Roar’s goal to protect players
BRISBANE Roar have vowed to prioritise their players’ health and welfare over ALeague and AFC Champions League results this month.
Football Federation Australia will not move Brisbane’s January 27 A-League clash against Central Coast Mariners in Gosford, despite Roar officials having requested the game be rescheduled due to the likelihood of them playing in an AFC Champions League playoff against Tianjin Quanjian in China on January 30.
While they are yet to seal their date with Chinese club, the Roar are expected to do so by beating either Shan United (Myanmar) or Ceres-Negros (Philippines) a week earlier in Brisbane.
Should they win their January 23 game, the Roar are set to compromise their hopes of beating the Mariners and Tianjin by not fielding fullstrength teams in either match.
“It’s unfair to ask the same players to play in Gosford and then in China three days later,” Roar football director Craig Moore said.
“We’re a football club that puts the health and welfare of our players before winning matches.”
It means a host of Roar players will fly to China from Brisbane, while a few others will leave from Sydney on January 28 after playing against the Mariners.
The Roar are disappointed with the FFA’s refusal to move their match against the Mariners, particularly after ALeague boss Greg O’Rourke said in March last year that FFA would work “to make it a bit easier” for Australian clubs juggling domestic and continental commitments in 2018.
Last year, according to Professional Footballers Australia data, the Roar squad took more than 37,000 air miles of travel in a 32-day period that include nine A-League and Champions League matches.
It’s understood FFA won’t move Brisbane’s match against Central Coast because of broadcast commitments and the Mariners’ refusing to give up a rare chance to be seen in prime time on a Saturday night and on free-to-air television.
“FFA won’t be moving the January 27 Roar match despite attempts to do so,” O’Rourke said last night.
The Roar hope to achieve back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they host Western Sydney Wanderers at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night.