The Central Coast Mariners are extremely pleased to announce that Brazilian forward Marco Tulio has signed a two-year contract extension with the club.
The 25-year-old arrived on the Coast after departing Sporting CP in September 2022, having come through Atletico Mineiro’s academy system in Brazil.
The forward made his league debut against Wellington Phoenix off the bench in the first match of our 2022/23 season, scoring his first goal shortly after against Sydney FC.
From there, Tulio set the competition on fire, becoming one of the most in form players in the A-League and a fan favourite.
The forward was crucial in securing the Mariners the 2022/23 A-League Men’s trophy, scoring four times in the final five matches of the season.
His performance against Adelaide in Round 26 was a particular standout, finding the back of the net twice and narrowly having a third ruled out as the Brazilian helped secure us second place and a position in the AFC Cup.
The forward finished his first campaign with 10 goals and four assists across 29 appearances for the Mariners, securing him a place on the bench of the PFA Team of the Season.
He was also given both the goal of the season and the Players Player awards at the 2023 Mariners Medal dinner.
Central Coast Mariners A-League Men’s Head Coach Nick Montgomery is thrilled to have the forward contracted to the Coast for the next two seasons.
“I am absolutely delighted to be able to extend Marco’s contract on a two-year deal. We had many offers and a lot of interest for Marco but right now he is extremely happy at the Mariners and we are thrilled to be able to reward him for his performances last season with an upgraded contract,” Montgomery said.
“We feel that the extension and upgrade reflects how important he is to us as a club. We are under no illusions that at some point in the future Marco will go on to play in one of the top leagues in the world, but right now he is committed to helping us achieve success this season and is not in a rush to leave the club.”
Tulio is pleased to be able to stay with the Mariners, having loved his first season on the Central Coast.
“I really enjoyed my first season with the Mariners, which finished with us winning the A-League Championship a few months ago,” the Brazilian said.
“I’m excited to be able to extend my time on the Central Coast for another two years and I can’t wait for the new season to start.”
