# 2019–20 Melbourne City FC season

The 2019–20 season was the tenth in the history of Melbourne City Football Club. In addition to the domestic league, Melbourne City competed in the Australia Cup for the sixth time.
The club appointed Erick Mombaerts to the vacant managerial role at the start of the season. On 24 March 2020, the FFA announced that the 2019–20 A-League season would be postponed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand, and subsequently extended indefinitely. The season resumed on 17 July 2020.
In the 2019–20 season, Melbourne City qualified for though lost both the FFA Cup Final and A-League Grand Final, the latter being the first time it had qualified for a Grand Final. It finished the season in its highest ever place of second position, and in doing so qualified for a maiden AFC Champions League spot in 2021.

## Review
### Pre-season

Melbourne City finished fifth in the previous season before being eliminated by Adelaide United by a single goal. Before the season started, Warren Joyce left the role as manager to join the Salford City development squad. The club appointed Erick Mombaerts as new manager on 27 June 2019. In the transfer market, they lost Dylan Pierias and Joshua Cavallo to the newest A-League club, Western United. After signing Scott Galloway from Adelaide United, Denis Genreau and Dean Bouzanis returned to the squad from their loan at Dutch club PEC Zwolle.

## Players
### Squad information

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | AUS | Tom Glover |
| 2 | DF | AUS | Scott Galloway |
| 3 | DF | AUS | Scott Jamieson (Captain) |
| 4 | DF | AUS | Harrison Delbridge |
| 6 | MF | AUS | Joshua Brillante |
| 7 | MF | AUS | Rostyn Griffiths |
| 9 | FW | AUS | Jamie Maclaren |
| 10 | MF | FRA | Florin Berenguer |
| 11 | FW | ENG | Craig Noone |
| 13 | MF | AUS | Nathaniel Atkinson |
| 17 | MF | AUS | Denis Genreau |
| 19 | MF | AUS | Lachlan Wales |
| 20 | MF | URU | Adrián Luna |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | MF | AUS | Ramy Najjarine |
| 22 | DF | AUS | Curtis Good |
| 30 | FW | AUS | Moudi Najjar |
| 34 | MF | AUS | Connor Metcalfe |
| 35 | FW | AUS | Raphael Rodrigues (Scholarship) |
| 36 | DF | AUS | Kerrin Stokes (Scholarship) |
| 37 | FW | AUS | Gianluca Iannucci (Scholarship) |
| 38 | FW | AUS | Yaya Dukuly (Scholarship) |
| 40 | DF | AUT | Richard Windbichler |
| 46 | GK | AUS | Joe Gauci (Scholarship) |
| 49 | FW | AUS | Stefan Colakovski (Scholarship) |
| 51 | MF | AUS | Idrus Abdulahi (Scholarship) |
| 59 | MF | AUS | Bernardo Oliveira (Scholarship) |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Type/fee | Contract length | Date |
| 2 | DF | Scott Galloway | Adelaide United | Free transfer | 3 years | 3 May 2019 |
| 17 | MF | Denis Genreau | PEC Zwolle | Loan return | | 8 May 2019 |
| 23 | GK | Dean Bouzanis | PEC Zwolle | Loan return | | 8 May 2019 |
| 11 | MF | Craig Noone | Bolton Wanderers | Undisclosed | 2 years | 17 June 2019 |
| 40 | DF | Richard Windbichler | Unattached | Free transfer | 2 years | 28 June 2019 |
| 6 | MF | Joshua Brillante | Sydney FC | Free transfer | 2 years | 8 July 2019 |
| 8 | MF | Javier Cabrera | Unattached | Free transfer | 2 years | 9 July 2019 |
| 20 | FW | Adrián Luna | Unattached | Free transfer | 2 years | 19 July 2019 |
| 1 | GK | Tom Glover | Unattached | Free transfer | 2 years | 6 August 2019 |
| 36 | DF | Kerrin Stokes | Croydon Kings | Scholarship | 2 years | 9 September 2019 |
| 46 | GK | Joe Gauci | Adelaide City | Scholarship | 1 year | 9 September 2019 |
| 59 | MF | Bernardo Oliveira | FFSA NTC | Scholarship | 1 year | 7 November 2019 |
| 14 | FW | Markel Susaeta | Unattached | Free transfer | 0.5 year | 16 January 2020 |
| 5 | DF | Jack Hendry | Celtic | Loan | 0.5 year | 22 January 2020 |

