Tassie has 14 A-League rivals

FIFTEEN bids have been lodged in the race for two spots in an expanded A-League.

Aspirants submitted a formal expression of interest in time for yesterday’s deadline, leaving Football Federation Australia’s hired help Deloitte with the task of examining applicants before a shortlist is named next month.

Each has laid out a vision and strategy to join the competition in 2019-20, including unique selling points, financial capacity and approach to fan engagement.

Local support for teams in Canberra and Tasmania continues to bubble, while a second Adelaide team and a Fremantle bid rank as outsiders.

Team 11 appears to be the frontrunner among four Victorian hopefuls, given southeast Melbourne’s significant supporter base. While its success may hinge on government finance for a stadium, rival bidder South Melbourne remains in contention thanks to its Lakeside Stadium.

In NSW, the Southern Expansion group sweetened its offer by announcing a formal sister club relationship with Chinese Super League outfit Guizhou Hengfeng FC. Its tender carries lucrative backing from a Hong Kong property conglomerate and has council approval to build a $300 million, 30,000-seat stadium and a football academy.

South-West Sydney has tried to fast-track entry by buying Wellington Phoenix’s licence. And Gold Coast United, one of three Queensland bids, is bolstering its case for an A-League return after securing backing in principle from US investors Brett Johnson and Jordan Gardner. ANDRES Iniesta has tweeted he is going to his “new home” with “friend” Hiroshi Mikitani, owner of Japan’s Vissel Kobe.

The 34-year-old posted a photo of himself and Mikitani in what appeared to be a private jet. Iniesta last month said he would be leaving Barcelona after 22 years, raising hopes that he might be lured to Australia.

The midfielder has had a glittering career, winning eight Spanish and four Champions League titles and scoring in the 2010 World Cup final.