Dasher39
July 19th, 2006, 10:49 AM
A-League should 'centralise contracts' (http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/ALeague-should-centralise-contracts/2006/07/19/1153166425417.html)
July 19, 2006 - 10:50AM
Football Federation Australia should consider a central contracting system to lure star players like Socceroo defender Tony Popovic to the A-League, Newcastle Jets coach Nick Theodorakopoulos said.
Popovic, who has appeared 57 times for Australia, has signed for Qatari club Al-Arabi for an undisclosed fee.
The 33-year-old, who featured in the Socceroos' 2-0 World Cup loss to Brazil before limping off injured after 40 minutes, had been released by English premier league club Crystal Palace.
Theodorakopoulos said Popovic's move was a missed opportunity for the still fledgling A-League to boost its star quality.
"You've got a player we need to come back, desperately need to come back and play in our domestic competition and we are losing him now to Qatar," Theodorakopoulos told Radio 2KY.
"Ten, fifteen years ago we were all jumping up and down saying we were losing our good players to Europe, now of all a sudden we are losing our players to Qatar."
But the Jets mentor said he did not advocate A-League clubs overstretching themselves financially to sign big names, rather that the FFA should look to the American model of centralised contracting.
"That's what they do in the United States," he said.
"They contract (star players) to the federation and the federation distributes equally to the local clubs.
"It's a major problem, (Popovic is) a player we need back here and we are losing him to another destination."
Theodorakopoulos conceded that it would be difficult for the FFA to compete with the rich Asian leagues.
"It just depends on the money. In Qatar... he'd be in the vicinity of a million dollars (a year)."
© 2006 AAP
July 19, 2006 - 10:50AM
Football Federation Australia should consider a central contracting system to lure star players like Socceroo defender Tony Popovic to the A-League, Newcastle Jets coach Nick Theodorakopoulos said.
Popovic, who has appeared 57 times for Australia, has signed for Qatari club Al-Arabi for an undisclosed fee.
The 33-year-old, who featured in the Socceroos' 2-0 World Cup loss to Brazil before limping off injured after 40 minutes, had been released by English premier league club Crystal Palace.
Theodorakopoulos said Popovic's move was a missed opportunity for the still fledgling A-League to boost its star quality.
"You've got a player we need to come back, desperately need to come back and play in our domestic competition and we are losing him now to Qatar," Theodorakopoulos told Radio 2KY.
"Ten, fifteen years ago we were all jumping up and down saying we were losing our good players to Europe, now of all a sudden we are losing our players to Qatar."
But the Jets mentor said he did not advocate A-League clubs overstretching themselves financially to sign big names, rather that the FFA should look to the American model of centralised contracting.
"That's what they do in the United States," he said.
"They contract (star players) to the federation and the federation distributes equally to the local clubs.
"It's a major problem, (Popovic is) a player we need back here and we are losing him to another destination."
Theodorakopoulos conceded that it would be difficult for the FFA to compete with the rich Asian leagues.
"It just depends on the money. In Qatar... he'd be in the vicinity of a million dollars (a year)."
© 2006 AAP