KEY POINTS:
Football Federation Australia has ensured there will be some Christmas joy for fraught New Zealand Knights players and their families.
The federation yesterday paid out about A$200,000 ($225,700) to cover the player's December wages.
It has also agreed to pay players until the end of January under provisions of a short-term contract which they will be asked to sign on their return after Christmas.
"Basically, we have put into those contracts all the PFA [Professional Footballers Association] wanted," said operations manager Matt Carroll yesterday. "We have no problems and will cover salaries, bonuses and, where applicable, air fares and living allowances."
Beyond the end of next month Carroll said some players would be out of their contracted period and others wanted to become free agents.
"The PFA wanted us to guarantee all contracts through to the end," said Carroll. "That would have cost us A$1.25 million. We told them there was no way that will happen."
Of suggestions that stand-in coach Ricki Herbert might need to look for additional players to get through to the end of the season, especially if some do not return after the break in time for Boxing Day training, Carroll said there were provisions, under exceptional circumstances, for new players to be registered with the league.
Looking further ahead, he said New Zealand Soccer was doing a very good job in talking with potential backers and investors.
"We will help them put a plan in front of people," said Carroll. "I'm confident we will be able to work things out."
Knights captain Darren Bazeley said the players had welcomed the timely Christmas bonus, which was paid by New Zealand Soccer. Chief executive Graham Seatter said the federation had given NZ Soccer the money to cover the players until the end of their season. "We are simply doing as we are told."
Bazeley said he presumed the PFA was still in talks with the federation and hoped any issues would be resolved. He expected all players would be back for training on Tuesday for Friday night's game against Queensland Roar in Albany.