### Transfers out

| No. | Position | Player | Transferred to | Type/fee | Date |
| 36 | DF | Dylan Pierias | Western United | Free transfer | 20 March 2019 |
| 38 | MF | Joshua Cavallo | Western United | Free transfer | 15 April 2019 |
| 2 | DF | Ritchie De Laet | Aston Villa | Loan return | 8 May 2019 |
| 8 | MF | Riley McGree | Club Brugge | Loan return | 8 May 2019 |
| 9 | FW | Shayon Harrison | Tottenham Hotspur | Loan return | 8 May 2019 |
| 18 | GK | Eugene Galekovic | Retired | Retired | 8 May 2019 |
| 42 | GK | James Delianov | Western United | Free transfer | 9 May 2019 |
| 25 | DF | Iacopo La Rocca | Unattached | End of contract | 9 May 2019 |
| 10 | MF | Dario Vidošić | Unattached | End of contract | 3 June 2019 |
| 26 | MF | Luke Brattan | Manchester City | Loan return | 30 June 2019 |
| 5 | DF | Bart Schenkeveld | Unattached | End of contract | 2 July 2019 |
| 15 | MF | Kearyn Baccus | Kaizer Chiefs | Undisclosed | 2 July 2019 |
| 1 | GK | Mark Birighitti | Central Coast Mariners | Free transfer | 30 July 2019 |
| 8 | MF | Javier Cabrera | Unattached | Mutual contract termination | 12 January 2020 |
| 14 | FW | Markel Susaeta | Unattached | End of contract | 14 July 2020 |
| 23 | GK | Dean Bouzanis | Unattached | Mutual contract termination | 25 July 2020 |
| 5 | DF | Jack Hendry | Celtic | End of loan | 14 July 2020 |

### From youth squad

| N | Pos. | Name | Age | Notes |
| 35 | MF | Raphael Rodrigues | 16 | 3 year scholarship contract |
| 38 | FW | Yaya Dukuly | 16 | 2 year scholarship contract |
| 49 | FW | Stefan Colakovski | 19 | 1 year scholarship contract |
| 51 | MF | Idrus Abdulahi | 15 | 2 year scholarship contract |

### Contract extensions

| No. | Name | Position | Duration | Date |
| 22 | Curtis Good | Centre-back | 2 years | 8 July 2019 |
| 30 | Moudi Najjar | Centre-forward | 3 years | 11 September 2019 |
| 34 | Connor Metcalfe | Midfielder | 3 years | 11 September 2019 |
| 21 | Ramy Najjarine | Attacking midfielder | 3 years | 17 October 2019 |
| 49 | Stefan Colakovski | Forward | 2 years | 28 January 2020 |

## Technical staff

| Position | Name |
| Head Coach | Erick Mombaerts |
| Technical Director | Alain Fiard |
| Senior Assistant Coach | Patrick Kisnorbo |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Neil Young |
| Head of Human Performance | Andrew McKenzie |
| Performance Analysis Manager | Donna Rice |
| Football Logistics Manager | Josh Bondin |

## Kits

Supplier: Puma / Sponsor: Etihad Airways / Sleeve sponsor: McDonald's
| Home | Away | Third | Goalkeeper$^1$ | Goalkeeper$^2$ | Goalkeeper$^3$ |

## Pre-season and friendlies

Win  Draw  Loss

## Competitions
### Overall record

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| A-League | 12 October 2019 | 19 August 2020 | Matchday 1 | 2nd | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 49 | 37 | +12 | 053.85 |
| A-League Finals | 26 August 2020 | 30 August 2020 | Semi-finals | Runners-up | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 050.00 |
| FFA Cup | 31 July 2019 | 23 October 2019 | Round of 32 | Runners-up | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 080.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 33 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 64 | 45 | +19 | 057.58 |
Source: Soccerway

### A-League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sydney FC (C) | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 49 | 25 | +24 | 53 | Qualification for 2021 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 2 | Melbourne City | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 49 | 37 | +12 | 47 | Qualification for 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and Finals series |
| 3 | Wellington Phoenix | 26 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 41 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 4 | Brisbane Roar | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 29 | 28 | +1 | 40 | Qualification for 2021 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and Finals series |
| 5 | Western United | 26 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 46 | 37 | +9 | 39 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 6 | Perth Glory | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 43 | 36 | +7 | 37 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 7 | Adelaide United | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 36 | |
| 8 | Newcastle Jets | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 32 | 40 | −8 | 34 | |
| 9 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 35 | 40 | −5 | 33 | |
| 10 | Melbourne Victory | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 33 | 44 | −11 | 23 | |
| 11 | Central Coast Mariners | 26 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 26 | 55 | −29 | 18 | |
* 1 2 3 All Australian teams withdrew from the 2021 AFC Champions League on 4 June 2021.
* 1 2 3 4 5 The top two teams enter the Finals series at the semi-finals, while the teams ranked third to sixth enter the Finals series at the elimination-finals.
* ↑ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: ultimatealeague.com

