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SYDNEY - Former Socceroos international Robbie Slater says a New Zealand team have no place in the A-League and could even hamper Australia's chances of qualifying for the next World Cup.
Slater, who played 28 internationals for Australia, led the inevitable calls for excluding a New Zealand franchise from the A-League after a tumultuous week for the Knights when Football Federation Australia pulled their licence.
Slater said the past two years, in which the Knights have won just three of their 37 matches, showed a New Zealand team were not up to it.
"Let's face it, the New Zealand experiment hasn't worked," he told the Sunday Telegraph.
"The Knights can't attract fans and their results have been poor. Not only have they finished last, but they've been last by a country mile.
"In an eight-team competition you just can't carry such a team. It's not good for the credibility of the A-League."
Slater, who won an English premiership title with Blackburn in 1994-95, objected to Australia helping New Zealand develop their promising players in the A-League.
Slater was concerned Australia's World Cup chances could suffer now that New Zealand are going through the same qualifying route via Asia.
"Do we really want to be helping a Kiwi club develop their players when they could play against us in the World Cup qualifiers?" Slater asked.
- NZPA
