From Stuttgart to Serbia and international football: Preston Lions make major double move

Preston Lions have made a major double move ahead of the Australian Championship, signing NPL NNSW standout Marco Gueli and South Sudan international Kur Kur.

Gueli arrives at Genis Steel Stadium following an eye-catching 2026 campaign with Belmont Swansea United, where he emerged as one of the standout players in NPL Northern NSW.

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The German-born attacker has featured extensively on HIGHPRESS throughout the season, producing a string of memorable moments, including an extraordinary goal scored just eight seconds into a match.

His journey to Preston, however, stretches well beyond his exploits in Newcastle.

Gueli entered the Stuttgart academy at eight and spent six years with the Bundesliga club before later playing in Germany's Youth Bundesliga. He then headed to the United States for four years of college football before eventually making the move to Australia.

Now his rise through the Australian state leagues has taken him to NPL VIC giants Preston ahead of the club's Australian Championship campaign.

And he won't be arriving alone after Preston also secured Kur Kur, adding a South Sudan international with experience in the A-League, Europe and several of Australia's leading NPL competitions.

Kur enjoyed a prolific spell with Adelaide City across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, scoring 16 goals from 32 league appearances.

That form earned him an opportunity in Europe with Serbian club FK Novi Pazar before he returned to Australia and joined Brisbane Roar in 2023.

The 25-year-old has since featured in NPL Victoria with Avondale and Green Gully, while also representing South Sudan at international level.

Together, the two arrivals add another layer of intrigue to Preston's return to the national stage.

Preston begin their Australian Championship campaign against Wollongong Wolves at Genis Steel Stadium on October 15.