1. Overview
Eugen Josip Galeković (Eugen Josip Galekovićêuːdʒin jǒsip ɡalêːkoːʋitɕCroatian; born 12 June 1981) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Standing 74 in (188 cm) tall, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest A-League goalkeepers of all time, particularly for his extensive tenure and achievements with Adelaide United. Having played over 250 games in the A-League, with 238 of those for Adelaide United, he became a prominent figure in Australian football. Galeković also represented the Australian national team at various levels, including the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup. After retiring from playing, he transitioned into coaching and currently serves as the goalkeeping coach for Adelaide United.
2. Early Career and Background
Eugen Galeković's foundational years in football began with his junior development in Melbourne, leading to his initial professional steps in Australian leagues.
2.1. Junior and Early Football Activities
Galeković's junior football was primarily played at Chelsea Hajduk in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. He also participated in school football for St Bede's College. His youth club career included stints at Dandenong City SC from 1993 to 1997 and Bulleen, Victoria, from 1997 to 1998.
2.2. Professional Debut and Early Career
Galeković commenced his professional football journey as a 19-year-old in December 2000, joining the National Soccer League (NSL) side Gippsland Falcons, also known as Eastern Pride, which was based in Morwell, Victoria. Following this initial professional step, he signed with the prominent Australian club South Melbourne FC the subsequent season.
3. Club Career
Eugen Galeković's club career spanned several prominent Australian clubs and a brief period in Portugal, where he established himself as one of the A-League's most consistent and decorated goalkeepers.
3.1. Eastern Pride
Galeković's tenure with Eastern Pride (formerly Gippsland Falcons) in the National Soccer League saw him make 11 appearances, securing one clean sheet during his time with the club.
3.2. South Melbourne FC
After joining South Melbourne FC, Galeković initially served as the second-choice goalkeeper, playing behind Dean Anastasiadis. He made his debut in 2002 against rivals Melbourne Knights at Lakeside Stadium. Following a series of impressive performances, he secured his position as South Melbourne's primary goalkeeper for the 2002 season, ahead of Michael Theo. During his time at the club, Galeković made 37 appearances and recorded 17 clean sheets. His strong performances also led to his first selection for the Olyroos. He remained with South Melbourne until the closure of the National Soccer League in the 2003-04 season. His final national league game for South Melbourne in 2004 was an elimination final against Adelaide United, which South Melbourne lost 2-1 by golden goal. His role as Australia's number one goalkeeper for the 2004 Athens Olympic football campaign helped him secure a move to S.C. Beira-Mar in Portugal.
3.3. S.C. Beira-Mar
Galeković's brief period with S.C. Beira-Mar in Portugal proved largely unsuccessful, as he saw limited first-team opportunities, making only two appearances. During this time, he also had a loan spell at FC Marco in the 2004-05 season, where he played in six matches.
3.4. Melbourne Victory
Returning to Melbourne, Galeković signed for Melbourne Victory for the inaugural A-League season in 2005-06, making his debut in the opening match against Sydney FC. During this season, he played 11 matches, as then-manager Ernie Merrick employed an unusual goalkeeper rotation policy, with teammate Michael Theoklitos featuring in the other 10 matches. For the 2006-07 season, Galeković was the second-choice goalkeeper, but an injury to Theoklitos provided him with his first start of the season in a Round 13 clash against Queensland Roar at Suncorp Stadium. Across his time at Melbourne Victory, he made 15 league appearances with 5 clean sheets, and 7 cup appearances with 2 clean sheets, totaling 22 appearances with 7 clean sheets.
3.5. Adelaide United
On 30 October 2007, Galeković joined Adelaide United as a replacement for the injured goalkeeper Daniel Beltrame. He made his debut against Queensland Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium. His first clean sheet for Adelaide came on 20 January 2008 in a 2-0 victory over Brisbane at Hindmarsh Stadium. By 27 December 2008, he had recorded his fifth clean sheet of the league season, making a series of impressive saves to secure Adelaide's 1-0 advantage over Perth Glory.
In February 2010, Galeković was recognized for his outstanding performances by winning the Adelaide United Player of the Year Award. His leadership qualities were further acknowledged in the middle of the 2011-12 A-League season when he was appointed club captain, succeeding Jon McKain. Galeković reached a significant milestone on 11 March 2016, making his 250th appearance for the club, despite a 1-0 defeat to Melbourne City FC. His extensive and highly successful period at Adelaide United saw him make 238 league appearances, keeping 67 clean sheets. Including cup and international matches, he amassed 280 appearances with 87 clean sheets for the club, solidifying his status as one of Adelaide United's greatest players.
