Soccer: Con rubs salt into wounds

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Within hours of being cleared to return to soccer, Con Boutsianis helped to dump the Football Kingz back on the bottom of the Australian national league table.

Following a deal struck between the Auckland-based Football Kingz - the club on which Boutsianis turned his back without kicking a ball for it - and South Melbourne, the club he left at the end of last season, Boutsianis played for Souths in Perth on Saturday night.

Boutsianis played the opening 76 minutes at Perth Oval before being replaced by Clayton Bell as South Melbourne held on for a scoreless draw.

By keeping the leaders scoreless - the first time this season they have not scored - the visitors picked up a point to edge ahead of the Kingz on goal difference.

Kingz chief executive Chris Turner confirmed that the club had cut a deal with South Melbourne to end the saga, which began before the start of the season.

Boutsianis, who was brought to the club by former South Melbourne coach Mike Petersen, quit for personal reasons and returned to Melbourne.

Although he was sidelined while the off-field battle raged, Boutsianis continued to be paid by the Kingz.

The club maintained it was getting something back through fines for "breach of contract."

The issue was headed for a Soccer Australia tribunal hearing until Boutsianis, the Professional Footballers' Association and the Kingz struck their deal.

While Turner would not go into detail, he admitted the Kingz were out of pocket. .

' As part of the deal, Boutsianis will not be allowed to play for South Melbourne against the Kingz in the bottom-of-the-table clash in Melbourne on Friday night.