Melbourne City have recruited plenty of firepower this off-season, with Danish playmaker Emiliano Marcondes chief among their eye-catching new signings. Ahead of the upcoming campaign, Aleagues.com.au reporter James Dodd caught up with the mercurial midfielder….
Curious. Hardworking. Different.
“I’ll probably have more too!” Marcondes smiles when asked to describe himself in three words.
It’s safe to say there’s more to Melbourne City’s new midfielder than what he does on the pitch.
In 2023 he launched the ‘ShirtsForChange’ initiative, a program where fans enter a paid raffle to win match-worn shirts, with all proceeds going to the ‘El Cambio Academy’ in Uganda, a charitable organisation providing everything from school, medical care and football facilities for young children.
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The 31-year-old also puts on freekick tutorials for children around the world and has played an active part in the ‘Right To Dream’ charitable organisation operating out of Ghana.
Then there’s the hair, which is maybe where the curious part of his personality shines through. But more on that in a bit.
Born to a Danish father and a Brazilian mother, Marcondes believes his genetic blend of two very different nationalities can be seen in his play; the traditional modest Danish approach coupled with the Samba soul and flair of a Brazilian.
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“I would probably say I’m more Danish than Brazilian, but it’s definitely an unexplored part of my personality that I still am looking into,” Marcondes says, when sitting down to chat with aleagues.com.au.
“I would probably say on the pitch you can also see that there are some some Brazilian elements, but the tactical side is probably Danish – my positioning and understanding of the game.
“Then the skills and the flair are more from Brazil. I would say the different hairstyles also maybe!”
On the subject of hairstyles, Marcondes has changed his a lot.
A brief browse of his Instagram account showcases more than 10 different looks since he started his pro-career but the Dane has a very simple answer as to why: Football can be too serious.
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Emiliano Marcondes of Brentford
NORWICH, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: Emiliano Marcondes of Norwich City
“I think it’s just a way to be to be creative and try something new,” he said. “I’m lucky to have a lot of hair and it grows fast, so I feel like it’s a kind of a privilege that I have to try while I can!
“But no, I like to be creative with it. I like to explore different looks, and it gives me a good feeling, and it’s also a way of not taking myself too serious, because we’re living in such a disciplined work world where everything has to be right, and we have to be in the same kit and look the same.
“So it’s a way to express some differences and yeah have have some fun and some things we can enjoy as well.”
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The mercurial midfielder is one of a number of high-profile signings made by City this off-season as Aurelio Vidmar’s side look to reclaim the Isuzu UTE A-League Championship they last won back in 2024/25.
Recruited on a one-year deal following his departure from English Championship side Norwich City, Marcondes arrives in Melbourne aged 31 with more than 300 appearances across the Premier League, EFL Championship, Danish Superliga and Scottish Premiership.
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NORWICH, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 08: Emiliano Marcondes of Norwich City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City FC and Derby County FC at Carrow Road
Marcondes admits there were plenty of offers on the table to secure his signature for the 2026/27 season and beyond, but the decision to head Down Under was something he’d been considering for some time.
“It’s an itch I have had for a while I think. When I grew up playing football I always wanted to play in different countries and in warmer countries… more exotic than England!
“But yeah, I’ve been there for such a long time and have great moments and played some some good football. So it’s not because I regret, but at some stage even two years ago before signing with Norwich, I was quite keen to leave the country and try something else.
“The football career is not forever, so I have to do it while I still have the opportunity to do it.
“I had different offers also this summer from other countries and also from England, but I think I’m at a stage now and also as a family to try something new.
“Playing for a club that also is a very exciting opportunity to go and play and express myself as a player and come to a club that really wants you. It’s also important for me.”
BRENTFORD, ENGLAND – JANUARY 04: Emiliano Marcondes of Brentford celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the FA Cup Third Round match between Brentford FC and Stoke City
Marcondes had already made up his mind to try something new, but conversations with several players who knew Australian football helped reinforce his decision.
First there was Socceroos star and former Norwich City teammate Mo Toure, while new teammate Awer Mabil — a man Marcondes shared many fond memories with during their time together at Danish side FC Midtjylland — was also someone he spoke to.
Also on Marcondes’ list of references were a pair of Socceroos he encountered during his time in Scotland, as well as reigning Johnny Warren Medallist and World Cup winner Juan Mata, a man he could be lining up against this coming season.
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 25: Juan Mata of the Victory warms up ahead of the round 26 A-League Men match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory at CommBank Stadium
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 22: Mohamed Toure of Norwich City during the Sky Bet Championship 2026/27 match between Millwall and Norwich City at The Den
“I spoke to a few players that have played here before, also some Danes. Obviously, I played with Mo Toure and Awer Mabil in the past, and some other players as well in Hibs (Hibernian) like Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller,” Marcondes said.
“I spoke to them as well when I was in Norwich with Mo, and yeah actually I had a phone call with a few retired players as well that have played here from Denmark, and Juan Mata as well who I trained with in FC Nordsjælland.
He continued: “They were all positive about the the country and the people here, which is important for me, and then also that the football is developing every year and getting better and better.
“Also with the academies and the young players coming through, which was something that really said something to me about what it is of a country that is developing and wants to push football forward.
“I obviously knew that football is not the first sport but it is still a big focus and I can also already see now from the young players we have here that they are they are very good.”
Their playing time together may have only been brief, but Marcondes and Mabil enjoyed a fruitful spell as teammates whilst playing in Denmark for FC Midtjylland.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 25: Awer Mabil of FC Midtjylland in action during the UEFA Champions League Group D stage match between Ajax Amsterdam and FC Midtjylland at Johan Cruijff Arena
Joining the Danish side on a short-term loan at the beginning of the 2019/20 Superliga season, Marcondes returned to parent club Brentford in January 2020 after starring alongside Mabil in what would ultimately prove to be a title-winning season for the club once the COVID 19 pandemic had eased in Scandinavia.
Melbourne City’s new man is hoping the duo can rekindle their on-field relationship for the upcoming season.
“Yeah, that was also one of the things before I came when I heard he (Mabil) was joining,” Marcondes says as talk turns to the connection he hopes to find with the Socceroos this season.
“It was a big pull as well in wanting to come here because I know his style, how he likes to play, and I had a good connection with him in Midtjylland and we won the championship.
“So I hope we can do the same here and bring some some good play and connection on the pitch.”
Melbourne City kick off their 2026/27 A-Leagues campaign with an away trip to reigning Champions Auckland FC on Saturday, October 17.
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