SYDNEY FC’s new signing Mustafa Amini has opened up on the “nightmare” year and a half in which he has battled injuries and dishonoured contracts in Europe.
Ready to fill the void at the Sky Blues left by injury victim Luke Brattan once the A-League transfer window opens next month, Amini told the Official A-Leagues Podcast how his club career had stalled since he left one of Denmark’s biggest clubs, Aarhus, seeking a new challenge in August last year.
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Eight years after he was signed from the Mariners by Borussia Dortmund, Amini is hopful a return to playing for Sydney can help push his Socceroos claims.
Amini had moved his family to Turkey last year having signed for Turkish side Ankaragucu, but said he was left in disbelief when the club refused to honour the deal.
“It’s been a nightmare, I wouldn’t wish that upon any footballer,” he said. “I did finish my career in Denmark, and had signed in Turkey and was ready for my new adventure.
“When that turned sour I had literally moved my whole family to Turkey and we had eight luggage bags and everything. (Suddenly) the deal was off and during that time, we had other clubs that were interested in Turkey but we’d said no. Once the deal was off, you’d call back the other teams and they’d already found new players.
“I was left clubless pretty much and decided to go back home (to Australia) and spend time with my family and get my surgery.”
Needing to correct knee issues, Amini was in Sydney doing his post-op rehab when he said his agent was called by the sports director of Cypriot side Apollon Limassol.
“They’re a big club in Cyprus, they’ve played in the Europa League three times in the last five years, so it was massive,” Amini said. “The coach that went there, he was a German coach who I played against in Denmark and he liked me so it was a perfect opportunity.
“But, you know, I was injured still at the time and we pretty much told the club: Look, we’re still some months away from returning, and they said, Yeah, yeah, no problem.
“But from the first day I got there, they said, Listen, we want you on the park now. It’s not that type of injury where you can just say it’s a muscle injury, get over it. It was a double knee op and so you had to do the rehab properly.
“But they got frustrated, didn’t put me on the (playing) list. So we terminated (his contract) and, you know, now I’m back in Sydney and happy to be home. Finally, you know, with good care, good physios, good staff, and, you know, I can just get my career back on track.”
Amini praised the PFA for their assistance throughout the saga, and revealed how lonely it had been at times.
“The hardest aspect would be that there was no patience – I didn’t hide anything before I signed there. I’ve told them, I’m injured, here’s my MRI scans.
“You wouldn’t believe it, but I signed a two year deal and after a month and a half, they pretty much cornered me and said, ‘Listen, we’re only going to sign one (year) now’ – but I had signed for two! It’s total chaos there.
“I was going to training and they were having team meetings and I was the only one not allowed in the team meeting.”
