The side began the season with a victory against Western United at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, November 20.
They won a hard-fought battle under their new head coach, Tony Popovic, marking a change of pace after two mediocre seasons.
The derby also saw the A-League debut of Italian forward Francesco Margiotta, who joins Western United captain Alessandro Diamanti and Melbourne City newcomer Manuel Pucciarelli in flying the Italian flag Down Under.
Though he only played for 30 minutes in the second half, Margiotta put on a convincing performance.
He made his second appearance in the league on Sunday, when Melbourne Victory thumped Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park to go top of the A-League Men’s table and become the only club with a 100 per cent record after two games.
Hailing from the northern Italian city of Turin, Margiotta has enjoyed a stellar career in Europe.
A product of the Juventus Academy, the 28-year-old spent seven seasons on the books of the Serie A giants, with loan spells at Carrarese, Monza, Venezia and Santarcangelo before an impressive stint at Swiss side Lausanne-Sport, which saw the forward sign permanently in 2018.
Margiotta then joined fellow Swiss side FC Luzern in 2019, where he rekindled the form that saw him take the top-tier Swiss Super League by storm, scoring 14 goals and 12 assists in 43 appearances and taking out the club’s Golden Boot.
The striker returned to Italy with Serie B side Chievo in 2020 and found the back of the net five times during his time with the Verona-based club before it went bankrupt this year.
In October, Melbourne Victory announced Margiotta had signed a one-year deal which will see him play with the club until the end of the 2021/22 season.
Speaking with Il Globo upon his arrival in Melbourne, Margiotta said he was eager for the challenge that awaits him in the A-League.
“My wife and I didn’t have many reservations about moving to Melbourne, probably due to my participation in other overseas leagues,” he said.
“Playing abroad shouldn’t be undervalued; it’s an enriching experience, both from a professional and personal perspective.
“Every top-tier league has different playing styles, but the football is always at a high level.
“I’m certain I made the right choice.”
Margiotta said arriving at Melbourne Victory during such an important time for the club added to the excitement.
“Here, everything is done well in terms of structure and organisation,” he explained.
“The staff and teammates have been extremely welcoming and I enjoy the environment.
“There’s a great desire to do well this year and we proved it in the first game, in which we fought hard for the victory.
“Coach Popovic is fantastic and with a good group like ours, we can do great things.”
Looking back at his formative years with the Juventus Youth Sector, Margiotta said the transition to playing professionally was not without its obstacles.
“Arriving at a club like Juventus at such a young age makes you accustomed to an environment that works perfectly, in which you have everything,” he explained.
“Leaving that environment and going into a completely different one can be hard.
“But I’ve taken Juventus’ rules, sense of discipline and the way they work with me throughout my career.”
With years of experience at various clubs in Italy and beyond, Margiotta is ready to prove his worth at Melbourne Victory.
“I’m convinced that all experiences serve to improve a person,” he said.
“I definitely feel that I’ve matured and I know I can do a lot for the team; I’m ready to demonstrate that on the pitch.”
Margiotta explained that his time playing in Switzerland helped him to realise his potential in an international context.
“I really showed what I can do and, above all, it gave me the opportunity to gain experience overseas,” he said.
“It’s never easy for a foreigner to play well and integrate into another league, and the Swiss Super League is a top competition.
“I’m very happy to be here, because in some ways I already know how playing abroad works.”
A highly versatile centre-forward, Margiotta has immediately put himself at the disposal of Popovic and his side, and is eager to assist teammates in scoring goals or perhaps even find the back of the net himself.
“I’m very satisfied with how I’ve started the season,” he concluded.
“I’m happy to have taken to the field for the start of the season.
“I’m currently playing to improve my condition, but I feel great and I believe that in a couple of games I can reach the same level of fitness as my teammates.”
