“It’s always good to win something and make a statement to other teams and this is a great opportunity to do that.”
That was how Ivan Franjic summed up the Surf City Cup tournament when he fronted the local Gold Coast media earlier today.
The 31-year-old defender was one of the players who attended a coaching clinic at Gold Coast Knights on Tuesday evening and he is looking forward to returning to the club’s home ground which will host Glory’s games against Brisbane Roar on Friday and Newcastle Jets next Tuesday.
“I’ve been to the Gold Coast Knights club several times before,” he said, “and it’s good to play there.
“I hope a lot of local fans come out and see some some good football on show.
“As a player, especially in Australia, you’ve got a long pre-season, so to get a tournament with a trophy to win, it always makes it exciting and makes pre-season seem shorter.
“Whenever you play other A-League teams it’s always competitive and you always want to win.
“With a trophy to win, I think it’s going to be more competitive than just normal friendlies.”
The former Brisbane Roar man is also delighted to be back in Queensland and feels that the trip will stand Glory in good stead with the start of the new Hyundai A-League campaign now less than 50 days away.
“I have fond memories of Brisbane Roar,” he said.
“I was fortunate enough to win Championships here and the fans are always great when I come back to where it first began.
“Obviously the Gold Coast is an hour away from Brisbane, but it’s good to be back in Queensland.
“The training camp has already been intense and it’s going to get harder, but we’re really looking forward to the games coming up.
“We’ve got a lot of new players and obviously we need time to gel, but there’s nothing better than playing games to get to know each other’s movements.
“It’s a new season this year and we’ve qualified for the Asian Champions League, so there’s an exciting mood in Perth and I’m sure the fans are really looking forward to it.”
For more details of the Surf City Cup, click HERE.
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