Football Federation Australia (FFA) met with players’ union Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) on Wednesday in an attempt to bring a players’ pay dispute – that has plagued the off-season – to an end.
The pay dispute has already disrupted the Socceroos’ commercial arrangements and forced the Matildas to pull out of a tour of the United States, and now threatens to derail the beginning of the A-League season, which gets underway next month.
Despite the disruptions, FFA boss David Gallop told Sky Sports radio he’s “hopeful of a resolution” before the outset of the 2015-16 season.
“It’s pure dollars and cents, what we can afford to pay our players, and of course that is a position that we can’t move on,” he said.
“This is about affordability.”
A resolution was not found on Wednesday, and negotiations are set to continue, with News Corp reporting the sticking point to be the PFA’s demands for an increase in the salary cap along with a variety of allowances.