Adelaide United’s remarkable ascent to the Asian Champions League (ACL) final has produced a huge windfall for the Reds and possibly Australian soccer – with all A-League clubs set to share in the prize money.
Under a deal struck prior to A-League clubs taking part in the ACL, Adelaide will receive 75 per cent of the $A1.34 million the Reds are guaranteed for making the ACL final and earning a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup in December.
But the other seven clubs will share in 20 per cent of the Reds’ winnings – their cut at this stage totalling $268,000 – and set to rise substantially should Adelaide perform well in the Club World Cup in Japan.
That tournament, in which European champions Manchester United will also take part, offers $US5 million ($A7.42 million) to the winner.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) also takes a five per cent cut of the Reds’ prize money.
FFA chief executive Ben Buckley praised Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar, who has masterminded the club defying a difficult schedule of A-League and ACL matches to get this far.
“This is one of the most significant achievements to date for an Australian club team,” Buckley said.
“Adelaide United are leading the way in the A-League and all of us are delighted with Aurelio Vidmar, his players and all the people behind the scenes at the club.
“Getting to the final of the AFC Champions League is fantastic achievement for Adelaide, it’s a great boost for football in Australia, and it’s good for Australia as a nation to be competing at this level.”
Vidmar has also boosted his stocks as a coach with his side’s performance.
As a player, Vidmar spent nearly a decade playing successfully in Belgium, Holland and Japan.
Foreign clubs would surely have noted his excellent performances with a club operating on a fraction of the budget of his ACL rivals.
United is also locked into playing its home leg of the ACL final at the 17,000-capacity Hindmarsh Stadium, despite briefly flirting with the prospect of moving it to the bigger Adelaide Oval or AAMI Stadium to allow more fans to attend.
Asian Football Confederation regulations state clubs must play all home ACL matches in the same stadium for the duration of the competition, ensuring Hindmarsh was the only realistic option.
Adelaide play Japanese powerhouse Gamba Osaka in the two-legged final – first in Osaka on November 5 and then at home on November 12.
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