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Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar has pleaded for the postponement of some A-League fixtures so his club can fully focus on their historic Asian Champions League campaign.
Adelaide became the first Australian side to progress into the semi-finals of the lucrative competition which pits the best Asian clubs against each other.
The Reds eclipsed Japanese champions Kashima Antlers, who boasted Brazilian import Marquinhos – himself paid almost as much as Adelaide’s entire 23-man squad.
Adelaide’s 1-0 home victory sealed a quarter-final triumph against Japan’s most decorated club, whose $25 million annual player budget dwarfs United’s $1.9m salary cap.
“When you look at those comparisons, the achievement that we have done is just amazing,” Vidmar said yesterday.
Vidmar appealed to Football Federation Australia to postpone some of Adelaide’s domestic A-League matches so his club could properly chase the ACL’s $1.6m winner’s cheque.
Adelaide host Uzbekistan outfit Bunyodkor, featuring Brazilian legend Rivaldo, in an ACL semi-final on October 8, before the return away leg in Tashkent on October 22.
Adelaide have three A-League games scheduled around that time – on October 3, October 17 and October 26.
“Certainly there is going to be a big look at postponing those games or some games if we can,” Vidmar said.
“It’s going to be a pretty hard ask going to Tashkent.
“Whenever the situation rises that we can have a big gap in between games, that would be the best option for us.”
FFA chief executive officer Ben Buckley said the organisation would consider options put forward by Adelaide and consult with other relevant stakeholders.
“We indicated earlier in the week that we would consider any request from Adelaide to the extent possible,” Buckley said in a statement.
Vidmar said his players would not have time to soak in the magnitude of their achievement last night before a capacity crowd of 16,965 – a record for Hindmarsh Stadium.
Despite some fans being turned away at the gates, Vidmar wants the semi-final to remain at Hindmarsh rather than be transferred to a larger arena.
“We have got a little fortress happening here at Hindmarsh … we have got to stay at Hindmarsh,” he said.
Rivaldo scored as Bunyodkor trounced Iran’s Saipa 5-1 last night, with their Chilean striker Jose Luis Villanueva notching a hat-trick.
The other ACL semi-final will be contested by Japanese clubs – reigning champions Urawa Reds against Gamba Osaka.
Urawa overturned a 3-2 first leg deficit against Kuwait’s Al Qadsia to march into the last four courtesy of a 2-0 home triumph.
Gamba booked their berth with a 2-0 win over Syria’s Al Karama which gave them a 4-1 aggregate victory.
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