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Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) legal counsel Brendan Schwab has revealed that beyond April 30 next year there is no Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in place, which may see the salary cap abolished.
A new CBA means players will have the right to vote for a free A-League market as clubs’ financial safety net.
Currently the A-League and Major League Soccer are the only two football competitions on the planet with salary cap restrictions.
The salary cap has been in place since the A-League debut back in 2005 in a ploy to make clubs conservative spenders.
Each team has had to operate on the same salary cap each season, which has created an even playing field. Over the seasons the salary has raised to accommodate a growing league and as a reflection of improved playing standards.
Getting off the ground and finding stability has been difficult at times for the A-League and its teams but when the new television deal takes effect next season teams should be alleviated of more financial stress.
It is expected the full salary cap will be covered by FFA, alleviating financial pressure on club owners and allowing more money to be focused in other areas of development.
As the standard of football has risen considerably in Australia within the eight years of competition, the PFA will be looking for an improved deal in the next CBA.
The importance of the A-League ensuring the salary cap sticks around for at least another 10 years is vital to the continual development of the A-League.
The A-League has not been tried on free-to-air yet and could perhaps not receive the much-hyped interest it has generated over the eight seasons on Fox Sports.
The A-League will continue to develop and also maximise exposure through marquee signings.
The game will look to continue growth, but ensuring an open market is not created – in which owners are able to fork out as much money as they want for any player – is vital to keeping a competitive A-League, which is continually developing Australian talent.
The question that needs to be asked though is can the A-League survive without a salary cap? Will club owners contribute more money to their teams if there is no salary cap?
If so will this create an English Premier League-style of competition in which the rich clubs will dominate and the poor clubs will flounder?
The A-League needs continue to look at developing a core fan-base that provides financial stability for each club.
After a few more years of development, perhaps the A-League may be able to lure more players of a higher calibre but the possibility of having the salary cap abolished raises concerns for another failed attempt at re-kindling the romance with football fans all over Australia.
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