How Hurstville Zagreb ZFC Became 2025 League Two Men’s Premiers

Hurstville Zagreb FC were crowned 2025 Football NSW League Two Men’s Premiers after their 2-1 home win over Hawkesbury City FC in Round 25, ticking off a goal which had been in place for many years to earn the right to be eligible for promotion into next year’s League One Men’s competition.

Following the club’s huge season, proud Hurstville ZFC captain Paul Gagro was ecstatic with how things unfolded this year following the win against Hawkesbury City FC.

“We knew what that game meant to us all”, Gagro stated to Football NSW.

“There was a huge crowd of about 500 people which was really good for us, all the community was there; there were incredible scenes after the game.”

Hurstville ZFC Head Coach Valerio Silvestro set out a goal for his squad in his first season and that was to fight for promotion which was ultimately achieved.

“The plan was to always fight for promotion.

“We underachieved for a couple of years, we had a good group but could not find that level of consistency. The boys made a lot of sacrifices to be here, they could have been elsewhere but made that sacrifice and this was the end result after all the blood, sweat and tears.”

Speaking on his head coach, Gagro had nothing but praise for Silvestro.

“Valerio bought in straight away, he saw what we wanted to build here, and we needed a leader.”

Silvestro echoed those sentiments.

“I feel like I have been for years, culture is big at this club, obviously the Croatian community, the family, the friends; it meant a lot to everyone.”

Silvestro looked to bring in a positive environment to the dressing sheds and believed that was a key part to their success in 2025.

“They put the badge in front of their surname and I think without good people you cannot achieve anything in life.”

Gagro was proud of the leadership and senior group of players at the club who helped lead them to the title.

“Daniel Kocina has been here for eleven years, Daniel Maras has been here for seven years, my brother Jesse Gagro for eleven years, Samuel Shainfeld, Jacob Botic, Michael Rutherford – you drive that culture and everyone jumps in on it.

“Nikola Todoroski with his leadership, Michael Neill coming from the A-League and being one of the hardest workers at training.

“We cannot wait for our next challenge now.”

By Football NSW League Two Men’s Reporter, Dylan Costa