A-LEAGUE
LOSES
BATTLE
Mission complicated
became mission
impossible” were the
words of new Football
Federation Australia (FFA) CEO James
Johnson as he rather belatedly brought
the curtain down on the A-League.
Complicated it certainly was. But
mindful of a fragile relationship with a
broadcaster that has made little secret
of the fact it would like to rid itself of a
contract worth $57million per year to the
game, the A-League, unlike many others,
had vowed to plough on.
With only a handful of games left of
the regular season the clubs and FFA- so often at loggerheads – were singing
from the same hymn sheet in believing
that they could fulfil their contractual
obligations and get the season done.
However, the increasingly restrictive
measures implemented by governments
in both Australia and New Zealand would
eventually scupper those plans.
Initially the competition opted to play
behind closed doors and move fixtures to
midweek dates to condense the final part
of the campaign into just a few weeks.
But that race against the clock was
complicated by governmental decisions
to impose quarantine periods on those
travelling in and out of Australia – and,
crucially, New Zealand.
This legislation was already in effect
in New Zealand by the time Wellington
Phoenix hosted Melbourne Victory on
March 13, and from then on the New
Zealand side knew the only way they
could complete a promising campaign
would be to decamp to Australia and
stay there.
Phoenix’s players and staff faced a
tough dilemma: commit to spending six
weeks – maybe even longer – away from
home, or stay with family. And in the case
of midfielder Ulises Davila the choice was
even starker as his wife had just given
birth to his first child back in Mexico.
In the end, Phoenix opted to move to
Australia and rocked up at the Sydney
Academy of Sport in Narrabeen on
March 18 to start their first of two
weeks in enforced quarantine.
Victory’s players also had to serve
a fortnight’s self-
isolation, with striker
Ola Toivonen taking to
social media to express
his anger that the
players had been
unaware of the
impending measures.
The Swede was backed
up by the Professional
Footballers Australia
union boss, John
Didulica, who claimed
he’d been given
assurances by the
Department of ForeignAffairs and Trade that the quarantine
imposition would not happen.
Although Victory and Phoenix were
ruled out for two weeks, in the end their
absence proved immaterial as only four
more games were completed, including
the derby between Western Sydney
Wanderers and Sydney FC.
This fixture was played in front of a full
house of 28,500 at the same venue last
October. On March 21, the stands were
empty as they played out a 1-1 draw. The
only consolation was that many football-
starved fans around the planet tuned in
for what was billed the “biggest game of
football in the world tonight”.
Forty-eight hours later Newcastle Jets
beat Melbourne City 2-1, with Steven
Ugarkovic scoring a cracking winner,
but by then the reality of the situation
had dawned on everyone.
Further travel restrictions betweenBid to finish regular season behind closed
doors eventually becomes impossible
GLOBAL SHUTDOWN
Australia
W
O
RD
S^
Si
m
on
H
ill
Loyal...fans try to do their bitLocked out...Brisbane Roar players
acknowledge a handful of fans who
stood outside the stadium for their
game against Newcastle Jets