Brisbane Roar players are set to be delivered their overdue wages in the next 24 hours but the embattled A-League club is not out of the woods yet.
AAP understands there has been a minor breakthrough in the Roar’s financial crisis with some players to be paid as early as Tuesday night, with the rest to be settled by close of business on Wednesday – the first day of Brisbane’s pre-season campaign under new coach John Aloisi.
However, it is not a total resolution to the club’s many and varied woes, with the Roar still in the gun of Football Federation Australia.
The payments do not extend to staff, who were due to be paid their monthly wages along with players on June 15, while FFA’s concerns over whether Brisbane has enough money in the bank to function appropriately have not been alleviated.
The Roar’s enormous debts to other creditors remain outstanding, as are superannuation payments, while FFA will step in if owners The Bakrie Group cannot meet the next due date for wages on July 15.
“FFA is in daily contact with the Roar in relation to the current issues surrounding the club,” said an FFA spokesperson.
“The payment of the players’ salaries is the immediate concern, but the main game is about stabilising the club in the longer-term with a recapitalisation.
“The Roar chairman Chris Fong has spoken candidly about this complex matter and all parties understand the urgency of the situation.
A leaked e-mail to staff last week revealed The Bakrie Group had promised to refinance the club to the tune of $3.5 million.
Fong recently announced he would be stepping down from the chairmanship, and has since been on a search for not only fresh investment, but for a strong, locally-based figurehead to replace him at the helm of the club.
Governance and management failures have dogged the three-time A-League champions and FFA is keen to see new faces on the Roar’s board who can restore the club’s reputation in the Brisbane business community and with suffering fans.
There was outrage among supporters and throughout Queensland’s football fraternity last week when Brisbane forfeited two state league games involving its youth team because it couldn’t afford to pay to travel to Cairns and Townsville.
But the imminent payment of players at least soothes one potential headache – the possibility that some might seek a release to a rival A-League club.
It’s understood several players have put the Roar on notice for a financial breach of contract, which under the terms of the standard player contract gives the club 14 days to remedy the situation until the option of contract termination becomes available.
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