Former Socceroo leaves A-League for NPL side

Ivan Franjić joins his brother Joseph Franjić and signs for National Premier League Victoria side Heidelberg United Football Club.

Former Socceroo Ivan Franjić has signed with NPL Victoria side Heidelberg United FC after more than a decade of top flight football. He has signed alongside his younger brother Joseph Franjić for the upcoming 2022 NPL season.

Ivan Franjić's NPL switch

Former Socceroo joins Heidelberg United FC after more than a decade of top flight football.
Ivan Franjić signed alongside younger brother Joseph for the 2022 NPL Victoria season.
Heidelberg United FC are based at Olympic Park in the outskirts of Melbourne and have recently won the NPL Victoria Premiers three times and the Championship once.

Prior to his move to the Victorian side, 34-year old Ivan had played for Brisbane Roar, Melbourne City, Perth Glory and most recently Macarthur in the latest 2020-21 A-League Men's season. During his illustrious A-League career made more than 250 senior appearances in all competitions

Ivan Franjić won the A-League three times, the FFA Cup once and also spent time abroad in the Russian Premier League and Korean League 1. The former Socceroo represented Australia 20 times from 2013 to 2018 and was part of the 2014 Brazil World Cup squad.

Ivan will now play alongside younger brother Joseph Franjić who has previous NPL Victoria. experience with Melbourne Knights and Hume City. Like his older brother, Joseph is also a defender.

Franjic brothers join United

Read here: https://t.co/9Y4bLgcTpi #UnitedWeStand #HeidelbergUnited #HUFC #NPLVIC #NPL pic.twitter.com/ntoilNw2Nw
— Heidelberg United FC (@HUFCWARRIOR) October 17, 2021

Speaking with the club of his change to the NPL, Ivan Franjić said upon his signing with Heidelberg:

“I’ve spoken to Kats (Head Coach George Katsakis) in the past and known him for a while.

“I’ve heard good things about him, and he’s had plenty of success with Heidelberg so that really intrigued me to come down.

I’m looking forward to a big year ahead with all the Bergers fans supporting us.”

His younger brother Joseph echoed similar excitement about signing and joining Head Coach George Katsakis' side:

“The discussion with Kats about what he has planned for the year is really exciting.

“He really wants to win the league and is determined to do so – the club wants to win, and I’d love to be part of that.

Players play better when there’s fans that care about winning, and Heidelberg have a lot of them. It will be good to see them out in numbers supporting the boys.”

Heidelberg United have been dominant in the NPL Victoria in previous seasons, having won the Premiers in 2017 and 2019 and the double Premiers and Championship in 2018. The club also reached the FFA Cup quarter-final that season.

Heidelberg were fifth in the league after 5 games before the 2020 season was called off and sixth in the league after 18 games before this 2021 NPL Victoria season was cancelled. The club plays at the 12000 person stadium of Olympic Park in the Heidelberg West suburb of Melbourne.