Western United, the A-League's newest franchise, is believed to have signed former Melbourne Victory teen sensation Sebastian Pasquali for its first season in the competition.

Pasquali made a huge impact when still a 16-year-old at Melbourne Victory when he played against Juventus in the 2016 International Champions Cup, a pre-season tournament involving the Italian giants, Atletico Madrid and English Premier League club Tottenham.

Pasquali made his first-team debut for Victory in the Melbourne derby in October 2016, but instead of graduating to Victory's first-team squad and signing a longer-term contract,  he opted to move to Europe.

See more: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/western-united-swoop-on-ex-victory-s-pasquali-20190304-p511jd.html

oh well another great young hope back home

For all the "players are soft for coming  back rather than sticking it out" we forget probably how many players never reached their potential because there was no local league to come back to. I think any move that gets Pasquali regular minutes is a good one. 

Most of the players that "never reached their potential" sought loans to other clubs and fought for their reputation in Europe. 

Whether the A-league / Asia is the comfort zone that was never offered to previous generations or not, you can't argue that the current gen. are taking the easy way out.

How many Japanese players rush back to the J.League or Koreans to the K.League when they don't quite make it at their current club. 

Keisuke Honda played 2 years in the Dutch second division at VVV before securing a permanent move to CSKA. 

I'm sick and tired of our player's weak mentality. It is damaging Australian football. 

The A-league is meant to develop kids for the best leagues in Europe. Not to welcome them back with open arms after a couple of years. 

Its ok to be a FERAL , if you really need game time and regular salary. The A-league really does welcome Australian players back with open arms.
But this is not really going to take the Socceroos to the next level. That is why I admire the determination at grit of the golden generation.

FERAL = Failed in Europe, Return to A League

Greatness comes with grit. 

I don't know what people's obsessions are with Mooy (ie look at what Mooy did by coming back to the A-league). Aaron is a talented player no doubt, but he is the archetypal average Big 5 league player. He is no more or no less than that. 

I want to hear more Kewell & Cahill type successes from our young players and less "He can be the next Mooy". 

As I have reiterated earlier, this is a bad move by Seb. It will only hamper his development by not fighting for his right to be noticed in Europe. 

Had the potential to be a Vuck legend and threw it all away to play reserves football in Holland. What a waste - another in a long line of young players (Da Silva, Yeboah etc etc) who have harmed their development by choosing reserves football in Europe over first team action in Australia.

Yeah...  Kids... Stop showing ambition.  Stick where you're safe.  Sit on the bench at Victory waiting for a regular place - you'll learn far more under Musky and Co. than you ever would at a nothing club like Ajax.  We all know which club has the better record for developing young talent...

If he is such a good talent for Ajax, why were Ajax content to see him leave without offering him a senior contract?

He had one game for Jong Ajax as a CB, once they knew he wasnt seen a central midfielder in there system then he will climbing uphill since.

It started so promisingly.

Just taking a wild guess, perhaps he isnt good enough for Dutch 1st Division?

It's not complicated...  He didn't get a senior contract because only a few players get them each season at Ajax...  He wasn't good enough, but that doesn't mean he hasn't improved more at Ajax than he would have done at Victory... 

Maybe look at Stefan Nigro for an example of a player who burst onto the scene with an amazing pre-season performance against top class opposition, then was stifled by a lack of opportunity...  

because at any given moment, Ajax have access to over 100 Pasqualis to whom they might offer a handful of contracts

Hehe.

Pretty disappointed he didn't follow in Jason Cullina's footsteps. 

He was also a talented young Australian who failed to make it out of the Ajax youth academy, but after a series of loans managed to secure a place as a regular in a mid-table Eredivisie club. 

Even Brett Holman spent years toiling away in the both the 2nd & 1st div. in Holland before landing a gig at AZ. 

The fact that he chose to come back as opposed to seek a loan elsewhere in Holland or Europe is disappointing (provided he was wanted elsewhere in Holland or Europe). 

@walnuts

Have to disagree. Any player breaking through that young has to go overseas imo. He wouldn’t have got anything more than rotational minutes for us that season, and Ajax are the type of club you don’t say no to.

The important part is that he’s realised that youth football can only take you so far, and now will be coming back to compete for a spot (hopefully a better player). He’s still only 19 and has his whole career ahead of him.

Rotational minutes @ 16 (who knows what would've happened later in the season - he was only around for 3 rounds) vs youth team football (don't forget the six month period where he didn't play at all because his agent was incapable of sorting out his passport difficulties).

