Jets CEO John Tsatsimas told au.fourfourtwo.com after last night's encouraging 2-0 Asian Champions League group victory over Ulsan Hyundai that negotiations had moved swiftly in recent days. 

"We'd been in negotiations with Ante for some time but couldn't come to an agreement. And the regulations being such that any player over 28 who has six months left on their contract can have that bought out by a club," he said.

Covic signed for the Jets in 2007 from Swedish club Hammarby. His form was so good after his return that he continued to keep his spot in the national team as a back up to Mark Schwarzer, although he has been out of favour with Pim Verbeek in recent months.

The keeper's current contract with the Jets expires on June 30 and there seems little doubt that the move is in part a reaction to being left out of the national team.

Covic , who is set to return to Sweden next week, puts the Jets in a quandary given their most difficult ACL assignment, in Japan against J-League power Nagoya Grampus, is coming up on April 8 with the return leg in the Hunter on April 22.

 "Yes we had concerns [about Covic  leaving before these games] but there was not much we can do," added Tsatsimas.

Ben Kennedy would appear to be the replacement for Covic with youth league Ben McNamara moving into second spot on the Jets' keeping ranks.

Tsatsimas was also frustrated at the organisers for not allowing last night's game to kick off at a more supporter friendly time after a paltry 7314 fans turned up at Energy Australia stadium.

"We think 8pm is a bit late given it's a school night. 7pm would've been our preferred time. We think 8pm is just a bit late for a midweek game," he said.

"But I guess you have to look at the bigger picture which is getting into the knockout round of the ACL."

With the Jets clearly struggling for fitness late in last night's game, the CEO ruled out any additional friendlies in Asia along the lines of the Mariners' recent tour of China.

However, the Jets would've been ecstatic with the form of new signings Sasho Petrovski and Ljubo Milicevic - the latter showing the sort of form that could lead to a return to the national team after a dominating display in the centre of defence.