You have to admire the chutzpah of the team behind Tasmania United. Tossing the name of Ethiopian billionaire Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi into the mix has been a PR masterstroke.
That $40,000 the Tasmanian government kicked in to a feasibility study wouldn’t even buy a column inch, but already the football media is abuzz with stories about this mystery investor, touted as the 43rd richest man in the world.
Beyond chutzpah, though, I’ve had some dealings with Tasmania United in a private capacity and have been impressed with their open-mindedness, something that other A-League teams have not been. I cannot say who, but I know for a fact they recently conducted meetings with a well-known foreign coach about bringing him to Tasmania and were serious in their intentions.
Amoudi’s name rang a bell with me and some Google sleuthing later I figured out why. Years ago Al Amoudi sponsored the CECAFA Cup, which pits nations from Central and East Africa together each year. For three years it was known as the Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup and Al-Amoudi put up $2 million of his own money to keep it going.
Al-Amoudi is renowned for his altruism with Ethiopian footballers. He has helped many financially and recently paid for the hospital costs of the leukaemia-stricken Ethiopia national-team goalkeeper Ali Redi.
His company, Midroc, also sponsors the club that won the Midroc-sponsored Ethiopian Premier League in 2008, Addis Ababa-based St George FC, which is coached by the Serb Milutin Sredojevic.
So he has a pedigree in the roundball world.
But how did he come by Tasmania?
Ken Morton, the well-travelled English-born director of football of Tasmania United FC and a junior player with Manchester United no less, coached in Ethiopia near on a decade ago, taking charge of Addis Ababa club EEPCO FC, the team of Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation. It was there that he met the sheikh.
A handy person to meet, but that is what happens when you step out of your comfort zone and open your eyes up to what the world has to offer.
Fortune favours the brave.
What’s been most impressive to me, though, so far about Tasmania’s pitch to the A-League mandarins for that coveted 12th A-League licence has not been the promise of African millions but its stated wish to bring more African and Asian players to the A-League.
Morton has coached in Vietnam, Malaysia and Ethiopia, Amoudi has singlehandely propped up East African football for years off his own largesse, and other people involved behind the scenes with the consortium have extensive contacts in the region.
It augurs well for the success of the Tasmania United bid and the general prosperity of the A-League going forward.
Tassie might be a blip on an atlas but it’s thinking big. And thinking big is what it’s going to take to get this audacious bid over the line.
Good luck to it.
Charles
Guest
There seems to be some negativity around this sheik news even within communities which are supposedly supportive of football. I read on one blog today that FFA should "redirect the sheik towards West Sydney or Melbourne II bids". I'm sorry, but if TUFC made contact and did the hard work, why should WS or Melb reap the rewards?
jimbo
Guest
Mid, 12 teams is about right – we don’t have the revenues or players to sustain many more in the next few years. The talent drain with the new AFC rules about foreign players and the salaries are at least double, so it’s becoming increasingly harder to keep good players. There is a whole A-League competition of players overseas and if you took your best players out of any league, the league would suffer. The more popular and visible the A-League becomes internationally the more attractive our players become. Lifting the salary cap is not an answer just yet as most clubs can’t afford to pay their players any more. The financial strain will take us back to the old NSL days of clubs going broke every year. State leagues and youth leagues are offering greater opportunities than ever to become professional football players and are the solution to filling the playing rosters. We also need clubs to do some scouting and smarter buying of foreign and Asian players, there are thousands of them and some good value players coming on the market all the time. The Nix is an AFC issue – not an FFA one – FFA definitely want a NZ team in the A-League and it will be whether the AFC accepts them or not. If not, there are plenty of bids lining up to take their place. Interesting Buckley interview – I laughed out loud when he said Pimbo’s not criticising the A-League! He also said 80% of Aussies support our FIFA WC bid – very AFL of him to come out with stats like that. :)
Midfielder
Guest
Jimbo A couple of points for discussion, first do we accept all bids and bring in two teams per year over the next 5 seasons, second given BB interview on SBS today the Nix issue is not resolved how hard do you fight to keep the NIx in.. what do they bring accept NZ development.
