Melbourne Victory has announced a series of player departures, among which is winger Chris Ikonomidis.
The club has announced six players in total that will leave, including Ikonomidis who has spent the last three seasons in Melbourne.
The Greek Australian star has had varying success with Victory during his tenure, making 75 league appearances and scoring four league goals.
The highlight of his term came in the 2021 Australia Cup Final wherein he scored what proved to be the winning goal deep into injury time.
Advertisement
Ikonomidis will now move on to free agency as he awaits the next phase of his playing career, which has seen him play for Lazio, Salernitana, AGF, Western Sydney Wanderers, Perth Glory and Victory.
Other players leaving the Big V include Jake Brimmer, Stefan Nigro, Eli Adams, Salim Khelifi and Ahmad Taleb.
The club thanked all the departing players for their contributions and wished them the best of luck for their respective futures.
Wingers Marin Jakolis (34 appearances and three goals) and Leo Natel (29 appearances and six goals) will return to their parent clubs in France and Brazil respectively after their season-long loans.
Terry Antonis (28 appearances and five goals) and Jordon Hall (15 appearances) will also both depart City at the end of their respective one-year deals.
Vicente Fernandez (12 appearances), who joined the Club in January following the mid-season loan of Aziz Behich to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr FC, is also set to depart following the conclusion of his short-term contract.
We thank the players for their contributions throughout the season and wish them all the best for the future.
A back-to-back Victory Medalist, 36-year-old Da Silva will leave Australia at the conclusion of his contract.
The Frenchman arrived at the Club in February 2023, making 42 appearances in his two seasons in navy blue and scored five goals, including an iconic stoppage-time double against Western United in the 2023/2024 A-League Men’s season.
Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica thanked Da Silva for his past two seasons in Melbourne.
“Damien arrived at the Club mid-season in 2022/23 and showed a level of consistency and quality that saw him become a leader in the squad immediately,” Didulica said.
“To win back-to-back Victory Medals is an incredible feat and we will be grateful for the legacy of hard work and professionalism Damien drove.”
Chapman will depart to an overseas club for an undisclosed compensation as the defender wraps up his two seasons at Victory with 40 appearances.
“Connor played an important role for the Club over the past two seasons and demonstrated his versatility in a wide range of positions. He made a considerable contribution towards the team’s journey last season which resulted in the Club making the Grand Final,” Didulica concluded.
The Club would like to thank Damien and Connor for their contribution and wish them all the best for the future.