If it's good enough for Viduka to learn and play at home, why not for others? Even the likes of Bresciano, Grella and Emerton - key cogs of our Golden Generation - played a full season or two of senior football before they headed overseas. Why is it different for them? Ajax had a much better academy than Melbourne Knights, why don't people abuse Viduka for staying at home in his formative years?

You can have all the coaching in the world, but you'll never beat senior match day experience.

on loan?

Muscat wasn’t playing him much at the time, and doesn’t really have a great record of giving youth players minutes, so the decision made sense at the time imo.

If Pasquali was a starter at MVC, ok that’s a different story.

serious? he had just literally come onto the scene in the game against Juve and had an assist in a late winner against adelaide. then he left due to a loophole in the rules.

either way, I think Seb should have persisted in europe.  I'm disappointed. 

So you're saying Mat Ryan should've left the Mariners at age 17? When he wasn't getting any minutes? I mean, Arnold's record with youth is just as atrocious as Muscat's so Ryan should've legged it out of there at the first opportunity, correct?

Um, no.

Please divulge.

-PB

Eh, he needs first team football. Great signing for Westside Pride.

whatever the wash up is he recieved poor advice. Every indication he was going to get lots of game time at MV, instead he went overseas and wasn’t even able to play.

On the other hand - trained with some of the best youth in Europe, under some of the best youth coaches, played for a top developer of youth in a top youth league...  Living away from home in a more intense footballing environment will also have made him grow up faster - and at the end of it all, he'll still be playing in the A-League before he's 20...  No reason to assume he had bad advice.  Could say he's had very good advice.

I understand most of these points, but good advice would know if he was even eligable to play or not.

If he had been told 'you will not actually be allowed to play' do you think he would've made the same decision? I doubt any player would. 

spot on...
Everyone saying its a shame or its a disaster wants to believe that he has failed. You are probably as equally as hard on yourself thats why you spend too much time making comments on internet forums and not achieving anything..

Progress is not linear! See Aaron Mooy...

Some people peak at 30...

The argument over when to move is one that has no right answer because its different for everyone and worked for some and not others. We can argue it for months and still theres no right answer. 

The simple question is: Is the person getting regular game time in the strongest league they can play in? 

Correct answer (for almost all cases).

if he bosses the midfield for two year his still young enough to go back to europe what's the problem? 

So disappointing but also not surprising that many of our younger players are not cut for Europe and pretty much come back home.

Who was the last young player in the A-league that has stayed in Europe and playing at a decent level, Awer Mabil? Not many.

A big concern for the Socceroos, competing on the global level and I'm not talking most of Asia either.

Too many come back home after promising European moves, how do we change this? 

I agree I'd rather see him tough it out in Europe than come back so soon - heck, there's no guarantee that whoever WU's coach ends up being will give the kid regular minutes.

Regarding my previously-posted thoughts on here about Oz players seemingly snubbing Euro leagues they deem to be beneath them(ie. virtually all Central/Eastern European leagues) or can't be arsed learning their language, even if that level would theoretically be their most realistic springboard to bigger things down the track; I can only hope Seb's more resolute and clued-up than certain others before him.

Well that escalated quickly.

To put two positive spins:
1. Great signing by the new team. Very encouraging step.
2. This shows the great value of expansion - more first team spots for Australian players. Already expansion is proving worthwhile. 

That’s the two things I first thought of. I can’t believe people have turned this into a negative. Who cares if he has come back he is only 19 geez he’s career hasn’t even started.

Great signing, looking forward to seeing him play

He's still very young, I think getting regular first team football needs to be his priority. I don't see how getting that in the A-league is worse than getting it at a similar level in Europe. Ikon has shown how important first team football is to a young player, and my hope for both of them is two good seasons at home before heading back to Europe at a club where they can get regular minutes.

Quality signings so far. No more talk about the head coach?  

so can we expect theoharious to be the next signing for west united as well? 

The sample size of his quality was very small, truth be told he was the never the out and out stand out at victory youth, his cameo against juve was the equivalent of the npl player nobody has heard of who turns it on during a televised ffa cup game.

We all remember Connor Pain playing well against Liverpool...

Devante Clut scored twice against Villareal ... yet is currently playing for Blacktown City.

And Ange/Nabbout was laughed at from many in the NPL fraternity, said he couldn't even dominate in state league. Ended up making a world cup...

Pasquali had an x factor in matches I saw, and lot's of potential. Which is why you'd imagine he was signed by AJAX.