jimbo
Guest
Mike Cockerill seems a bit more positive about the Saudi Shiek’s interest and Tassie’s chances: http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/football/a-league/ethiopian-billionaire-linked-to-tassie-bid/2009/03/17/1237054820880.html Its also thought the 11th A-League licence has already gone to the second Melb team and the others are fighting for the 12th spot in 2010. The FFA has a difficult decision on its hands with the other 5 bids – 2 Sydney west, 1 Wollongong, 1 Canberra and 1 Tassie all ticking the right boxes and coming together nicely.
jimbo
Guest
Howay the lads, :) a rich Arab Sheik looking at the map of Tasmania and trying to buy and opening for himself.
The Auteur
Guest
If TUFC get Ghotbi, hopefully other clubs will also get good foreign coaches.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
I think several clubs in the J. League would like to get their hands on Afshin Ghotbi, not to mention the K-League. He could be the big one that got away, I'm afraid (for some reason the name Dettmar Cramer is now flashing before my eyes).
Brian Weekes
Guest
I was waiting for a Manfred to show up. Typical kind of comment you can come to expect from someone with a bad attitude against Tasmanians. One of them was on another site dribbling that we would only get 2000 in a paddock for a while and that would be all. Funny how we get 8k + just to friendly matches. Those kind of people have never been to Tasmania, don't ever want to, honestly believe they are better than Tasmanians and would like nothing better than to see Tasmania sink into the sea. I myself, I come from New South Wales and have both lived and worked in Tasmania. I hope they do get a team and I would love to see it develop a strong rivalry with the Victorian clubs. The fact is that it is good for football in Australia to see a Tasmanian team.
Howay the lads
Guest
Horn of Africa and Tassie Map is a good fit I would have thought
Cpaaa
Guest
could not have said it simpler meathead. what taz will essentially become is what Gençlerbirligi does with our socceroos to Europe.
Manfred the Milko
Guest
The Tassie bid is all BS ... it is empty
Jesse Fink
Guest
Last I heard from Afshin Ghotbi he was being courted by club teams in Japan, Europe and the Middle East and he didn't mention Tasmania to me in those discussions. But, hey, you never know.
metalboxhead
Guest
This is all starting to make more sense now. A relationship with Tassie will give these African footballers (who are not as favoured as Nigerians or Ivorians) an opportunity to prove themselves in a Western league that's scouted by European / Asian clubs. In exchange we get the $$$$. Works quite nicely.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
The mouse that roared.
StiflersMom
Guest
It's all good to hear Jesse, I hope the FFA are seriously thinking of making it 14 teams becuase I'm sure their heart is already set on a 2nd Sydney team, so much so the bidders for that don't need any PR.
Cpaaa
Guest
well done on the detective work jaymz. these cats are just the sort of people needed to up the ante on the a-league. never would i have thought, that little island close to antarctica would make a name for itself through football. Across Australia, Asia and who knows, perhaps the world. Already i can picture a report on Tasmania Utd on Futbol Mundial. West Sydney might just have to starve a little longer.
jaymz
Roar Rookie
Jess i know your not going to reveal the coach, but i will its Afshin Ghotbi. How do i know, well you are a huge supporter of him (rightly so), A while back you also mentioned that one of the bidding franchises were interested in speaking with him, and on their website there is an article talking about an interview (that failed due to technical reasons) on hobart fm with him. I live in west sydney and i would really love a team out here, but if Tassie is trying to sign Ghotbi then he will bring alot of asian/gulf players and hopefully make the A-league the best in asia like he stated, on top of this Amoudi is richer than Roman Abramovich acording to Forbes. Well lets just say i would be happy to miss out for the sake of this bid, in the long term it is so much better for the game, and realistically its not a matter of if West sydney get a team, but when.