A-League clubs withdraw from Champions League, could face sanctions

The ACL offers a chance for sponsors to be showcased to a continental audience, footballers to be exposed to a far bigger scouting network and clubs to test themselves at a far, far higher level. Those who offer disdain to the ACL more often than not do so out of a combination of fear and low ambition. That said, COVID travel restrictions in Australia makes participation a difficult proposition without a travel guarantee from the Australian Government. If that is the case, then an appropriate explanation should be provided.

You seem to be in a sad place :shocked:

I think the A League needs this competition as we need to raise our standards and be winning it or at least regularly making the last stages of it. How much did we enjoy seeing Adelaide make the finals after standing up to more highly paid players and teams and what a buzz when The Wanderers won it. However there is a pandemic now and our clubs should have the right to withdraw at this time.

I think the ACL has plenty of value. While it will always be difficult for Aus teams to compete with such wage disparity, WSW have shown it can be done. Syd have won 3 of the last 4 GFs, and just maybe 4 of the last 5. The next step in their evolution as a club is for them to bring it in continental football. Consistent performance in this competition would put Aus clubs on the map in Australia, give them an air of legitimacy that AFL/NRL simply cannot achieve (because they dont have such a comp). Not to mentiom the Club World Cup is being expanded so that ACL semi-finalists play off for a spot in that competition. So you don't even need to win the ACL to play in a big money competition with the potential of clashes against European elite. A hypothetical Sydney FC v Chelsea match has to be good for Sydney's brand. So I think AL clubs should actually be prioritising the ACL in future years, but respect the decision on this occasion.

The rest of the world has decided it’s time to move on .... err, because unlike Australia they’ve messed up their attempts at controlling COVID maybe? The UK has “moved on” and this week reported a near doubling in infections .... way to go “moving on”

you mean, oh, it's not Adelaide so who cares bias from SA is killing this website

I disagree. How can you compare the standard of the game without annual international competition? The socceroos game was made up of international league socceroos so shows little about A League standards. It is time to draw a line in the sand. If the competition is a winter comp it can evolve and grow into an internationally competitive league. If its a summer comp than its a fill in league for a few multi code fans.

I agree Mark....... ACL is very overrated and has no real value. This may be a pre cursor for A League pull out and save the drama and expense that goes with it.

Its not like Sydney or Brisbane have been to the final or won the tournament and city have never been there before

I suspect the clubs would very quietly be pleased with a ban from future ACLs.

Because the rest of the world has decided it's time to move forward instead of going into lockdown when someone sneezes. I'm sure it would have been possible to hold the game in Oz if Australia wasn't operating a border policy as militant as North Korea Thems the brakes.

Sanctions? Te-he-he. Go ahead, the powers that be, give us a “sanction”. Not going to happen, Luv’. More important things in the world right now. Postpone the ACL.

no, regards the none of these clubs have ever done anything noteworthy of interest, so no big loss

If its regarding my comment than City play a 90 minute press and overload with defenders like Atkinson and Jamieson in the opposing penalty box in a real time attack. Sydney are way slower and move up the field in a possession style play and hang out outside the penalty box. Bratten was ex city while being super creative, he didnt have a very high work rate hence why he works at Syndey. Sydney’s style of play by being slower allows other midfielders and defenders to recover while their attack is going on as they hang back. City expect everyone charging the penatly box till the 90th minute. This only works in winter and it showed as City won 2 and drawed 1 against Sydney. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/25/work-hard-and-fight-hard-how-melbourne-city-stopped-flattering-to-deceive

what do you mean?

Originally, the Brisbane Roar vs Kaya–Iloilo match was arranged to play at Redcliffe. I had prepared to watch. Now, they make it play in Thailand. Why Queensland players have to be subjected to the risk of exposing to Covid-19? There should not be any sanction on BR.

I would have loved to see City's system of football against the other teams. Sydney never really do anything in the Championship as their system is peak summer A League.

none of these clubs have ever done anything noteworthy of interest, so no big loss. sydney has to be one of the most disappointing teams to ever feature in the asian champions league,