August 29 – New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix are weighing legal action against the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) after being left out of the region’s inaugural Professional League.
On Friday, the confederation revealed the eight selected clubs that will participate in the maiden edition of the Pro League, a competition established to professionalise the game around the vast region. The clubs included are Auckland FC (New Zealand), Christchurch United (New Zealand), Bula Boys (Fiji), Hekari United (PNG), Solomon Kings FC (Solomon Islands), Tahiti United (TAH), Vanuatu FC (Vanuatu) and South Melbourne (Australia).
“This is a historic moment for Oceania football. For the first time, our region will have a professional league that provides a pathway for players, coaches, and clubs to compete at the highest level within the Pacific,” said OFC general secretary Franck Castillo in a statement.
New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix were a notable omission and the Kiwi club said they are considering a judicial review. “The Phoenix were informed this afternoon that while their submission met the minimum licensing requirements, it received a lower score than Auckland FC and Christchurch United,” said the club in a statement.
“The Wellington Phoenix are immensely disappointed to have not been selected … Given that the Phoenix is the largest professional football club in Oceania, the club is digesting OFC’s decision and is seeking further information as to how both Auckland and Christchurch received higher scores.”
The OFC defended the decision, saying that the call was made transparently by its independent licensing committee.
“How the Phoenix, as the only professional club in Oceania for over 15 years, could not be included in the first OFC Pro League is nonsensical,” said Phoenix general manager David Dome.
“The Phoenix have fought for football in Oceania since 2007. We are the only club in the OFC region with a fully staffed, eight-team professional academy, the only club in Oceania with a professional pathway for women’s footballers, we have world-class training facilities and we have invested more money into football in the region than any other private organisation.”
The format of the new competition is contrived: the Pro League will run from January to May next year, with clubs playing at least 17 matches across five Pacific circuit rounds. The top four sides then enter the Leaders Playoff Group for three semi-final spots, while the Challengers winner meets the fourth-placed Leaders team for the last berth. Semi-finals and the final will be single-leg knockouts.
The OFC, according to the New Zealand Herald, will invest NZ$40 million in the competition over the next four years, which covers all airfares and accommodation for the competing clubs, except for the Australian entry as they are not part of the confederation.
The competition is also expected to receive $10 million in FIFA funding, though questions remain over its long-term sustainability without strong broadcast and commercial backing. FIFA frames the investment as part of its global development mission and, much like the short-lived African Football League, a feeder for the Club World Cup. For Oceania, the league will serve as the pathway to the 2029 edition.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1756457796labto1756457796ofdlr1756457796owedi1756457796sni@i1756457796tnuk.1756457796ardni1756457796mas1756457796
Source link
Add Comment