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 25 | 27 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | B | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | B | H | A | H | B | A | A | N | N | N |
| Result | D | W | W | W | W | L | W | B | L | W | L | L | W | D | W | D | L | W | L | B | W | W | D | B | W | L | W | D | W |
| Position | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Points | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 33 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 43 | 44 | 47 |

#### Finals series
### FFA Cup

As an A-League team, Melbourne City automatically qualified through to the Round of 32 as one of the ten A-League clubs competing in the competition. In the opening round they took on South Australian side Campbelltown City who won the previous years National Premier Leagues title.

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

Includes all competitions. Players with no appearances not included in the list.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | A-League | A-League | A-League | A-League | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Regular season | Regular season | Finals series | Finals series | | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | | Tom Glover | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | | Scott Galloway | 12+8 | 1 | 0+2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 2 |
| 3 | DF | | Scott Jamieson | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | | Harrison Delbridge | 18+4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| 6 | MF | | Joshua Brillante | 25+1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | | Rostyn Griffiths | 15+4 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | | Jamie Maclaren | 23 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 29 |
| 10 | MF | | Florin Berenguer | 13+2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
| 11 | FW | | Craig Noone | 24+1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 9 |
| 13 | DF | | Nathaniel Atkinson | 13+8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
| 17 | MF | | Denis Genreau | 4+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | | Lachlan Wales | 12+13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | | Adrián Luna | 18+5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2+3 | 0 | 30 | 5 |
| 21 | FW | | Ramy Najjarine | 2+6 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | | Curtis Good | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 30 | MF | | Moudi Najjar | 2+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 34 | MF | | Connor Metcalfe | 9+7 | 2 | 0+2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| 35 | FW | | Raphael Borges Rodrigues | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 39 | MF | | Idrus Abdulahi | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | DF | | Richard Windbichler | 5+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 49 | FW | | Stefan Colakovski | 1+5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Player(s) transferred out but featured this season ||||||||||||
| 5 | DF | | Jack Hendry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | | Javier Cabrera | 7+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2+2 | 1 | 13 | 2 |
| 14 | FW | | Markel Susaeta | 9+1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 23 | GK | | Dean Bouzanis | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |

### Disciplinary record

Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total cards are equal. Players with no cards not included in the list.
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | A-League | A-League | A-League | A-League | A-League | A-League | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Finals series | Finals series | Finals series | | | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | FFA Cup | Total | Total | Total |
| 1 | 4 | DF | | Harrison Delbridge | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 11 | FW | | Craig Noone | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | DF | | Scott Jamieson | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | 20 | MF | | Adrián Luna | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 6 | MF | | Joshua Brillante | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 7 | MF | | Rostyn Griffiths | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 13 | DF | | Nathaniel Atkinson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | DF | | Scott Galloway | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 10 | MF | | Florin Berenguer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 17 | MF | | Denis Genreau | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 40 | DF | | Richard Windbichler | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | DF | | Curtis Good | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 19 | FW | | Lachlan Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 23 | GK | | Dean Bouzanis | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 34 | MF | | Connor Metcalfe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | 1 | GK | | Tom Glover | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | 8 | FW | | Javier Cabrera | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | 9 | FW | | Jamie Maclaren | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | 30 | MF | | Moudi Najjar | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 59 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 1 | 2 |

### Clean sheets

Includes all competitions. The list is sorted by squad number when total clean sheets are equal. Numbers in parentheses represent games where both goalkeepers participated and both kept a clean sheet; the number in parentheses is awarded to the goalkeeper who was substituted on, whilst a full clean sheet is awarded to the goalkeeper who was on the field at the start of play. Goalkeepers with no clean sheets not included in the list.
| Rank | No. | Nat. | Goalkeeper | A-League | A-League | FFA Cup | Total |
| Rank | No. | Nat. | Goalkeeper | Regular season | Finals series | FFA Cup | Total |
| 1 | 1 | | Tom Glover | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 1 | 23 | | Dean Bouzanis | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |