Sydney United 58 has been confirmed as one of the eight foundation clubs as part of the inaugural national second tier competition, launching in October.
Whilst United made the Australia Cup final in 2022, this is the first time a Croatian-backed club will be part of a national league.
Launched by Football Australia and starting with no official ties to the A-League, fans hope this will be a step in the direction of a merger of sorts, and promotion-relegation.
Speaking on Vjesnik TV, which will be a key feature of the famous masthead’s new digital era, United captain and club great Adrian Vlastelica hoped this would be a new era for Australian football.
“Growing up as a young kid, my dad used to bring me here to watch games. It played a massive part of me growing up as a kid and following the club,” Vlastelica said.
“It’s exciting. You can only hope that with the second division (will) bring back the history. We deserve to be back on the national stage and hopefully one day that can even push to merging promotion-relegation to the A-League if it comes to that, which would be great.”
Coach Ante Jurić has had success with his former NSL club, and fellow Championship club Sydney Olympic, in addition to to A-League Women’s club Sydney FC.
“To play a South Melbourne or a Melbourne Knights in two years or three years when they come into it, is enormous,” Jurić said.
“It’s something to put us back on the map as a club. We want to be back there. We believe we belong there with the history, and we can just make some new history as well.”
President Mark Ivančić has driven United’s second tier push for several years, along with a number of ex-NSL clubs and emerging clubs like Avondale FC.
“The Championship gives the club the opportunity to get back, into the national spotlight. And I think we deserve that and the players deserve that,” Ivančić said.
Marijana Rudan, whose brother Mark is a club great and led United in its finals NSL game, in the Croatian derby away to Melbourne Knights, said this would re-engage the younger community.
“I hope that what that will mean is that, Croatians of third or fourth generation, so my children and their children and the children of others can come and support them and recreate that community atmosphere that we once loved so much and cherished,” Rudan said.