FFA has no problem with Aloisi loophole

 

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By Guy Hand, 23 Oct 2007 Guy Hand is a Roar Pro

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Football Federation Australia has hailed Central Coast Mariners’ signing of Socceroo John Aloisi as a great result for club and country, despite his sizeable pay packet controversially remaining outside the A-League salary cap.

The Mariners pulled off a huge recruiting coup by beating off several clubs to sign Aloisi as a replacement for injured midfielder Matthew Osman until the end of the season.

Central Coast’s transfer trickery also extended to finding a loophole in the rules which allowed them to bring in and pay for a player of Aloisi’s quality.

Because the 31-year-old striker is an injury replacement player, his lucrative contract – worth a reported $500,000 and believed to be bankrolled by multi-millionaire businessman John Singleton – is not included in the club’s salary cap.

The top-of-the-table Mariners now virtually have two marquee players for the price of one.

Aloisi’s signing teams him up with former Socceroo teammate and current Mariners marquee player Tony Vidmar.

FFA head of operations Rob Abernethy said Aloisi’s signing was not an exploitation of the rules, rather an “anomaly” which had resulted in a win-win situation for all involved including the Socceroos.

“This is probably the highest profile player coming in through that system, so this is rather an anomaly in regards to the use of that particular rule,” Abernethy said.

“Probably more like 99 times out of 100 it’s not (a player of Aloisi’s quality) who gets signed under the replacement player rules.

“We just think it’s wonderful for the A-League someone like John is going to be available and he brings a wonderful profile to the league.

“It’s allowed one of our highest profile Socceroos to return to the domestic competition and perhaps kick-start his career again and get him back into the international spotlight and the eyes of the national team coaching staff.”

Aloisi scored the penalty which sent the Socceroos to the World Cup for the first time in 32 years in the shootout against Uruguay in November, 2005.

But he has been without a club since he finished at Spanish club Alaves four months ago, though he played in Australia’s ill-fated Asian Cup campaign in July.

Aloisi had been linked with Sydney FC and the Queensland Roar prior to the start of the A-League season, but negotiations fell down over wage demands.

After remaining unsigned, he was then linked with Wellington Phoenix and again with Sydney FC recently before the Mariners swooped.

Aloisi’s signing now allows him four months to push for Socceroos selection again ahead of Australia’s World Cup qualifying campaign starting in February next year.

He will join the Mariners for his first training session tomorrow, and will likely make his A-League debut against Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.

© 2007 AAP

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