Melbourne Victory signing Kristijan Dobras looking forward to learning from teammates
Melbourne Victory enter a new era under coach Marco Kurz, and one player confident of making an impact is midfielder Kristijan Dobras.
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Modest visa signing Kristijan Dobras labelled himself a “small fish” in Melbourne Victory’s big pond, but was confident of getting the fans off their seats.
New-look Victory enters the season with massive expectations after a semi-final mauling from champions Sydney FC, starting with Saturday night’s Melbourne derby at Marvel Stadium.
But with almost 24,000 members signed up, the microscope will be on Croatian-born Austrian youth international Dobras and his Victory teammates as they enter a new era under new coach Marco Kurz.
“When I look at our squad, I see myself as a small fish,” Dobras told the Herald-Sun.
“When I look at where Ola (Toivonen, ex-PSV Eindhoven and Sweden) played, (Tim) Hoogland (ex Schalke) played Champions League, Jakob Poulsen (ex Denmark and Monaco) — they’ve all played for their countries.
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“That’s good for me. But they’re older. You can always learn from older people.
“Broxy (Leigh Broxham) has been at the club for a long time, (Andrew) Nabbout plays for Australia. I’m a small fish and I can learn a lot. That has to be my goal.”
Despite his lower profile CV, which includes Austrian giants Sturm Graz and Rapid Vienna, Dobras — who plays as a number 10 (attacking midfielder) or winger — was confident of making an A-League impact.
“It’s hard to say (what to expect of him), but I think I can be one of the better players, one that fans enjoy watching,” he said.
“It will be difficult at the start, but once I get used to the league, the style — there’ll probably be more duels here — I’ll show myself.
“I love football, I love playing, love getting on the ball.
“I’m not the biggest. I’m small, quick, I like taking the ball from teammates and finding my teammates to play the pass, if they’re in a better position. I like scoring too of course.”
Dobras, who prefers “Kiki” over Kristijan, had a fault start in Melbourne, with jet lag and illness delaying the start to his Victory pre-season.
But he revealed that he’d timed his preparation to perfection.
“I arrived in Melbourne and jet lag hit me — I couldn’t sleep. Then the hard training perhaps combined and I was struck down by illness,’’ Dobras said.
“I had to take a week off. When I returned to training, the boys all made a big deal and said ‘welcome back’.
“I was without a club for two months, but it’s worked out well because I arrived with time to get fit for the start of the season.
“I’ve acclimatised and adjusted now. Since Monday I really feel good, sharp. I feel light. I’m ready.”
Originally published as Melbourne Victory signing Kristijan Dobras looking forward to learning from teammates