Griffin slams FFA over Asian import quota

Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin has slammed Football Federation Australia (FFA) over its intention to make Asian players a compulsory feature of the A-League's foreign contingent.

A fuming Griffin claimed clubs are stridently opposed to FFA's decision to introduce a four plus one quota rule from the 2018-19 season, and accused the governing body of acting on political motivations.

The pending change, confirmed by FFA chief executive David Gallop and subject to final review at the end of 2017-18, will not impact clubs' current quota of five foreigners but means one of those players must come from an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members federation.

It will move Australia's top tier in line with other AFC competitions and force A-League clubs to scour the continent for talent.

"There is strident objection from the clubs to any change to the existing visa rules," Griffin told AAP.

"That objection will remain; we see absolutely no point in going 4+1 and compromising the product we provide in some attempt to curry favour with the AFC.

"It's ultimately a fruitless exercise because the problems between FFA and the AFC run far deeper than the composition of our visa players."

The concept has long caused friction.

FFA is keen to align with Asian football, where the Asian Champions League operates on a 3+1 rule, while attracting more interest from overseas TV markets.

But only two clubs - Western Sydney and Newcastle - currently have an Asian player on their books and there's concern the move would dilute the league's growing quality, with the continent's ever-inflating wages rendering it tough to afford top Asian stars.

"That is in no small way due to the completely insufficient distribution of revenues that have flowed to the clubs under the FFA administration which is now the subject of review," Griffin said.

It's understood FFA discussed the issue at length with chairmen last October, before telling CEOs at a meeting in Melbourne the following month.

There was a mixed response but strong enough collective opposition that FFA promised to "prudently review the implementation" at the end of the 2017-18 season before making a final decision.

Griffin said that "unsatisfactory" compromise would not be accepted and foreshadowed a response from the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association, which represents all 10 clubs and of which he is chair.

Sydney FC chief executive Tony Pignata called for more dialogue on the issue.

"It has been suggested but nothing formal has come from FFA advising clubs that it is being introduced," Pignata said.

"We as clubs would still like the opportunity to discuss this proposal with FFA."

The news comes amid reports the Chinese Football Association is set to reduce to three the number of foreign players Chinese Super League teams are allowed to field in each match.

The pending rule change has already delayed James Holland's transfer from the Reds to Liaoning Whowin and could threaten the careers of other Australian players in China.

©AAP2017

http://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/01/16/13/57/a-league-to-adopt-asian-import-quota-rule

I laud his slam and use of the "curry" when discussing Asia.

It's ultimately a fruitless exercise

(and yes I know Tomato is a fruit)




Also

 GRIFFIN = WHINGER

Griffin is jealous as he isn't making as much money as he wants selling AUFC players.

completely insufficient distribution of revenues that have flowed to the clubs under the FFA administration

Rumbling rumbles on

Has he liked anything the FFA have done ever?

3+1 would be bad. 4+1 is the right move. Aligns up better with the confederation, allows for teams in the league to not have to exclude two visa players for AFC. Wouldnt someone like Griffin welcome this as this would give his club more ties to Asia? From an owner point of view opening contacts in Asia would be good?

Doubt it , and I'm not surprised.  Often wonder why he's still around.

He seems to have taken over from Sage since the Cap-Rort deal muzzled him.

They don't write articles on things he likes.

How many clubs have 5 quality foreigners anyway. 4 is enough as i think Afc players will be too expensive. Hopefully an extra spot for a Aussie.

Having 5 visa spots dont "block" an aussie from signing. Nobody is forced to use them all. Roar are only using 3 visa spots, Sydney FC used 4 until the recent signing, Adelaide use 4.
 
Last season Jets, Glory, Nux and Melbourne City had 4 on their books. 

Adelaide used 5 until La Rocca became an Aussie and are almost certain to sign a fifth this transfer period so probably don't belong on the your list. Also had Danny Choi as an injury replacement visa player for a brief period.

I really can't stand him at our club

With all those technically proficient asian youth players regularly outperforming our youth,surely each HAL team can find one asian player Worthy of a spot.When you consider so many of the current Visa players warming benches here,maybe teams here just need better talent scouts in asia.

Griffin comes across as the greatest whinging arse in the country.  Maybe he will go back to AFL soon where that shit is lauded.

One third of the Australian Clubs are owned by Asian interests.  The  League's major sponsor is Asian.  The League winners are invited to play in the Asian Champions League where genuine status and fair money resides.  Griffin's anti-Asian stance should bite him on his whinging arse.

I agree does this guy ever shut up?? How about he actually pulls out his wallet for a change and actually bring in some top.talent rather than c9nstantly scraping by using the absolute minimum the cap allows and rely on the good will.of the fans to.show up week.in week out. He wants a new stadium but meanwhile he can barely get hindmarsh filled week in week out. Bring in a real marquee and see the place swell. 

Where to even begin with this post....

Davide, that's fine but he is very aggressive, it's embarrassing. Look at pignata's composed response as a better example. Griffin comes across as if he has a negative ffa agenda (and maybe he does).

LOL, sik 'em rex

You can begin by showing how he has done the opposite of what I just said.

You mentioned that he's been elected and thus his opinion may be what other owners are also thinking, but they are merely assumptions. The number of times he has come out stronger in a negative sense than any other owner on all issues relating to FFA is mind boggling. I don't even recall him ever coming out into support any initiative that isn't completely contractional. Always thinking in ways to suppress the game by bringing everyone down to the lowest denominator. Just because he knows his club couldn't keep up with the bigger clubs.

