Popovic focused on Derby, rest of season, not his future

Out-of-contract Melbourne Victory boss Tony Popovic says neither he nor the club are overly concerned about his own future, with his focus on Saturday's Melbourne Derby and the rest of the season.

As his Melbourne Victory looks to rebound from the first defeat of their A-League Men season in Saturday evening’s Melbourne Derby clash with City, out-of-contract Tony Popovic says he’s not concerned about matters extending beyond this season. 

A first-half goal from Jake Hollman and man-of-the-match performance from keeper Filip Kurto – including a penalty save against a returning Bruno Fornaroli – consigned Victory to a 1-0 defeat against Marthur last weekend, their first trip to the losers circle 16 weeks into the season. 

Despite their largely unblemished record, however, a league-leading nine draws has the A-League Men giants sitting fourth heading into this weekend’s meeting with City, sitting six points back of top-of-the-table Wellington with eleven games remaining still to play. 

Popovic, 50, is in the third and final year of his contract to lead the four-time A-League Men champions but said that neither he nor the club had spoken about what lay beyond the 2023-24 campaign. 

“The truth of the matter is that that's not really at the forefront of my mind,” he said. “It's not something that we're speaking about or concerned about. 

“We're just worried about the team and making sure that we do what Melbourne Victory does. And that's challenging for titles. We want to win trophies, we want to win silverware this year and we'll worry about that at the end of the year.”

A former premiership-winning coach with Western Sydney and Perth Glory, the former of which he also led to Asian Champions League glory, Popovic has also had brief, ill-fated stints abroad managing Turkish side Karabükspor and Greek outfit Xanthi during his head coaching career. 

But while the rumour mill does occasionally throw his name up in conversations on possible roles, he denied there were suitors for his services circling as his contract wound down. 

“If there was, I wouldn't say anything to you!” he laughed. “But there's nothing. I'm not thinking about anything but this week, the derby. 

“We all have things to focus on and I know the club is very focused on this season. So am I, and we're very comfortable with our situation.”

In the immediate term, Popovic will enter this evening’s clash with City with a cloud hanging over the head of joint-golden boot leader Bruno Fornaroli, who is recovering from midweek surgery to repair a hairline fracture in his hand. 

A potential re-injuring of the hand is not seen as an issue – a steel plate inserted during the procedure – with concern instead surrounding the wound healing and possible infection. 

"He did hurt his hand, so he's had a procedure on his hand in terms of a hairline fracture. So we're just waiting for that wound to heal," Popovic said.

"But we think he's a chance [to play]. He's working, been avoiding contact and if he can handle contact, then there's no reason why he can't play.”

After coming off at halftime of the defeat to Macarthur with a thigh complaint, Adama Traoré is pushing to prove his fitness but new signing Roly Bonevacia’s debut will need to wait at least one more game as he looks to get his feet under him after signing as a free-agent. 

City, meanwhile, will be without the services of midfield maestro Tolgay Arslan after Football Australia’s independent disciplinary and ethics committee handed him a three-match ban after he was sent off after City’s 4-2 loss away to Perth Glory earlier this month for “use of offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures against a match official.”

City declined to comment on the sanction but it’s understood figures at the club are indignant over Arslan receiving a heavier sanction than Western Sydney coach Marko Rudan, who received a three-match ban with one suspended for actions they believe went beyond the German midfielder’s.