The head of the group, Nirwan Bakrie, has been given a seven-day extension to address Football Federation Australia’s concerns related to the club’s finances and the fact it is still yet to appoint a replacement for departed CEO David Pourre.
The extension runs out at 5pm on Monday.
The PFA released a statement to The World Game on Wednesday night in which a spokesperson said: “Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) is closely monitoring the situation at the Brisbane Roar.
“PFA staff have been in contact with our members at the club, who have once again displayed remarkable professionalism in the face of the recent uncertainty.
“The PFA will continue to work with FFA in pursuit of a resolution and welcome their recent public comments, which highlight our shared commitment to resolve the matter swiftly.
“Whilst it is evident that the A-League Collective Bargaining Agreement has had a positive impact on bringing all previous outstanding financial obligations up to date, it is clear additional action is required in order for the club to meet the standards the players and fans rightly demand.”
News of the PFA’s move comes at a time when The Courier-Mail newspaper in Brisbane is reporting that the club’s failure to pay outstanding medical bills has led to their physiotherapy and sports medicine staff ceasing service to the club.
The Courier-Mail football writer, Marco Monteverde, wrote that “Allsports director Tony Ganter told the Roar that due to payment being overdue by 30 days, his company will cease to service the club when the A-League squad finishes its post-season training program at the end of the week”.
The Bakrie Group has fallen behind in monthly payments to Roar players and staff in the past, but after a late injection of funds at the start of last season that campaign was free of any major financial dramas.
But FFA’s concerns began to grow due to the continued delay in replacing Pourre, who resigned his position several months ago but stayed on until the end of the A-League season.
The Bakrie Group was originally due to address FFA’s concerns by close of business last Monday, but requested a seven-day extension.
FFA granted the extension on Tuesday, saying in a statement: “The Bakrie Group has been granted an extension of time to provide a comprehensive response to FFA’s concerns about the management and financial position of the Brisbane Roar.
“FFA has made it clear to the Bakrie Group that it needs to urgently demonstrate its capacity to rectify the Brisbane Roar’s situation.”
