KEY POINTS:
Auckland City will have a United Nations look about their team when they run out for their first game of the new season.
The Kiwitea St-based club yesterday revealed their latest signing, Spaniard Javier Roca Mateo who will play simply as Xavi Roca.
The 34-year-old, who began his
playing days as a youngster at Barcelona, arrived in Auckland with his wife last weekend and will train under coach Colin Tuaa this week as the club prepare for their first game - a clash with regular rivals Waitakere United on November 1.
With South Africans Grant Young and Keryn Jordan long-established at the club and with others including Salesh Kumar (Fiji), George Suri (Solomon Islands), Matt Friel (US) and Ki-Hyung Lee (Korea) all expected to be in Tuaa's final squad, there will be a real multinational look to the team.
Tuaa has high hopes for Roca, who comes to the club to join long-time friend Ramon Tribulietx, who will join goalkeeper coach Nick Nikolic as Tuaa's assistant in the new season.
"Ramon played a part in getting Roca here," said Tuaa yesterday. "They were friends when they were kids in Barcelona. Ramon has played a few times for Central and at Onehunga Sports so he knows the game here."
Tuaa has yet to decide in what position Roca will start.
"I'm not 100 per cent sure where we will play him," said Tuaa. "I know he is a natural right back and we could possibly play him there or maybe further forward where I'm sure he would be quite effective."
With Ivan Vicelich already confirmed as their new captain in what many see as a straight swap for Ben Sigmund, who is now with the Wellington Phoenix, City's defence is quickly shaping as a formidable unit. But they could be without All White James Pritchett in the early part of the season as he recovers from a facial injury.
After joining Barcelona as a 12-year-old, Roca spent 11 years at the famous club.
He played four times for their first team but, unable to claim a regular spot, he moved on in 1999, playing for Villarreal and Espanyol in the Primera League until 2003.
For the past five seasons he has played in the Spanish second and third divisions but, with an eye to a coaching future, has decided to move on.
"I have plenty of things motivating me in this new footballing venture," he said. "Economic factors are certainly not one of them. The opportunity to play in a Champions League [the O League] and also the Mundialito of Clubs [Fifa's Club World Cup] along with the New Zealand Football Championship are my main footballing goals.
"Just as importantly, I am excited to learn about another culture, improve my English - which is not so good - and learn about a different style of football."
Roca will not have to wait long to taste local football.
After the O-League clash with defending champions Waitakere at Kiwitea St on November 1, he will be back at the same ground on November 9 for the first-round NZFC clash with Otago United.
City and Waitakere meet midweek on November 26, also at Kiwitea St, in their first NZFC clash of the season.