Soccer: Rufer prepared to play, but only on his terms

Soccer great Wynton Rufer says he is prepared to see out his playing contract with the Football Kingz until the end of the season.

But he does not know if coach Kevin Fallon will select him in the National Soccer League team if he does not attend every team training.

"I'm going to be seeing my contract out, it was always my intention," Rufer said yesterday.

"It's just that I only have to be at training three times a week so it's a bit difficult for Kevin.

"I didn't change it, the club changed it. Kevin's pretty much made it clear that he doesn't want players who are training part-time, but I can't help that, that's my contract."

An impasse has developed between Rufer and Fallon over training.

Rufer says the Kingz must abide by his contract, agreed with Fallon's predecessor Mike Petersen.

He says those agreements stipulate he trains with the team three times a week, and has two personal training sessions with the club's physical trainer.

Fallon, who took over as coach after Petersen quit in October, says he expects all players to be at every training session.

When Fallon became coach, Rufer was reported to have refused to play under him, but later said he would fulfil his contract.

He would not say whether he remained keen to take the field for the Kingz.

"I signed a contract under the understanding that Mickey Petersen would be in charge, with Darren Welch as his fitness coach.

"I worked out everything there, worked out a training schedule with them and then I signed a contract. It's a different situation now, so I don't want to comment."

A meeting between Rufer and Kingz chairman Paul Smart is due today to try to resolve the differences.

Rufer is recovering from a calf strain, but said he would be ready to resume training with the team soon.

"In 10 days I'll start training with the team, but then again, Kevin's made it clear from the first day that he's only going to choose players that are training every day.

Rufer said last month that he wrote to Smart, on the advice of the Professional Football Players Union in Australia, outlining his verbal agreements with Petersen and Welch, and that had not been challenged. He expected Welch to back up his deal if the dispute went to court.

He said he would not have signed a contract without the verbal agreement on his training schedule.

"If Mickey had said 'look, you have to be at training every day,' I'd never have signed a contract. The club has to sort it out, it's not my problem. The ball's in their court."

Rufer said he was not bothered by criticism from people who did not understand professional football, because he was simply abiding by his contract.

- NZPA