theirs talk now, Mile Sterjovski might join the coast now too. who knows?

but while Sterjovski is the main focus of the article, kinda makes the Culina deal seem a done deal.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/01/07/37305_gold-coast-top-story.html

I Love Clive Palmers quote, "You will see soon that we have a player of great quality to play alongside Jason." subtle. just hope he doesnt mean joel porter.

It really important you link to the original story, I can cite cases on this forum where people have embellished the original. Please try to do add a link next time.

It really important you link to the original story, I can cite cases on this forum where people have embellished the original. Please try to do add a link next time.

Socceroos midfielder Jason Culina is poised to re-sign with Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, spurning an offer to become Gold Coast United's inaugural marquee signing.

The 28-year-old has been used as a right-fullback for the club over the past few weeks and has impressed the club's coaching staff to such a degree that he has twice been offered an improved deal to remain at the Philips Stadion over the past week.

While it's understood that Culina is yet to agree terms, the financial conditions on offer will make it hard to leave the Netherlands, where he's been since joining Ajax in 2000.

Sources at the Dutch club have said that Culina's versatility is one of the main reasons he's been offered a substantial improvement on a contract that was first tabled almost 12 months ago.

Aside from the Gold Coast, Culina was also being chased hard by Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb.

I've worked at Clive Peeters and Clive Anthony's.. :lol:

I guess he truly is the real Clive :d

If you do manage to get showered with free season memberships, ask for two more, Stifler and I would love to join you at the games.

If you do manage to get showered with free season memberships, ask for two more, Stifler and I would love to join you at the games.

Yep sounds like he is. I also heard warning bells for Miron if he is to remain coach( I've heard rumor's he was to step back into Director of Football and another coach was in the pipe line) my mail is Palmer is ruthless and has issued an ultimatum, win the A-League in year 1 of your sacked. In this article he reinforce's his belief they will.


How rich is he, taking 40 of his staff to the Olympics...

Edited by StiflersMom: 27/12/2008 08:56:43 AM

Palmer had planned to stack his squad with Socceroos such as Jason Culina, Mile Sterjovski, Scott Chipperfield and Chris Coyne until he found himself strangled by the constraints of the cap.

Culina, likely to be officially unveiled next as the club's inaugural marquee player, is the sole survivor of that list, with Palmer adding: "Perhaps there could be salary cap exemptions for Socceroos so we can encourage them to return home and improve the level of the competition. It would be great for the public to see them at the peak of their powers.

"It is always said that the best players have to go to Europe to fulfil their potential.

"I think that's a bad thing. I think our national coach (Pim Verbeek) feels they have to go too, but I feel Australia should come first. If we are offering the right rewards, why shouldn't that be the case?"

Despite his reservations at being restricted from unleashing the full weight of his wallet, a supremely confident Palmer is convinced United will win the A-League in their debut season, before hitting Asia with typhoon-like intensity.

"We have the best team in the A-League and will lift the standard of the competition by about 300 per cent," trumpeted Palmer in trademark provocative fashion.

"We'll come back from our pre-season tour (matches against the Singapore national team, a top Japan club side and Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan FC are in the pipeline) and we'll show that for us the A-League is pretty mundane.

"We're taking it one step at a time. "We'll win the A-League, the Asian Champions, then we'll look at the World Club Cup."

Asked if he was concerned that the downturn would put the squeeze on potential sponsorship dollars for United, Palmer replied: "Nothing is a problem for us. My company, for one, will be happy to provide sponsorship.

"Nothing will stop us from going out and winning the title. We'll have the best team in the A-League and lift the standard of the competition by about 300 per cent.

"We've put together a great team and we'll announce our full squad in mid-January (thought to include $1 million marque man Socceroo Jason Culina)."

Palmer's two private Mineralogy jets are sitting at the Gold Coast Airport and the third of his fleet is on its way.

The 112-seater jet, to become Gold Coast United's first-class mode of transport, has been undergoing a multimillion- dollar refit in Taiwan (complete with massage tables) but will call Coolangatta home soon.

Why would a great player want to go the A-League when he is coming to the peak of the career. All players dream of playig regular football in the top leagues in Europe and he would have no wishes to come back into the A-League in the near future.