Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Competing in the country's premier men's competition, the A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL), Victory entered the competition in the inaugural season as the only Victorian-based club in the newly revamped domestic Australian league.
Inaugural captain Kevin Muscat in 2007 with the A-League championship trophy, who would lead Melbourne to success as a captain and later manager.
Melbourne celebrating their first championship victory in the 2007 final.
Anthony Di Pietro alongside Kevin Muscat at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in October 2013
Melbourne Victory supporters protest against the Australian Professional Leagues' A-League Grand Final hosting rights decision during the 40th Melbourne Derby
A-League Men is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competition for the sport. A-League Men was established in 2004 as the A-League by the Football Federation Australia (FFA) as a successor to the National Soccer League (NSL) and competition commenced in August 2005. The league is currently administered by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), contested by twelve teams; eleven based in Australia and one based in New Zealand. The men's, women's and youth leagues have now been brought together under a unified A-Leagues banner.
Melbourne Victory celebrating after their 2007 A-League Grand Final victory.
Adelaide United against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the AFC Champions League in 2010.
Alessandro Del Piero joined the league in 2012, as Sydney FC's marquee player.
Jamie Maclaren is the leading A-League goalscorer, scoring 151 goals with three clubs.