End of the Phoenix, Enter Canberra?

AFC's ACL Threat To A-League

AUSTRALIAN clubs could be excluded from the Asian Champions League from 2012 onwards if the conditions under which Wellington Phoenix participate in the A-League are not altered.

The Asian Football Confederation confirmed Phoenix are eligible to take part in the continental competition if they qualify until the end of 2011, a dispensation in line with FIFA's approval even though they do not fulfil the criteria to compete in the ACL.

However, only New Zealand footballers will be treated as local players while Australians will be classed as foreigners if Wellington were to secure an ACL berth.

Following a meeting of the AFC Professional League Ad Hoc Committee, the confederation wrote to Football Federation Australia to outline Australian clubs will lose their right to participate in the ACL from 2012 onwards if they do not alter the conditions under which Phoenix operate.

According to the AFC's official website, FFA will therefore have to implement the following measures in order to ensure they are eligible for the 2012 ACL:

- Wellington Phoenix FC should be officially registered as a commercial entity in Australia under local law.

- To comply with the provisions of the Regulations, the number of (non-Australian) foreign players - which will then include New Zealanders - in Wellington Phoenix FC should be the same as in other clubs participating in the A-League.

- In case Wellington Phoenix qualify for the ACL, the 3+1 system should be implemented by the club according to the ACL Regulations, allowing a maximum of only three New Zealanders and no other foreigners apart from one AFC player.

- Otherwise, Wellington Phoenix FC should belong to the second division of the A-League, which should be newly created by FFA

Phoenix currently lie eighth in the A-League table, 13 points behind leaders Melbourne Victory. The team that tops the table at the end of the regular season and the Grand Final winners will qualify for next year's ACL.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/119059,afcs-acl-threat-to-aleague.aspx

A-League2 or second division is a long way off here...

FFA gave us a youth team because they knew it's was always going to 50/50 chance the AFC was going to follow through on the Phoenix. I reckon we'll be in 2013!

2013 would be awesome, just enough time to really get the brand out there and sure up any finances and business plan problems.

also we could build it up as the new team for the century or something like that considering it will be canberra's 100th brithday.

i really do want a Canberra team but AFC can get over themselves and let Phoenix play

Surely with the gold coast and north qld also looking shaky its time to seriously consider canberra again?

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:i really do want a Canberra team but AFC can get over themselves and let Phoenix play

And indeed they have -

Phoenix Here To Stay


Wellington Phoenix’s eligibility to play in the A-League has been confirmed until at least the end of the 2015/16 season.

The five-year license extension puts an end to a long period of speculation about the New Zealand-based club’s future after concerns were raised about it taking part in a competition in a different country and confederation beyond the 2010/11 season.

The A-League is governed by Football Federation Australia, which is part of the Asian Football Confederation. Phoenix, while registered as an Australian club, resides in New Zealand, which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation.

OFC president Reynald Temarii met with AFC counterpart Mohamed Bin Hamam at a FIFA meeting in Zurich in March, with both confederation bosses agreeing Phoenix’s license to play in the A-League should be extended.

Phoenix will be able to play in the competition till at least the end of the 2015/16 season under current license conditions.

That's good for the league, this should never have been our ticket into the league.

Our time will come soon 2012-13 mereckons

It does ask one question though,

Is there much point in FIFA keeping the OFC?

^^
Well they have to, FIFA can't just turn their backs on the 16 members of the OFC can they now?

Around 39 million people live in Oceania what do you want FIFA to do exactly?

Move FIFA's borders.

Have a east and west asia. Draw the line at maybe Myanmar?? then put oceania with us in east asia.

Looking at a map though - it doesnt give us a whole bunch of competition to better ourselves against though. Kinda puts us back in the situation where we were in Oceania. But it does give better chances for New Zealand, Vietnam, Singapore and New Cal. to develop.

I think i have just argued against my own argument

But the FFA seem to think what is good for the goose is not good for the gander -

http://www.footballnt.com.au/content_images/attachments/20100318%20FFA%20FFNT%20S-League%20letter.pdf

MattK wrote:Move FIFA's borders.

Have a east and west asia. Draw the line at maybe Myanmar?? then put oceania with us in east asia.

Looking at a map though - it doesnt give us a whole bunch of competition to better ourselves against though. Kinda puts us back in the situation where we were in Oceania. But it does give better chances for New Zealand, Vietnam, Singapore and New Cal. to develop.

I think i have just argued against my own argument

The second part of that just stated what my argument was going to be

I don't really like the idea IMO but I am for NZ moving into Asia although bin hammam wouldn't be very happy about this I suppose.

Yeah I think the AFC would not allow New Zealand join AFC only. There are 45 or 46 teams in the AFC and 11 in OFC. I cant see them joing the two confederations also - although, much like UEFA, there are only really about ten teams that have the capacity to compete world wide consistantly. So whether there is 60, 50 or 57 countries in your confederation i guess it really doesnt change things.

It just seems a bit redundant with half a spot in the OFC confederation and New Zealand football pulling away from the rest of the confederation.
No one like fore gone conclusions. Not even the kiwis i would imagine.

after the all whites display at the world cup... wellington is going to be around for a long time by the looks of things

JohnLovesCanberraUnited wrote:after the all whites display at the world cup... wellington is going to be around for a long time by the looks of things

And rightly so