What a shame.

-PB

So they havent signed a coach,but someone is pulling the strings.
It makes me think that an Australian coach has already agreed to terms.But for whatever reason is keeping it quiet.

Well at least they've got a CB now lol

I'd be comforted if they announced the coach first. 

Don't tell anyone, but it's Claudio Ranieri.... shhhh!

They have signed a coach, but cant name who it is just yet.

So Rudan it is? :)

what 16 year old australian player would turn down an offer from ajax??? ajax has got to be one of the best clubs in the world for developing young players. he would have been crazy for turning them down.
in any case im sure he learnt a lot during his time with them.

Ikonomidis came back to the a league from little gametime in Europe and now he's one of our most promising socceroos.
Here, there, don't really care... as long as his playing regularly.

Exactly.

And Aaron Mooy has proven the A-League can be the stepping stone we all want it to be, irregardless of what occurred in Europe previously. 

He's 19 ffs. 

Each to their own. There is merit in either path trying to make a career internationally or stay domestically and fight for a place. People suggesting they know what is best whilst looking in haven’t a clue

Pasquali bruhhhhhh!

Deng didn't make it at PSV but obviously came back a better player. I'm just bummed that he's jumped ship to a local opponent.

Pasquali had a couple years training at the best youth facilities with some of the best young players in the world. I'd be surprised if he hasn't improved, now he just needs some game time which he will get here.

He'll get an almighty shock then when he has to step foot into a wheely bin for an ice bath!

I said at the time it was a terrible decision, he is just breaking into a national league club at 16 and looks the goods at A league level and his agent gets a deal with Ajax youth team and he goes, it's mental.
There really hasn't been a player since Kewell and Cahill who has made it in Europe bypassing the top league here, either NSL or A league, most who have had decent careers in Europe have at least had a season here first. 
It should be a warning to other young players here, that playing here first is your best option to make it in Europe. 

What’s all the commotion about? So much drama over a decision that a player is making to stabilise a career that he may have felt has hit a roadblock in Europe.

With this move, he returns home and hopefully gets more game thea, which creates confidence and strengthens his case for another move to Europe when he is ready to do so again.

What some overlook is just how many players from the academy/youth systems don’t make it. They all have a dream of making it big, and often are fed these thoughts by mentors that see the big time on the horizon. Hard work and dedication is one thing, but football politics also plays a role in the fate of many promising players. A coach that signs a player is sacked, or a new player jumps ahead of them in the list are always going to be risks.

It’s a move that he sees will be best also give him the credit for giving it a go and now trying to get things back on track.

This has got nothing to do with football politics, its all merit which Ajax is known for.

They have many talented players like Pasquali in there set up, like anymore you have to work and make the most of your chances that are given to you.

Its a cut throat environment in Europe, unlike the soft version here in Australia.

Not saying this case was football politics, just pointing out there are many reasons that things don’t work out.

I tend to think that coming back and getting game time would be a good opportunity to get things moving again. I’m certainly not one that thinks this is a backward step. Mooy proved what such a move can do to re-energise a career, so can only hope the same is true in this case.

A point but lightning doesn't strike twice as they say.
Mooys scenario imo comes down to timing And that he was with City - due to their network/profile and Mooy being outstanding played perfect for him.

Mooy’s time at WSW also helped, but things went to the next level at City.

Those that say coming home is the easy way out is all well and good, but that doesn’t mean staying in Europe will be any more successful than trying to find their feet again back here.

Sometimes hitting the reset button and being back in more comfortable surroundings can help until the time is right to go back, likely stronger and more hungry to make a success of it.

It’s far too simplistic to think that staying there is the only way to be successful. Good luck to him.

I’ve got no issue with him coming back or plugging away in Europe in the ressies. I just think it’s such a waste of a young talent for his agent to stich up a deal where he was not even allowed to play.

I hope he turns it around and goes on to better things.

I agree with @walnuts, the kid was young and he was just starting to get minutes in. By now he could have been almost a starting player and established player. Now in a very critical time to his development he hasn't played enough live games of football. I've always stood by the belief that if you can't make the starting eleven in the Aleague you've got little to no chance over seas unless you're an incredible freakish talent.

Thats funny, he goes to Ajax and returns as a starter for WU, but it would have been better to stay and be an almost starter

Think its a loan deal

So what will everyone say if Pasquali pulls a mooy and absolutely dominates?

