Owners push for big cut in salary cap

The growing divide between the A-League clubs and the players threatens to become increasingly ugly.

A-League club owners are looking at a number of measures to reduce costs next year Picture: AAP

The growing divide between the A-League clubs and the players threatens to become increasingly ugly, with the owners now pushing for a big drop in the salary cap from next season.

As more clubs took the decision to stand down players and staff on Wednesday, prompting more protests from the players’ association (PFA), well-placed sources have told The Australian that a number of club owners want to reduce the salary cap by more than 50 per cent from its current $3.2 million.

Western Sydney, Adelaide and Newcastle have all stood their players and staff down now, following Central Coast and Perth, and Brisbane and Western United look set to follow.

“Our priority right now is to ensure this club has a future and that our players, coaches and staff are kept well informed and their wellbeing is maintained,” said Wanderers chief executive John Tsatsimas, who is working without pay.

Officially the standing down across the league is only until April 22, when A-League bosses are scheduled to review the suspension of the season, but there is next to no prospect of any resumption in the near future.

Though a quarterly instalment of Fox Sports’ annual $56 million broadcast fee was due to be received within the next few days, A-League owners are increasingly convinced it won’t come given the competition’s suspension. Though FFA chief executive James Johnson said he expects all obligations in FFA’s contract with Fox Sports to be adhered to, there is uncertainty over the status of the broadcaster’s payments across a number of sports that have been suspended. Fox Sports chief executive Peter Campbell declined to comment, while The Australian understands that FFA and the clubs have engaged a prominent barrister if they have to take legal action to try to enforce commercial contracts.

Though senior figures across the game have cautioned that it’s impossible to plan for next season until the full damage from the coronavirus is known, club owners have begun discussions over how to proceed.

That includes the possibility of a truncated new season, running from January to April next year and containing just 11 rounds and a short finals series, in order to avoid clashing with the NRL and AFL seasons if they are extended to the end of the calendar year. But it is the desire to slash the cap that will spark most controversy.

Negotiations have gone on for close to a year for a new collective bargaining agreement from June 1, though the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis has thrown a hand grenade into the talks.

On Wednesday the PFA put out a statement lambasting the clubs’ attitude accusing them of “short-term opportunism”.

The Daily Telegraph