplus to requirements for div 4. A marquee in the A League. What a joke.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Makes you wonder how good it would have been having South Melbourne playing out of Lakeside Stadium.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
waste of space, they should be bringing through a young local keeper, not 35 year old looking for one final pay cheque
Nick Symonds
Guest
WU's average is just shy of 7,000 and that's while playing matches in Ballarat and at Kardinia Park in Geelong which are both horrible. I'm hopeful Macarthur can average around 10,000 at Campbelltown Stadium, which is close to rail and has plenty of parking. Virus permitting. Makes you wonder how successful Dandenong would be with twice the population.
At work
Roar Rookie
I'll bet my left nut the Bulls average a higher 1st year attendance then the WU did in their first year, although this is based on Covid-19 not ruining the season.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
This is a point of contention with the PA. About 60% of all players are on one year contracts, and most can expect that their salaries will be slashed in new contracts. Many expensive marquees have already left Australia. Mark Milligan has been signed as a "marquee", meaning that's outside of the cap (but you'd expect at his age he is not commanding marquee type salary). Macarthur has already signed half a dozen players who have never played A-League, presumably at minimum wages (which might add interest in its own right). In other words, clubs have already started cutting their cloth to suit a cap likely to be around the $1.6 mill mark. We've been complaining about young players not getting game time, well, that's about to change.
Grem
Roar Rookie
And Mark Milligan will be their captain. A solid squad is being built. Some extra derbies next year that should create some more excitement - hopefully the people of Macarthur get behind them. Can someone answer this for me: If the salary cap is being slashed how are teams signing players with no knowledge of next year's cap? If a team like Sydney has already contracted their squad for next year- what will they do if the cap is slashed? and If the FFA is handing over ownership of the club's to their owners, how can they set a cap? Won't the owners determine what they can afford?
Nick Symonds
Guest
So far they've signed Tommy Oar, Denis Genreau, Moudi Najjar and now Federici. They have also said that they are looking at overseas Australians in foreign leagues. A few days ago, the Southern Tablelands FA signed an MOU with Macarthur FC joining them with Macarthur Football Association, Southern Districts Football Association and Bankstown Amateur Football Association. Macarthur FC’s community engagement program now includes over 100 grassroots clubs and over 30,000 players and officials. The pre-season friendly with Juventus should also help build their profile. Hopefully they'll have a decent start and get some good crowds. Western United have an average of 5,653 with a high of 10,128 in Geelong and a low of 2,973 in Ballarat vs Brisbane.
Coastyboi
Guest
That’s great news for Macarthur. It’ll give there fans something to cheer about. Let’s hope they can be competitive in their first season.