No thought of Socceroos snubbing Bangladesh clash

Australia's national team may be at loggerheads with Football Federation Australia (FFA) over the stalled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) but any suggestions of boycotting Thursday night's World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh have been quashed.

Socceroos

The Socceroos wont let their pay dispute with FFA harm their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup (Getty) Source: Getty Images

Professional Footballer Australia chief Adam Vivian said there was no way the Socceroos would not take to the field at nib Stadium in Perth despite the ongoing dispute with the governing body.

Coach Ange Postecoglou's 23-man squad followed through on its pledge to boycott commercial activities in Perth this week ahead of Thursday’s duel against 170th-ranked Bangladesh, in a show of solidarity with its A-League brethren and the Matildas over what the players perceive as the peak body’s intransigence over fraught negotiation over a new CBA.

However, Socceroos stars were adamant they won’t let the on-going row over player pay dilute their commitment to the looming match against Bangladesh and then Tajikistan on 8 September.

The gun duo of Mathew Leckie and Massimo Luongo insisted that the industrial action would not find its way onto the field and was far from a distraction as they seek to milk more points on the road on the road to Russia 2018.
Leckie, fresh from blasting a stunning winner for Bundesliga newcomer Ingolstadt over the weekend, underlined the displeasure at what is perceive as stripping of player protections and rights by FFA but emphasised the fracas would not impact on the desire to perform on the paddock.

“Obviously the scenario we are in at the moment isn’t the best but it’s something that’s happening at the moment," he said.

“Negotiations are going on and we have been told by the PFA at his stage that we shouldn't be doing those commercial things.

“It’s a difficult time because we know that young kids and schools are missing out on which isn’t good and is unfortunate.

"But that’s what wave been told to do and we’re trying and concentrate with what we do on the pitch,"

Asked if it was a distraction to the job at hand, he added: “I guess everybody is different but for me it’s not too much of problem and I not thinking about it too much.

“The main things are to make sure we are organised for the game and are in good shape. The other things don’t worry me too much and are for people behind the scenes to figure out.”

When quizzed about the stand-off, Queens Park Rangers midfieder Luongo said: ”I am not the best person to ask.

"We have just been told not to get involved with the commercial stuff and its unfortunate that people miss out.

“It’s not a distraction … we don’t get too involved and let others worry about it.”

Vivian said the action comes against a backdrop of disputed entitlements to the Socceroos and also outstanding payments to A-League players over the 10 years of the competition, which he revealed amounted to almost $4.5 million.

“That, in my view, calls for dramatic review of the A-League licensing system,” he said.

“That includes statutory payments, superannuation, bonuses, wages, and loss of earnings. There’s a lot of money owed to players.”



While Vivian and head of player relations Simon Colosimo liaise with the squad in Perth, there is no doubt that the players remain focused on the task at hand.

"The players are competitive guys. It's a World Cup qualifier," Vivian said.

"That's why they think the commercial stand should be the catalyst to say, 'Guys, we're serious about this. Get in the (negotiating) room, let's get a deal done'."

PFA announced late Monday night that the Socceroos would not appear at any commercial public appearances this week, but will fulfill their media, fan day and charity obligations.

Vivian accused FFA CEO David Gallop of inflaming an already delicate situation by claimning "action by the PFA will deny many people a rare opportunity to see Socceroo players in Perth".



He countered that players remain willing and able to attend charity or community functions, visit schools and mix with fans, so long as there is no commercial gain for FFA from the interactions.

Matters have come to a head between PFA and FFA over stalled over negotiations after the expiry of the CBA on 30 June and FFA's decision to terminate the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties on 14 August.

“Players feel quite vulnerable and have said okay, enough enough,” Vivian said. “They are in a position to take a stand and say 'okay guys it’s time to get back to the table, we are taking this pretty seriously. And we want an agreement in once that protects us'.”

After snubbing a shopping centre appearance on Tuesday, Vivian reiterated that players where willing to replace commercial arrangements with other events.

“Players offered additional appearances of a non-commercial nature to mitigate collateral damage to fans and have said if the branding was removed they would also continue with the appearances,” he said.

Vivian said the sticking points in the protracted talks over of a new CBA were the result of FFA rejecting the model it proposed itself.

“The players are willing to sign off on the model tabled by the federation but the issue is that the model issued by the federation is one which they are not prepared to sign off on," he said.

“That’s where the sticking point is, the FFA is not willing to contract to the model. They say it was a model and not a proposal.”

Vivian made it clear that even if the dispute escalates, players will not countenance the possibility of boycotting games.

“They are competitive guys and these are World Cup qualifiers. But they are making a stand in other ways, for the Matildas, the A-League and themselves. They are doing whatever they can to get a deal done.”


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6 min read
Published 1 September 2015 1:47pm
Updated 1 September 2015 4:05pm
By David Lewis
Source: SBS

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