Sydney FC has signed Croatian striker Krunoslav Lovrek to bolster the Sky Blues attack for the 2012/13 Hyundai A-League season.
Sydney FC has signed Croatian striker Krunoslav Lovrek to bolster the Sky Blues attack for the 2012/13 Hyundai A-League season.
The 32-year-old, who represented Croatia at U19, U20 and U21 level, joins Sydney FC from Chinese Super League side Qingdao Jonoon and will start pre season training with the rest of the Sky Blues squad on 16 July.
“I am very happy to be coming to Australia and Sydney FC,” Lovrek said. “One thing the fans can be guaranteed is that I will give 100% all of the time. I think with the efforts of the team we can have a fantastic season and hopefully we can be successful.
“I-ve spoken to the coach and he-s told me the way he wants to play which I think is going to be a fantastic way of playing and my first impressions of everything around the club is great.”
The striker/attacking midfielder spent some time in Sydney recently to look over the facilities and meet with Head Coach Ian Crook and Club officials as well as undergoing medical and physical examinations before agreeing to terms on a one year deal.
Lovrek has played 265 senior club matches throughout his career, scoring 76 goals while playing for Lierse (Belgium), Jeonbuk Motors(Korea) and Qingdao Jonoon (China) as well as NK Zagreb and Hadjuk Split in his native Croatia.
He was also part of the Jeonbuk Motors side that went through to the final of the 2011 AFC Asian Champions League, missing the decider through suspension.
“His record speaks for itself,” Crook said. “He can finish but he can create as well so that fitted into the bracket that we wanted. We wanted someone who was capable of doing both. He-s someone who can play either as a number 9 or as a number 10 just in behind. He-s smart and technically very good so I-m just really delighted to have got him on board.
“He-s got some experience at a high level, he-s just such a humble individual. The thing I really like is that he wants to play and learn, he-s not looking for a payday. Realistically if he was, he wouldn-t be here.”
Lovrek becomes the 20th player on the Sydney FC Hyundai A-League roster for the 2012/13 season. The squad is: Ivan Necevski (gk), Sebastian Ryall, Fabio, Pascal Bosschaart, Adam Griffiths, Hirofumi Moriyasu, Brett Emerton, Nick Carle, Dimi Petratos, Terry McFlynn, Joel Chianese, Terry Antonis, Krunoslav Lovrek, Vedran Janjetovic (gk), Ali Abbas, Nathan Sherlock, Rhyan Grant, Mitch Mallia, Daniel Petkovski and Hagi Gligor.
Check out some of Kruno’s highlights on this video clip.
Purchase your 2012/13 Sydney FC Membership here – they are on sale now.
Krunoslav Lovrek
Date of Birth: 11 September 1979
Nationality: Croatian
Birthplace: Zagreb
Height: 180cm
Weight: 82kg
Club career:
1997 – 2004 – NK Zagreb (Croatia) – 129 games – 29 goals
2004 – Cerezo Osaka (Japan) – 5 games – 0 goals
2004/05 – Hajduk Split (Croatia) – 13 games – 2 goals
2005/06 – Lierse (Belgium) – 7 games – 0 goals
2006 – 2009 – NK Zagreb (Croatia) – 50 games – 32 goals
2009 – Eskiehirspor (Turkey) – 12 games – 2 goals
2010 -11 – Jeonbuk Motors (Korea) – 46 games – 11 goals
2012 – Qingdao Jonoon (China) – 6 games – 0 goals
International career:
1998 – Croatia U19 – 4 games – 1 goal
1998-99 – Croatia U20 – 5 games – 0 goals – Represented Croatia at the 1999 FIFA U20 World Cup in Nigeria
1999-2000 – Croatia U21 – 3 games – 0 goals
