The 2014 World Cup is rapidly approaching but the big dollar earnings days are about to end for Australia’s Socceroos as Football Federation Australia examines the team’s ailing financial situation.
FFA boss David Gallop warned Tuesday of cuts to player match fees ahead of what is to be the third consecutive World Cup appearance for the Socceroos.
The highly paid, fresh faced Socceroos squad face South Africa at ANZ Stadium early next week for a final international friendly before heading off to Brazil where the inexperienced squad is expected to come up against a tough time against Spain, the Netherlands and Chile in the group stage.
Players are currently paid $6,500 for each international cap and combined with prize money will see the squad take home some $2.6 million regardless of their performance, making them one of the highest paid teams in Brazil despite a tournament-low FIFA ranking. A group stage knockout would see each player still earn $150,000 for fewer than five hours on the pitch.
Gallop intends to restructure player pay so that it better reflects the overall earning potential of each Socceroos’ outing according to the AAP..
“It’s a product of where we were at that time but the next four-year cycle, I think we can come up with a more reasonable system,” Gallop said Tuesday of the lucrative deal the players received last time contract’s were negotiated.
“We need to look at the tiers of games we’re involved in.
“When we’re playing top-class opposition and there’s a big opportunity to make gate receipts, then the pay can be at one level.
“But when the Socceroos play in lesser games in the next four-year cycle then, as we did last year with the EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) tournament, we need to be looking at appropriate remuneration for those games.”
The Socceroos face a more immediate problem heading into the World Cup- a lack of a major sponsor.
Qantas pulled their backing last year and the hope is a big-time will jump on board a month out from the tournament kick off.
“It’s a bit of a concern,” Gallop told the AAP.
“These four weeks are an important few weeks.
“It’s not very often that we pull these guys in from every corner of the globe and get this intense opportunity to spend time with them.
Australia kick of their World Cup campaign against Chile on June 13 in Cuiaba.
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