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Just when the A-League is starting to fulfill its raison d’etre of becoming a showcase for young Australian football talent, just when the A-League season is reaching fever pitch and producing games of high quality, just when…
Why am I getting all steamed up, you ask?
Those painful Olympic qualifiers have come around again. This February the campaign is heading off to Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.
It is also the time where Olyroos manager, Aurelio Vidmar, will once again be snatching young players from defenceless A-League clubs like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The FFA, in its infinite wisdom, has limited selection to three players per club in the final 18-man squad that will make the trip. That’s right, an onerous three players.
Even though the two matches are 17 days apart, the FFA has decided to make one round trip to West Asia. This means the players who embark on this Olympic misadventure will be missing a whole critical month of A-League action.
Of course, the FFA’s spin made out that they were Mother Teresa.
“The impact on the A-League clubs is something we always take into consideration when developing the under-age national teams program,” said FFA National Technical Director, Han Berger.
“As a result, the A-League clubs can plan with some certainty for the period when the players will be away for these very important Olympic qualification matches.”
You can imagine the phone calls from Vidmar to A-League managers Graham Arnold and John Van’t Schip.
“G’day, Arnie. Congratulations on a fantastic season. You are on the brink of winning a well deserved A-League premiership for the Central Coast Mariners. But I’m afraid I will need to borrow three of your best young players for a month.
“As long as they are injury-free they’ll be chosen from Bozanic, Amini, Ibini-Isei, Ryan and Sainsbury. Your country thanks you.”
“G’day, John. Congratulations on a fantastic season. You are on the brink of claiming Melbourne Heart’s first ever place in the finals series. But I’m afraid I will need to borrow three of your best young players for a month.
“As long as they are injury-free they’ll be chosen from Dugandzic, Hamill, Babalj, Good, Behich and Hoffman. Your country of employment thanks you.”
The FFA reminded us yesterday that “the AFC Asian qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympic Games are not scheduled on FIFA dates reserved for international fixtures, meaning overseas clubs are under no formal obligation to release players.”
I am not alone in finding the imposts placed on A-League clubs to be totally unacceptable.
Here is my challenge to Aurelio Vidmar and the FFA. Use your powers of persuasion and relieve the burden to our A-League clubs by getting on the phone to Europe. We have eligible talented players there who can do with a three week sojourn to West Asia.
Here are two to get the ball rolling.
Matthew Leckie has been finding it difficult to break into the first-team squad at high flying Borussia Mönchengladbach. Tommy Oar has been on the outer at since Jan Wouters took over at FC Utrecht. Their clubs have no reasonable excuse to not let them go.
But, I’ve got even more bad news.
I welcome you to read this piece again after the Olyroos finish second in their qualifying group. This will mean the Olyroos will have to play the runners-up from the two other Asian groups at a neutral venue in the last week of March. The winner of this group will advance to play the fourth-ranked African team for a spot at the Olympic Games.
How convenient. Smack bang in the middle of the A-League Finals series.
If we can’t get our best overseas players, then why sacrifice the A-League by sending our best young domestic players?
In the end I can’t see what the big deal is. Apart from the host nation, only three European countries will be taking part in the Olympic football tournament – Spain, Switzerland and Belarus.
And I can’t see the Germans and the Italians jumping off bridges for failing to qualify for London’s five ringed sporting jamboree.
Athas Zafiris is on Twitter @ArtSapphire
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