Skipper Ola Toivonen joins Melbourne Victory exodus after announcing he is returning to Sweden
First it was the stand-in coach, now it’s the captain. With the restart of the A-League season only a matter of weeks away, Melbourne Victory have quite a bit of work to do.
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Melbourne Victory are looking for a new captain with Ola Toivonen departing the struggling A-League giants.
The 33-year-old has decided to return to Europe after the expiration of his contract with Victory, rather than stay on to complete the 2019-20 season which is suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis.
A member of Sweden’s 2018 World Cup squad, Toivonen lived up to his star billing at Victory with 25 goals in 40 appearances for the club.
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Toivonen has scored 10 goals in what has been a disappointing campaign for the Victory, double that of their next best scorer Andrew Nabbout.
The star striker said he leaves Victory with good memories despite a season which has featured just five wins from 21 matches, leaving them languishing 10th on the ladder.
“Melbourne is a fantastic city and Victory is a very professional and well-run club,” he said.
“While we didn’t achieve the success we had all hoped for over the past two years, it was a privilege to captain the club this season.”
The Swede has already been linked with a move to Malmo in his homeland. Toivonen’s exit leaves Victory without a captain or coach, after Carlos Salvachua left the club last week.
The Spaniard had been appointed as Victory coach until the end of the season after the axing of German Marco Kurz in January.
Victory managed just one win in eight A-League matches under Salvachua, losing five of those.
However, he was at the helm for their first away win in the Asian Champions League - a 1-0 victory over Japan’s Kashima Antlers to reach the competition’s group stage.
Melbourne Victory is on the hunt for its third coach this A-League season after Carlos Salvachua confirmed his immediate departure.
The Spaniard served as Kevin Muscat’s assistant last season before taking control on an interim basis in January when Marco Kurz was sacked after just 13 games in charge.
Victory on hunt for new boss as Salvachua heads home
He was tipped to apply for the full-time job but won’t resume duties when the competition relaunches in July, instead announcing his intention to chase opportunities in Europe and be closer to his family.
The Victory were already on the search for Kurz’s full-time replacement, with Salvachua unable to turn things around for the 10th-placed side before the season’s suspension.
“On behalf of everyone at Melbourne Victory we would like to thank Carlos for his professionalism, hard work and commitment to our club over the past two seasons,” Victory CEO Trent Jacobs said.
“Given the current environment around the world and the fact we are working through a process to appoint our next A-League head coach, we understand and accept Carlos’ decision to return to Europe.
“We wish Carlos and his family a safe return to Europe and we wish him all the best for the next chapter in his coaching career.”
Salvachua said his two years in Melbourne had “been a pleasure”.
“The decision to return to Europe is an opportunity to continue my coaching career, and the other major upside which is to be closer to our extended family in Spain,” Salvachua said.
“Continue to look after each other and stand by the club. Adios and thank you Melbourne.”
Originally published as Skipper Ola Toivonen joins Melbourne Victory exodus after announcing he is returning to Sweden