Bozanic puts club future on hold until Roos job is done

Australia midfielder Oliver Bozanic is yet to commit himself to a new deal with Swiss club Luzern as he weighs up whether a move to a higher-profile league will be better for his football heading towards the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Bozanic

Oliver Bozanic has signed for Melbourne Victory (Getty) Source: Getty Images

Wherever Bozanic positions himself, the key will be to satisfy Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou's requirements for his players to be playing regular club football if they want to be considered for regular international football.

He is doing that at Luzern, but at the same time he naturally has ambitions to play in one of the highest European leagues.

What Bozanic must try to avoid, though, is joining a club where he ends up spending a lot of time on the bench and not playing enough first-team football.  

Bozanic, 26, is in Dubai as part of the Socceroos squad that is preparing for the opening match of its World Cup qualifying schedule - against Kyrgyzstan at Bishtek on Wednesday (AEST).

He told The World Game his manager was mapping out the club possibilities for him and that he would make a decision on his future in the wake of the game.

"My contract is finishing now. I'm still in talks with my club and just taking it slowly and weighing up the best options for my career going forward," Bozanic said.

"I've been talking about possibly doing a new deal at Luzern, but at the moment I'm just taking a step back and having a good think.

"I've got to make the right decision for myself, with my club career, and also to give myself the best opportunity to play for the Socceroos in the years to come.

"It's an important decision and it's a slow process at the moment. My manager is looking into things for me.

"The Swiss league is a good league and I'm at a good club in Luzern and I'm playing regular football with them, but at the same time I would like to try to go to the next level.

"If that is suitable now, or in a year's time, I'll have to find out. I'm still undecided."

Bozanic has had two years at Luzern, going there from Central Coast Mariners after previously spending time at several lower-league clubs in England.

He said he had very much enjoyed his time at Luzern.

"We just came off a good season," he said. "We had a tough start - there were a few changes at the club, with new coaches and new sports directors coming in - but we managed to finish very strong in fifth place after a very good second half of the season.

"If we'd played all season like we did in the second half of it, we would've been right up at the top of the league.

"I'm enjoying playing regular football at Luzern. It's just weighing up the right decision for me now. I'll know more in the next couple of weeks, which direction I'm heading in.

"My aim is to stay in Europe and play at the highest level possible and to be in the best place for selection in the Socceroos."

Bozanic played in two of Australia's three games at last year's World Cup, coming off the bench against Netherlands and starting against Spain.

Injury stopped him from playing much club football in the lead-up to the AFC 2015 Asian Cup and he missed selection for that tournament, but he was back in the Socceroo lineup for the most recent internationals against Germany and Macedonia.

He has played seven internationals.

"My number one goal is to be involved with the Socceroos on a regular basis and to play in the next World Cup," Bozanic said.

"It's the greatest achievement in Australian football, to play for your country at the World Cup, so I'm hoping to go all the way down that path through the qualifiers and on to the finals.

"I'm in the squad for the first qualifier, so I've got a good start.

"I'm at the age where I expect to be coming into the best years of my football life. I hope in the next few years I can play at the top level of my game in club football and also with the national team.

"I believe I've reached the stage where I can have a greater influence within the Socceroos and I hope to start doing that in the coming World Cup qualifiers.

"But you're never guaranteed a spot with the Socceroos and that's why you've always got to go back to your club and keep performing well. You're always on your toes and that's the way it should be."


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5 min read
Published 9 June 2015 3:54pm
Updated 9 June 2015 6:36pm
By Greg Prichard
Source: SBS

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