Roar rally behind battling import
BRISBANE Roar have rallied around a shattered Avraam Papadopoulos as he waits to hear the extent of his punishment for spitting at Sydney FC striker Matt Simon.
Roar managing director David Pourre and a club- appointed lawyer will on Friday accompany Papadopoulos to Sydney, where the former Greek international will face an independent disciplinary and ethics committee.
A six- week ban is the expected sanction for Papadopoulos, although there remains a slim chance the suspension could be longer.
The Roar will this week form a defence for Papadopoulos – who was sent off for spitting at Simon in Brisbane’s 3- 1 weekend loss to Sydney - but are resigned to being without him for a long stretch.
Pourre and Roar coach John Aloisi have met with the former Olympiacos captain this week.
“Our concern is with the players and ensuring he’s all right,” Pourre said.
“We’re a big family at this club, and we all look out for each other.”
Pourre will next week fly to Malaysia for the 2018 AFC Champions League draw.
Similar to their Champions League campaign last season, the Roar will need to win two matches to progress to the competition’s group stage.
According to the current Champions League schedule, the Roar will enter the competition in preliminary round two, and host a match on January 23.
The Roar will chase just their second A- League win of the season when they meet Western Sydney Wanderers at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
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