The "explosive" relationship between A-League clubs and Football Federation Australia will "take another turn for the worse" after the clubs issued a warning to FFA Chair Steven Lowy not to "interfere with or disrupt" the proposed review process of the sport’s governance, according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN. In a letter sent to Lowy, the clubs declared they are "prepared to boycott the review" which was recently instigated by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. If the review was to stall, FIFA "could take control of a process which had been left to FFA, the A-League clubs and the state federations to reach compromise on." The letter, written by Australian Professional Football Clubs Association Chair Greg Griffin, accused Lowy and the FFA board of being "obstructive and interfering" in response to an FFA email detailing the process that will take place early next year. Based on the APFCA letter, it would appear the Congress Review Working Group "could be doomed to failure" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/13).
UP FOR GRABS: In Sydney, Tom Smithies reported almost two-thirds of A-League players are "coming off contract this season, as short-term deals increasingly become the norm for Australian players." The off-contract list distributed to A-League clubs "reveals the full extent of players signed only until the end of May," amounting to 63.2% of players in the league -- a record level. The figure compares with 53% last season and the previous high of 55.8% in '14-15, prompting claims that the rise in one-year contracts is leading to equally unprecedented levels of "extreme anxiety" among players. Perth Glory has 21 players off contract this season, "easily the league's highest" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/11).
