I greeted the comments this week from Sydney FC chief executive Edwin Lugt that there is “no justification” for the amount A-League players earn with exasperation. “We’ve never had to be as realistic about things as we do right now, but I don’t think we, as a league, are realistic at all when it comes to wages,” explained Lugt to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sebastian Hassett.
The average salary in the A-League is far more than the average salary in the MLS, but that’s a league that’s been around for more than 15 years, in a huge market and with average crowds of 16,000. I can’t see any single reason for the fact that the salaries in Australia are higher than they are in the US.
”Nobody can explain to me why that should be the case. Do we have better players? I don’t think so. There’s no justification for average players here earning above-average wages.”
Oh boy, here we go again.
Things start getting tough financially for a club as it fails off the pitch and players are used as an easy scapegoat.
While I find the comparison with the MLS a naïve one, later on Lugt raises a valid point that having a limited number of visa spots and an obligation to use at least 85% of the salary cap creates a situation where ordinary local players are getting larger contracts than they probably deserve.
However, the reality is this is an unavoidable situation for a league that’s trying to find a balance between on field quality, financial austerity and an even competition.
More to the point, as I understand it player wages account for about 70% of the revenue of A-League clubs which is right on the threshold UEFA has recently begun recommending to its constitutions.
I can’t help but find myself agreeing with Mike Cockerill who earlier in the week wrote, “Yes, domestic players are better paid than ever, but they’re not sending the A-League broke.”
“(Lugt) might want to look at the front office or the boardroom before he gets to the dressing room. Despite two championships in five years, Sydney’s cash flows continue to decline. Whose fault is that?”
Quite simply, A-League clubs need to do a better job of attracting people to games and Football Federation Australia must find a way to make it easier for clubs to negotiate strong commercial agreements beyond the ones the governing body holds.
As PFA boss Brendan Schwab so eloquently put it on Tuesday, “The A-League can not save itself to success.”
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It will be a bumper occasion, there will not be a spare seat in the house and of course, Sydney FC could well produce a miracle with their backs against the wall.
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