Absolutely awesome if he does. 

i reckon if he has a experienced partner in midfield with him it would be great to watch 

Really looking forward to seeing him in action. Aiden O'Neil has been a joy to watch this season and the minutes matter after the European education. A bit annoying he seemingly got bogged down there but it's all good I feel.

Surely he'd be a good option for them to sign as well

@melbcityguy

Well that's the thing, if he does pull a Mooy then it opens up doors for him again for a better step into Europe. But it would also confirm that staying and establishing yourself in the Aleague is a better way to go about it than going when you're a raw talent with no senior experience. Time will tell.

@AJF

Who said anything about him being a starter for WU? You're not even reading what I wrote lol

I included your quote so not much to misunderstand,

Also it not normal practice to sign benchwarmers and squaddies as your first players, so you can be sure they will be giving him a good run

Actually there is and you've got it wrong again.  By now he would have been a starting player for victory. Not for WU. He would have had an opportunity to show consistency in his performances and make a name for himself. Instead all he comes back as is a kid with little football under his belt with a lot of potential. 

I hope hope you can see the difference now. 

So MV is better at developing youth than Ajax.......99.999% of the football world disagree but you keep dreaming sunshine

I hope people realise this is a big opportunity missed for Pasquali and for Oz football, imagine if the kid broke through into the first team and played in the UCL he's profile would have risen quite high and would have presented the Socceroos with a gem of a midfielder that we can use for the national team straight away.

And given his age his upside would have been quite high to play at the top level in the future, Ajax is one of the hubs for the world's best talent.

One big missed opportunity, a real shame it didnt work out for him.

Nothing wrong with coming home but its the easy way out for many of the younger players, how many are willing to stick it out? I don't see Pasquali playing at the highest level after he's back here as Ajax was his best chance of doing so given the profile.

Who will be our next big star playing at a big club in one of the top leagues in europe? Im afraid i dont see anyone maybe Arzani but right now its quite doubtful unless he kills it in the next 12 to 18 months.

Even though Ajax let him go he should be looking elsewhere in EU to force the chance IF he's looking ahead.
Its determination and keep going at that level as hard as the knock backs are, coming home is the easy option, a shame.

isn't that his agent's fault for not getting him other offers? 

For every Culina or Holman theres many more who tried that route and came to nothing. Look at someone like Ascroft or Yeboah who toiled in the lower divisions for very little reward. Far better to come and be a regular in the A-League at a younger age playing better quality football and get another move abroad. 

I don't consider Ascroft or Yeboah as good examples of players our youngsters should be emulating. 

Kruse & Leckie are the types of players they should be using as role models. They are good examples of the new gen. that stuck it out and were rewarded for their perseverance. 

Kruse had 60 first team games before he left for an immediate role in a team. And likewise Leckie had a couple years here too. Pasquali hasn't played virtually any first team football in his career which is what he needs to get.

A couple of things.
We do not know if Pasquali received any offers from European Clubs. What position has he been recruited for by Western United , given that Jong Ajax tried him at CB? 

In hindsight it would have been useful had he played out that season with Melb Victory, but maybe it was a offer from Ajax that had to be taken then, and only then-maybe his transfer could not be delayed.

Yes, it is disappointing that he is returning to  Aus, but hopefully he can kick on following his return, and mount a challenge for a return to Europe and bigger things. People forget that Rogic also returned to Australia, albeit on loan. He will need to earn his spot in the Western United starting 11. He won't be a lay down masere to be a starter - but would be surprised (shocked even) if he doesn't become a regular starter (given his Ajax grounding).

Also we cannot compare 20 years ago to now. The market place is much more cut throat. They key here is to understand that when you arrive in Europe a player needs to take their chances. Gone are the nurturing clubs. Clubs employ people to get results on and off the field. 

But the hook is this - despite not making it the first time (poor form or whatever) the player will have more chances. Eventually though they will need to play consistent high level football 'somewhere. If he, or any other young player, comes back to the A-League and stands out over a long period, international clubs will come knocking. 

Terry Antonis will get another crack if he wants it....

Having said that he can probably command a nice salaryhere for the next 10 years if he chooses to stay at home. 

@AJF

Ok so I'll take it that you are admitting you were originally in the wrong . Now you're shifting goal posts and again putting words in my mouth. I didn't say that either. The arguement wasn't specifically about development. It's about being established. He's not an established player, hence only a talent. If he stayed here he could very well be an already established player. This would then give him more potential of making that jump into European football. I'm struggling to dumb it down for you anymore. Please let this be the end of it, I hope this clears it up once and for all.

lol