The only thing he's done recently that I support and see as forward thinking is putting pressure to build a football specific stadium near the city (not with his money of course tho). And really the only way to prove to state Government that it's the right way forward is to prove that Hindmarsh is too small, yet the club still can't sell it out unless playing against Victory. Invest in the squad properly by going above and beyond the salary cap in marketable marquees and the stadium will fill up every time and this will provide a real case for a new stadium. When ADP came to town, the place was packed. And rather than constantly chat about certain marquee players they have missed out on, how about they actually land one for a change. 

They won the title last year but totally dropped the ball because rather than investing in the club by building those links with new supporters, they chose the cheap route of hoping that everything would fall into place without having to spend any money. 

LOL

My point isn't about building on the park, it's about building off it. It's what Griffin seems to go on about a lot. So im answering in relation to that.

PS where are they now on the ladder? 

LOL!

Build off the park ?

FFA rule 1 :   As long as you do it with your own money but we make up the rules

P.S We'll take a 13% payrise to make up the rules again this year.

Who cares, they're safe from relegation

LOL indeed

No i stand by my original point. He brought the matter of on field so I ended up talking at his level which just made him silly because even if I were speaking about on field, that they are last so his point is moot either way.

Yeah, ......No...........Yeah


I think

You are answering a question I did not ask and doing so in a hysterical manner as seems to be your way. It's amazing.

Your initial rant was also based on the assertion we pay the bare minimum salary floor and always have done which is just plain wrong.

You then took something you made up, ran with it and whipped yourself into a frenzy.

You then rant about the type of marquee that we have seen maybe 3-4 of in A-League history across all teams (all of which were flops on the park but one was good off it) and suggest he should pay for one because you, a fan of another team who has a Russian sugar daddy and the advantage of being in the biggest, best known city in Australia where the benefits of a marquee MIGHT actually exist, would like to see one to prove he has the same passion for a football club as you do.....Someone who runs one of the clubs in the league and has seen us stop being nomads, have a training base and win a fucking championship, premiership and FFA Cup in the same time frame that you joined this forum as a mild mannered young poster who became a hysterical loud mouth who follows a club who has done JACK SHIT trophy wise in the same years Griffin has run United.

Griffin can be a tosser, but you talk more shit than even he does.

Have a good day :)

You haven't brought up any stats to prove that it wouldn't work in Adelaide. All you have done is accused me of going on a rant, then followed it up with your own rant..

Attendances and ratings for Sydney FC, City and Melbourne Victory as well as the league as a whole have risen when marquee players such as Yorke, ADP, Heskey, Kewell, Villa, Cahill were/are playing. FACT. Marquee players grow the club and the game as a whole which is absolutely vital. Adelaide perhaps should try and do the same and attempt to bring some high profile talent with all the evidence previously leaning towards higher crowds and ratings. This would actually help his cause of maybe getting a bigger stadium in the future would it not? What is flawed with that kind of thinking??

What would be your solution then? 

My point on all this (which btw was also echoed by a number of Adelaide United fans on this thread earlier), is that Griffin has a strong tendency to always take a negative stance on any direction that the FFA take. 

That's not necessarily in your favour aha

Umm well it is in my favour if they are all saying the same thing Im saying regarding Griffin being a whinging little prick. 

Happy to go back a few pages and copy paste the responses if you really like..

If they don't scream for a bigger slice of the TV deal now, the owners sure ain't going to get it because the FFA feel guilty.

Whatever the franchises don't get will be divvied up amongst the FFA execs.


Vultures are circling around that FoxCash, and grassroots has no say

Yeah...that red mist doesn't help you "get" stuff, does it.................................

Fact of the matter is this. Griffin has been firmly much more vocal in a negative sense than any other owner on all things FFA. Myself and the vast majority here can see it and have been vocal about it. You obviously fit in the minority. That's okay buddy, keep fighting the shit fight. 

Being vocal coz someone is being vocal is obviously a noble cause as oppose to my apparent shit fight aha

My shit fight being appealing for some logic and reason when reading articles.

If the other owners did not want him pushing their agenda in the media in the lead up to splitting up TV money he wouldn't be chair of the ownership committee.

But this goes way beyond the lead up to the broadcast deal. That to an extent I could understand, but im talking about the plethora of times he has come out in response to any FFA initiative in a negative way.

Why else would posters on here say he's a whinger if it was clearly a one off? There's a pattern here and the public are picking up on it.

If Di Pietro came out with a negative statement regarding an FFA initiative, you can rest assured the majority of posters would have a different reaction. THey may perhaps disagree with him but it's unlikely he would get so hardly labelled a whinger like we've seen here. Hence why Griffin's pattern of behaviour has caused to establish the opinion football fans on this forum have of him. 

If you want me to sound less bias, im happy to accept that Arnie is a whinger too. He's another classic example of someone that has a reputation of being a whinger because he has a tendancy to always have an opinion that portrays him as a whiner. Griffin is exactly the same, and as I said before, people on this forum as well as other members of the football community have picked up on it.

So you recant your original opinion that he was a tight arse?

lol

No he shouldn't recant!

Anyone who manages to turn a Championship winning team to wooden spooner material, deserves everything they get. I mean, it takes some doing to achieve that and recognition needs to be given wherever its due! 

A couple of things to consider:

1. He's not solely responsible for signing players. The squad apparently is costing the full cap + concessions which him and the other owners in the consortium are most responsible for. 
2. Let's wait and see where we are at the end of the season. We're not the first team to win the title one year and have an average season the next so I'm not sure how this takes "some doing".

That's all good if he is not solely responsible.

He is the CEO though and as such will take the brunt of abuse. 

Was it him who wrote that Press Release? We will never know because no one will own up to it. I want to know who wrote it. One thing not taking responsibility or accepting blames but to abuse the fans is something else.