Philipp Ziereis is motivated to win for Melbourne Victory, plain and simple.
The 33-year-old sealed a move to AAMI Park from Greuther Fürth in early July, swapping the home comforts of Germany for an exciting opportunity in Australia’s sporting capital.
His arrival followed the appointment of Giovanni Savarese as the Club’s A-League Men’s Head Coach, and the centre-back was the only new face named in the starting XI for the pre-season opener against Caroline Springs George Cross, when he completed a steady 45 minutes at the heart of defence.
Speaking for the first time as a Victory player, Ziereis explained his motivation for the transfer and mapped out his ambitions.
“It was good timing for my family, my kids. At my age, I wanted to see something new. The talks with the Club, the ambitions of the Club match with mine. I want to be successful, I want to play for titles here, and it was just the perfect moment for us.
“Of course [I spoke] with John (Didulica) a lot, but my decision was made really quick. I looked around my people and Jackson Irvine, who I played with in St Pauli, to get a feeling for the city and the Club, and he was very positive.”
Ziereis, whose CV boasts nearly a double century of 2. Bundesliga outings, as well as appearances in the UEFA Europa League and Conference League competitions, also talked to the attributes he brings to Victory’s 2026/27 effort, which sees them fighting on three fronts in the Hahn Australia Cup, Isuzu UTE A-League and AFC Champions League Two.
“First of all defending, that is our main job. But then, because of my age, I communicate a lot. At the back, you can see a lot, so I will try to tell the guys where to go – it is part of the position – and with my experience, to help the younger players get the best out of them.”
Watch Ziereis’ full interview below.
