Liverpool visit a welcome distraction for Brisbane Roar

FRIDAY night’s clash against iconic English Premier League club Liverpool will be a welcome distraction for the embattled Brisbane Roar.

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FRIDAY night’s clash against iconic English Premier League club Liverpool will be a welcome distraction for the embattled Brisbane Roar.

For the Roar squad, it’s a great chance to forget about continuing off-field dramas over ownership and debts.

“You don’t get Liverpool coming to your backyard everyday so I’m really excited to play these boys,” Roar defender James Donachie said.

“The boys are always positive. It’s a good change room to come into every morning. You never hear any negative comments from the boys.

“Football’s our job so that’s what we focus on and not let anything else get in the way of that.”

But before facing the Reds at Suncorp Stadium, the Roar have another hurdle to overcome — Wednesday’s payday.

Player wages were distributed more than two weeks late for the previous pay cycle, while some staff are still to receive their monthly salary that was due on June 15.

Outgoing owners the Bakrie Group, who have reportedly found new, yet-to-be-named investors, are endeavouring to meet their wage commitments.

“As for salaries, we are working hard to finalise it,” Bakrie Group senior vice president and departing Roar chairman Chris Fong said.

Fong was left gutted by the results of an independent investigation into the club’s finances which revealed more than $3,500,000 in outstanding liabilities “had been hidden”.

“There are many creditors that have been mistreated and this is something that once we understood to the full extent we actioned to resolve,” he said.

A Football Federation Australia spokesman said the priority was to stabilise the club in the longer term with recapitalisation.

“The Roar chairman Chris Fong has spoken candidly about this complex matter and all parties understand the urgency of the situation,” he said.

Roar coach John Aloisi was only concerned with getting his players ready for Friday’s match.

“I haven’t heard anyone talking about what’s happening around the club,” Aloisi said.

“We can’t control that. That will get sorted out from the people behind the scenes.

“I said (to the players) ‘as footballers, your job is to play and train and focus on your job’ and they’ve been doing that.”

The Liverpool touring squad will be without winger Raheem Sterling, who is reportedly on his way to the Gold Coast to link with his new Manchester City teammates after the Reds agreed to sell him for $102 million.

Originally published as Liverpool visit a welcome distraction for Brisbane Roar