3.6. Melbourne City FC
On 16 June 2017, Galeković signed a two-year deal with Melbourne City FC. He played 35 league games for the club before announcing his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2018-19 season in May 2019. During his time at Melbourne City, he made 18 league appearances with 7 clean sheets, and 4 cup appearances with 2 clean sheets, totaling 22 appearances with 9 clean sheets.
4. International Career
Eugen Galeković represented Australia at various levels, including the Olympic team and the senior national team, participating in major international tournaments.
4.1. Youth and Olympic Teams
Galeković earned his first selection for the Olyroos during his time at South Melbourne. He was a key member of Australia's youth squads, making 4 appearances for the U-23 team between 2003 and 2004. He notably held the position of number one goalkeeper for Australia's football campaign at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
4.2. Senior National Team
Galeković received his first call-up to the Australian national team's preliminary squad following impressive performances in the A-League and AFC Champions League. He made his senior international debut for Australia on 28 January 2009 in an AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against Indonesia. He was part of the squad that conceded a 2-0 advantage against Kuwait, letting in two goals.
He was initially not included in Australia's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was later called in as a replacement for Brad Jones, who withdrew to attend to his son's leukaemia. In July 2013, Galeković was selected by coach Holger Osieck for the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup qualifying tournament. He started the first match against hosts Hong Kong, where he made crucial saves to help Australia secure a 1-0 victory. He also featured in Australia's dominant 9-0 win over Guam in the same tournament, and started in matches against South Korea and Japan. Following a string of strong performances for Adelaide United, Osieck again selected Galeković for the decisive 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Oman. He was part of Australia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup but did not make an appearance. He was also part of the Australian squad that won the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Overall, he made 8 international A-match appearances for Australia between 2009 and 2013.
5. Career Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive breakdown of Eugen Galeković's club career statistics. The 'League' column includes A-League final series statistics, while the 'International' column encompasses FIFA Club World Cup statistics and AFC Champions League statistics, with the latter included in the season commencing after the group stages.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | International | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | Apps | CS | ||
| Eastern Pride | 2000-01 | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 1 |
| Total | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 1 | |
| South Melbourne | 2001-02 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 |
| 2002-03 | 15 | 7 | - | - | - | - | 15 | 7 | |
| 2003-04 | 22 | 10 | - | - | - | - | 22 | 10 | |
| Total | 37 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 37 | 17 | |
| Beira-Mar | 2004-05 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | |
| Melbourne Victory | 2005-06 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 13 | 5 |
| 2006-07 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 8 | 2 | |
| 2007-08 | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 5 | 7 | 2 | - | - | 22 | 7 | |
| Adelaide United | 2007-08 | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 1 |
| 2008-09 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 39 | 19 | |
| 2009-10 | 27 | 6 | - | - | 7 | 3 | 34 | 9 | |
| 2010-11 | 29 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 29 | 9 | |
| 2011-12 | 25 | 3 | - | - | 10 | 6 | 35 | 9 | |
| 2012-13 | 25 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 25 | 8 | |
| 2013-14 | 28 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 28 | 8 | |
| 2014-15 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 29 | 9 | |
| 2015-16 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 12 | |
| 2016-17 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | |
| Total | 238 | 67 | 10 | 4 | 32 | 16 | 280 | 87 | |
| Melbourne City | 2017-18 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |
| Total | 18 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 9 | |
| Career Total | 321 | 97 | 21 | 8 | 32 | 16 | 374 | 121 | |
6. Honours and Achievements
Eugen Galeković's career was marked by numerous team and individual accolades, recognizing his significant contributions as a goalkeeper in Australian football.
6.1. Club Honours
- Melbourne Victory
- A-League Championship: 2006-07
- A-League Premiership: 2006-07
- Adelaide United
- FFA Cup: 2014
- A-League Premiership: 2015-16
- A-League Championship: 2015-16
6.2. National Team Honours
- Australia
- AFC Asian Cup: 2015
6.3. Individual Honours and Records
- A-League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15
- Adelaide United Club Champion: 2008-09, 2009-10
- Adelaide United Player's Player of the Year: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12
- A-League PFA Team of the Season: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15
- A-League All Stars: 2014
- PFA A-League Team of the Decade: 2005-15
- Individual Records
- Most Goalkeeper of the Year Awards: 4
7. Post-Retirement Activities
Following the conclusion of his playing career, Galeković transitioned into coaching. In 2019, specifically on 29 May, he returned to Adelaide United to take on the role of the club's Goalkeeping Coach.
8. Evaluation and Influence
Eugen Galeković is widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest goalkeepers in the history of the A-League. His consistent performances, leadership, and numerous accolades, particularly during his extensive tenure with Adelaide United, cemented his legacy as a prominent figure in Australian football. He is also considered one of Adelaide United's all-time greatest players, having set high standards for goalkeeping in the league.