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 this weekend’s match against Mexican side Cruz Azul in Morocco because of what they considered an unfair share of tournament prize money.
But a tense stand-off 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 is 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 that could lead to a dream semi-final against 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.
The Wanderers have drawn rivals Guangzhou Evergrande in their Asian Champions League group but are currently languishing in last place in the A-League.