Joel Griffiths has turned his back on Sydney FC. Picture: Mark Evans Source: The Daily Telegraph
SYDNEY FC's optimism ahead of the new season has been punctured with the exit of Joel Griffiths to take up another lucrative deal in China.
Less than seven months after making his Sky Blue debut, Griffiths will return to the Chinese Super League immediately, after previous successful stints with Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua.
Having already shown signs of a fruitful partnership with marquee star Alessandro Del Piero, Griffiths's departure leaves a major hole in Frank Farina's plans as the club prepares for pre-season tours of Japan and Italy.
“Disappointed is a nice word to use to be honest,” Sydney CEO Tony Pignata told 2MM radio. “Unfortunately he got a really good offer and good luck to the lad. It’s a good deal for him but we’ll just go out and get another striker."
The club recently signed Young Socceroos striker Corey Gameiro but Griffiths's exit leaves the club painfully short of striking experience, beyond Del Piero.
"He said to me, 'Tony, there's no way I can knock an offer like this back at my age.' And we're not going to stand in his way," Pignata added.
"So good luck to Joel and hopefully things work out. If they don't, the door's always open."
