Where are they now? Former A-League Euro stars

Disastrous signings, fan favourites, marquee men: what happened to that prestigious European talent your A-League club once signed? We spotlight five players plus a very popular NPL coach.

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Michael Mifsud (formerly Melbourne Heart, now Birkirkara FC)

One of the most infamous footballers in A-League history, the Maltese legend is still going strong at 37 with domestic outfit Birkirkara FC (fun fact: former Liverpool hero Jon Arne Riise is the club’s sporting director)

Asensio's Screamer Vs FC Barcelona

In one of Real Madrid's most outstanding performances at the Camp Nou, Los Blancos beat FC Barcelona 3-1 in the Spanish Supercup. Real were leading 2-1 after Cristiano Ronaldo's 80th minute goal, but just before the final whistle, we sealed the win with this beautiful Marco Asensio strike.

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The “Maltese Messi” - capped an extraordinary 136 times for his nation with 40 goals - failed to live up to the hype in Heart colours in 2013/14 after arriving with a big reputation as a marquee signing.

He famously scored a brace for Coventry against Manchester United in the League Cup in 2007 - spawning his Messi moniker - but couldn’t find his feet or the net in Australia more than once that season.

Mifsud departed after his one-season contract in the A-League expired and has enjoyed a good few seasons back home in Malta, with Sliema Wanderers and Valletta respectively.

Now, two months shy of his 38th, the Maltese sporting icon is part of the Birkirkara FC squad with a contract until mid-2019.

Melbourne's "Maltese Messi"

Franz Straka (currently Al Ansar, formerly North Queensland Fury)

From Townsville to Beirut: want to travel the world in your 40s, 50s, and 60s? Be a coach like Frantisek “Franz” Straka and you can.

The youthful-looking Czech (he’s 60 now!) with the pearly whites, flashy jacket, and the media-friendly persona took the Townsville job in 2010. After a season he was off on another adventure.

Since then he’s coached Arka Gdynia in Poland, Slavia Prague and FK Pribram back home, Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia, followed by Egyptian clubs Ismaily and Smouha before his current club, who he joined mid last year, Beirut outfit Al Ansar in Lebanon’s top tier.

Clearly a project coach, it’s his 17th head coach coaching appointment in a career that includes one game as manager of the Czech Republic a decade ago.