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After Australian football was dragged out to play on a sub-par cricket pitch on Friday night, the A-League’s current flagship club, the Western Sydney Wanderers, were slumping to their sixth defeat of the domestic season just 24 hours later.
And similar to the power outages that further diminished the credibility of playing matches at North Sydney Oval, light was also fading fast on the Wanderers’ only bright spark remaining in 2014 – the FIFA Club World Cup.
With the Wanderers rooted to the bottom of the A-League, the competition was meant to be a welcome distraction for everyone involved in the club.
It was also supposed to be a chance to showcase to the rest of the world the growth football has experienced in Australia.
Yet a bitter and messy pay dispute, which currently shows no signs of abating, has cast a heavy shadow over the excitement of playing against the world’s best.
Wanderers players, with the support of the PFA, have threatened to boycott the Club World Cup over the paltry percentage of prize winnings they have been offered to compete in the tournament.
While they received 50 per cent of the $1.8 million prize money awarded for winning the Asian Champions League, club management have refused to budge from their offer of just 10 per cent for the Club World Cup earnings.
It’s hard to know what to make of the quarrel, just days out from the clash with Cruz Azul. There is no doubt the Wanderers will take the field, the stakes are too high, but their decision to consider a boycott could easily be seen as highly unprofessional and an example of player greed.
The only problem is that they’ve been shunted into a corner, forcing them to act in desperation, and this is more about respect than about greed.
PFA chief executive Adam Vivian has claimed that Wanderers management have “consistently refused to negotiate in good faith” with the playing staff.
“The players have made every attempt to reach an agreement on a fair and equitable share of the prize money,” he said.
The club itself has attempted to slyly deflect criticism onto the players. Chief executive John Tsatsimas suggested that the prize money would be pumped “into a raft of exciting club projects” such as training facilities and community programs.
At the forefront of those intentions is the proposed $18 million development for a centre of excellence at Blacktown, which would truly be a landmark moment for the Wanderers and western Sydney. Yet plans for the development were well underway before the ACL success, and presumably funding initiatives were already in place. Blacktown going ahead was never dependent on prize money from the Club World Cup.
Tsatsimas has described the club’s offer as “generous” and claimed it adheres to agreements set in place during the ACL campaign.
It makes the players look like the bad guys, stealing vital funds from the club and preventing them from sustained growth. But they are simply standing up for their own rights, and should be supported in their quest to gain what they consider just reward for their exploits.
Unfortunately, there is no collective bargaining agreement in place for the Club World Cup and FIFA lets clubs choose how to reward their players on a case-by-case basis.
Wanderers management are within their rights to hold onto the money, but it shows a disgusting lack of recognition and goodwill.
Looking into Adelaide United’s 2008 foray into the Club World Cup, where they finished fifth, their players received a 50 per cent share of winnings, setting a precedent.
If we look at international level, the 23 German players responsible for winning the 2014 World Cup received €300,000 each, representing about 25 per cent of total prize pool.
Of course, Australian clubs are still at a stage where breaking even is a struggle, let alone posting a profit, so it’s a problematic situation. Does the club deserve the lion’s share just because they’re not wealthy?
Similarly, the playing staff’s earning capacity in the A-League is hindered due to the salary cap. They deserve to expect a significant contribution from outside competitions, especially when prize money depends solely on on-field performances.
The club has the chance to raise funds outside the prize money, from sponsors, increased exposure and merchandise sales.
Western Sydney won the ACL largely without the talents of Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi, two players who could have been secured with adequate investment.
The remaining players performed against the odds, and their exploits in the ACL shouldn’t be downplayed. They got the club into the competition, and without them there would be no prize money.
Whatever side you’re on, there’s no doubt this is highly embarrassing for Australian football. Just how the rest of the football world will be looking down on the debacle is painful to even think about.
There are no winners in this dispute whatsoever, and the debacle should have been cleared up weeks ago, even months ago, when the ACL final was still just a dream.
There are no excuses for a lack of planning and foresight, and that criticism is aimed at all stakeholders in the pay dispute.
What should have been an amicable and professional conversation has descended into chaos and unnecessary negative media.
The PFA’s accusations that Wanderers management failed to enter negotiations, as well as a lack of denial from the club, should take the blame away from the players.
The performances of the team domestically have been uninspiring at best. How much of that is down to disenchantment with club management over the dispute?
It’s a further blight on the Wanderers’ season, which has struggled since that famous victory in Riyadh. Prior to the start of the A-League campaign, the biggest question on everyone’s lips was how long Tony Popovic could be convinced to stick around.
Now, without a win in nine A-League matches, and a player revolt on the cards, the fairytale is hurtling towards a nightmare turn.
Following the ongoing clash between fans and owners at Central Coast Mariners, the players versus club scenario at the Wanderers is threatening to tarnish Australian football’s credibility. The damage has been done, now it’s about clamping down on the wound. Hopefully Tsatsimas and company see the light.
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