Markus Babbel swings axe at Western Sydney Wanderers after poor A-League season as 11 players depart

The next Western Sydney Wanderers squad is certainly going to look a lot different to this season’s version after Markus Babbel showed 11 players the door in the start of his radical squad overhaul.

Markus Babbel will be on an extensive recruitment drive this off-season.

Markus Babbel has taken an axe to Western Sydney, showing 11 players the door in the start of his radical squad overhaul.

As already reported and confirmed by Babbel last weekend, Spanish striker Oriol Riera and German playmaker Alex Baumjohann have played their final games in red and black, and Socceroos right-back Josh Risdon has long been announced as one of new A-Leage franchise Western United’s recruits and Abraham Majok will join Central Coast.

Roly Bonevacia, too, is departing, though it’s unclear if speculation linking him with Perth Glory has calcified.

Markus Babbel will be on an extensive recruitment drive this off-season.

Also gone is Jaushua Sotirio, Marc Tokich, Rashid Mahazi, John Roberts and Giancarlo Gallifuoco.

The mass exodus follows the Wanderers’ second-straight season missing the finals, and will give Babbel both the chance to rebuild to his own image but also the responsibility of owning his recruitment choices.