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Wanderers coach Tony Popovic hailed his players for their professionalism. Source: Getty Images
WESTERN Sydney coach Tony Popovic has praised his players’ professionalism after the pay dispute that threatened the club’s Club World Cup campaign was finally resolved. The Wanderers squad had threatened to boycott Saturday’s match against Mexican side Cruz Azul in Morroco because of what they considered an unfair share of tournament prize money.
But a tense standoff lasting almost a week ended on Thursday, with the Wanderers and Professional Footballers Australia announcing they had reached a new agreement.
While both parties refused to reveal the details, it’s believed the players will receive a significant increase on the initial offer of a 10 per cent of the guaranteed $1.2 million prize money but less than the 50 per cent they sought.
The controversy has overshadowed the Asian Champions’ build-up to a match which could lead to a dream semi-final with Real Madrid but Popovic said the resolution would change little on the training paddock.
“We see on paper that something has been resolved but for the last two days, I have seen a group determined to do very well here,†Popovic said in Rabat on Thursday.
“There’s a unity amongst the staff and players that is normal for me.
“I haven’t seen a change and I don’t expect to see a change because I have been very happy with how they have looked since we arrived.†While there are suggestions the dispute could damage relations between the players and club in the long run, Popovic praised the handling of the issue from all parties.
“It’s a credit to the club — not just the players,†he said. “It’s unfortunate that there has been an issue in public domain but I am not surprised to see how well they have looked after their bodies and have conducted themselves to prepare for a fantastic game, which we are a part of.
“As a coach I have seen nothing to worry me.†The Wanderers are long outsiders to beat North American champions Cruz Azul, with the winner to face Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
Western Sydney are winless in the A-League after the first nine rounds but Popovic said there were strong signs to suggest his team could rise to the occasion in the Moroccan capital.
“When we train well, we play well and this week I’ve already seen some great things on the training paddock,†he said.
“Playing well doesn’t mean we’ll win on Saturday but we’ll certainly go into it with confidence.â€