Sydney FC striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos remains confident despite not scoring in the A-League since joining the club on loan from Motherwell in February.
Patience Key Ahead of Derby Clash
The 26-year-old forward prepares for his fifth appearance with the Sky Blues in the Big Blue derby against Melbourne Victory at Allianz Stadium this Saturday. Stamatelopoulos emphasizes patience as crucial to breaking his scoring duck.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m worried,’ he states. ‘The boys know if they give me good service, I’ll eventually put one or two chances away.’
He expresses enthusiasm for the match, noting the 20th anniversary of The Cove supporter group. ‘I’m really enjoying my time at the club. We play an attacking style of football and work hard for one another. I can’t wait for the Victory game—they will be out in force. These are the games you want to play in.’
Return to A-League for Game Time
Stamatelopoulos returned from the Scottish Premiership purely for regular minutes after an injury sidelined him at Motherwell. ‘They were good enough to send me out on loan, so I jumped at the chance to come home,’ he explains.
Born in Adelaide, his A-League career began with the Reds in 2017, followed by Western United, stints in Greece with Rodos and PAS Giannina, and a prolific return to Newcastle Jets in 2023, where he netted 17 goals in 25 matches.
Future Prospects and Socceroos Ambitions
Sydney FC holds an option to make the loan permanent. With his wife settled and a baby due in June, Stamatelopoulos adopts a wait-and-see approach.
For Socceroos World Cup selection under Tony Popovic, consistent goals matter, but he prioritizes regular play with Sydney FC into the finals. ‘Stama’ has not dwelled on national team chances yet.
Kick-off is at 7:35pm AEDT, with tickets available online.
