Perth Glory have been booted from the Australian A-League finals following Football Federation Australia’s findings that the club were in breach of the league’s salary cap.
Reports Fairfax, Perth Glory were found to have failed to disclose reportable benefits and payments to at least six players and exceeded the allowed salary cap of $2.55m by approximately $400,000.
The have been fined $269,000 for breaches that took place over three seasons and have been knocked back on the ladder from second to seventh place, removing them from the league’s finals. “Where you’ve got deliberate concealment of payments, you need to impose strict penalties,” FFA chief executive David Gallop said.
Perth Glory’s breaches included not disclosing payments outside the standard player contract, payments to a player’s family member and agent’s fees, a third party sponsorship, accommodation benefits and provision of motor vehicles.
Upon announcing the ruling Gallop, who as head of the National Rugby League in 2010 presided over the penalties handed down to Melbourne Storm for their salary cap breaches, said he was in a position “that I’d hoped to never be in again”.
“As football’s governing body, the FFA has an obligation to fans, clubs, sponsors and broadcasters to make sure that every contest is fair and square and under the rules and regulations of the A-League.
“FFA is determined that we cannot have a club deliberately, significantly and persistently breaching obligations playing for the championship.”
Under FFA’s regulations Perth Glory has seven business days to lodge an appeal. They will host Sydney FC in Perth tonight.
