Schwarzer: The development of the Australian Super League has not met people s expectations and joining Chelsea is a dream moment

The 53-year-old former Australian national goalkeeper Schwarzer outlined how the A-League can get out of its current predicament and explained why his Chelsea career is one he will never forget.

In an interview with the "Daily Mail", Schwarzer admitted that the Australian Super League "did not meet people's expectations." However, he stressed that the A-League remains an integral part of Australian football.

"In my opinion, the goal of the A-League should be to catch up with other leagues in Asia, such as the J-League in Japan, where the standard is impressive. I think it is pointless to compare the A-League with the top leagues in Europe."

"The A-League is for Australia It is very important that local players in Asia provide a path to the European League and the Australian national team. We must not lose the A-League."

The A-League has been established for 20 years, but in recent years its influence has dropped sharply, it has faced difficulties, and it has gradually been forgotten. Although stars such as Del Piero, Dwight and Robbie Fowler joined the A-League and quickly became popular due to their respective football backgrounds, A-League attendance has dropped sharply in recent years.

The disbandment of Western United is another blow to the troubled A-League, and this incident occurred a week before the opening of the 2025-26 A-League season.

Schwarzer believes that the Australian Super League’s offseason from May to October is the longest league offseason in world football, which is unreasonable. He suggested that the Australian Super League competition should start in August. Although this will conflict with other rugby competitions, the 53-year-old veteran emphasized that football needs to have its own identity in Australia.

Schwarzer also recalled why he chose to join Chelsea in 2013. "I was playing for Fulham at the time and when a club like Chelsea contacted me, I had only one answer."

"Mourinho called me and asked me if I was interested in joining the Blues. It was a dream moment, especially considering that I was at the end of my career."

"While at Chelsea, I achieved the goal of playing in the Champions League. It’s a dream. It’s an incredible feeling to train with players like Terry, Lampard and Drogba. They always fight to win and the culture in the team is amazing.”

“I moved to Leicester City in 2015 and I had the best seat in the game as Schmeichel’s backup goalkeeper. Our first goal was to get 40 points. The points that are usually needed to avoid relegation."

"I think the key was the sense of freedom we played with, no pressure, no one really thought we were going to win the Premier League. For me, Leicester winning the title was the biggest fairy tale ever in world football."

"I will also be celebrating an anniversary that I will never forget. —November 16, 2005. That night I saved two of Uruguay's penalty kicks to help Australia qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1974. I will always cherish those memories, the atmosphere that night was so emotional."Mini-game recommendations:Zap knife: Knife Hit to target