Former Socceroos coach, Ange Postecoglou, has said the coronavirus crisis is the perfect time to ‘reset’ the A-League and put football first when the season resumes.
In an interview with ABC‘s Offsiders, Postecoglou spoke about the troubles facing the A-League and its potential to lose momentum in the Australian sporting landscape.
“My beef about sport has always been, when I’ve sat in boardrooms with the most impressive businessmen going around, never forget what your prime product is. And your product is the sport,” Postecoglou told the program.
“So if you devalue the sport, you can save as much money as you want, eventually that devaluation is going to cost you.
“Football, irrespective of where it’s at, it wasn’t going great guns before this. Great chance now to reset the sport with football as its main core.”
Postecoglou is wary, however, of those saying player wages have to be cut post-crisis, arguing only a quality on-field product will deliver the rejuvenation Australian football needs.
“Hearing administrators talking about cutting costs, inevitably they go to the sport first, has never made sense to me. It is the sports that come out of this understanding that will be the ones to prosper the most,” he stressed.
The A-League is facing an uncertain future with at least seven of the 11 clubs standing down players and staff following the decision to postpone the competition last month.
There’s also concern broadcaster Fox Sports is attempting to walk out on its $57 million a year deal with the FFA, in a move which would remove a vital revenue stream for clubs.
