The Victory mob are a vitriolic crowd, aren’t they? The news of Fred’s departure has gone down like a cup of cold sick in Bleak City with bitter personal attacks on the Brazilian being launched on the club’s fan forums. But it’s not his fault he’s going – and it’s not even the club’s fault (although giving Grant Brebner a reported $150,000 a year contract won’t have helped...) The fact is that while $60,000 or $75,000 might be a fair wage for most Aussies, it’s crap for a footy player, especially if he’s as good as Fred.
Contract talks with Frank Lampard, John Terry and Cristiano Ronaldo have currently broken down because ManUre and Chelski have set a salary ceiling of $250,000 a week – and all three want at least $300,000. A week. Okay, Fred might not be in their league (literally), but there’s a big difference between $60,000 a year and the $180,000 that’s reportedly on offer to him in the US. Show me one Victory fan who would turn down that pay rise for the job they do and I’ll show you a liar.
Fred’s a professional. It’s what he does to pay the bills, same as all the rest. It’s not a hobby. It might be a passion, but it’s also a business for him and all the other professionals in the game. Emotional ties can make up for a few thousand bucks a year...but when your salary is set to be tripled, it’s a simple decision. Just look at Lucas Neill...
The fact is the A-League’s salary cap is going to continue to create these situations until it’s raised to a realistic level. No-one wants clubs going broke, but even raising the cap to just $2.5 million a year would at least guarantee players an average of more than $100,000 a year...and give clubs the leeway to try to stop stars like Fred turning into journeymen simply using the A-League to showcase their talent before moving on. It’s not just going to cost Melbourne next season – Fred was a great advert for the league overseas and a potential Socceroo star had he carried out his promise to take out citizenship and slip on the green and gold.
The A-League was recently named the 14th biggest league in the world...which sounds quite impressive until you realise who is still above us. The fact is most players in Australia are paid less than many youth players elsewhere in the world. Amateurs almost get as much after they’ve had their travel expenses repaid. If the A-League wants to be taken seriously on the world stage, it needs to stop paying players a peppercorn pay packet – and keep genuine stars like Fred in the country.
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The ongoing New Zealand saga still looks like running and running but it’s time to give it up and let Townsville have a crack. After the Knights repeatedly failed to perform, the only purpose the team served was earning the A-League a mention in the record books for the longest distance home and away leg in a domestic competition (between Perth and Auckland). Now the Russians have laid claim to that title, there’s no point at all to the NZ team. Still not sure how wise playing footy in the midsummer tropical heat of the Top End is going to be though...
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Dopey Stan Lazaridis tested positive for a banned drug masking agent after taking medication for alopecia. The resulting ban could end his career. So, hair today, gone tomorrow then?
Contract talks with Frank Lampard, John Terry and Cristiano Ronaldo have currently broken down because ManUre and Chelski have set a salary ceiling of $250,000 a week – and all three want at least $300,000. A week. Okay, Fred might not be in their league (literally), but there’s a big difference between $60,000 a year and the $180,000 that’s reportedly on offer to him in the US. Show me one Victory fan who would turn down that pay rise for the job they do and I’ll show you a liar.
Fred’s a professional. It’s what he does to pay the bills, same as all the rest. It’s not a hobby. It might be a passion, but it’s also a business for him and all the other professionals in the game. Emotional ties can make up for a few thousand bucks a year...but when your salary is set to be tripled, it’s a simple decision. Just look at Lucas Neill...
The fact is the A-League’s salary cap is going to continue to create these situations until it’s raised to a realistic level. No-one wants clubs going broke, but even raising the cap to just $2.5 million a year would at least guarantee players an average of more than $100,000 a year...and give clubs the leeway to try to stop stars like Fred turning into journeymen simply using the A-League to showcase their talent before moving on. It’s not just going to cost Melbourne next season – Fred was a great advert for the league overseas and a potential Socceroo star had he carried out his promise to take out citizenship and slip on the green and gold.
The A-League was recently named the 14th biggest league in the world...which sounds quite impressive until you realise who is still above us. The fact is most players in Australia are paid less than many youth players elsewhere in the world. Amateurs almost get as much after they’ve had their travel expenses repaid. If the A-League wants to be taken seriously on the world stage, it needs to stop paying players a peppercorn pay packet – and keep genuine stars like Fred in the country.
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The ongoing New Zealand saga still looks like running and running but it’s time to give it up and let Townsville have a crack. After the Knights repeatedly failed to perform, the only purpose the team served was earning the A-League a mention in the record books for the longest distance home and away leg in a domestic competition (between Perth and Auckland). Now the Russians have laid claim to that title, there’s no point at all to the NZ team. Still not sure how wise playing footy in the midsummer tropical heat of the Top End is going to be though...
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Dopey Stan Lazaridis tested positive for a banned drug masking agent after taking medication for alopecia. The resulting ban could end his career. So, hair today, gone tomorrow then?
