Kewell slammed over A-League demands
Reuters - Tuesday 05 July 2011, 06:49
MELBOURNE - Former Liverpool forward Harry
Kewell has come under fire from the Australian media and
bloggers for flirting with a return home to play in the domestic
A-League but opting against the move for financial reasons.
Kewell's manager Bernie Mandic poured cold water on the
32-year-old international's return on Monday, telling a local
radio station that the free agent would be chasing deals
overseas after negotiations fell through with league
administrators.
Regarded as one of Australia's finest football exports, Kewell
had been pursued by several A-League clubs and was offered
top-up payments through a marketing deal by Football Federation
Australia to promote the struggling league.
The governing body baulked at his management's demand for a
large share of gate takings at away games, however, despite the
boost Kewell's return would give the competition, which has
battled declining crowds and financial troubles in recent years.
"Whatever the rights or wrongs, the latest development in
the drawn-out Harry Kewell saga has left a bad taste in the
mouths of Australian fans," The Australian newspaper said
in an op-ed piece on Tuesday.
"It is clear that any semblance of goodwill that surrounded
the much trumpeted arrival of Kewell into the A-League has been
flushed down the toilet of crude opportunism and brinkmanship."
Kewell, released from Galatasaray earlier this year after
three seasons at the Turkish club, may have damaged his brand
and value among fans, prominent football writer Michael Lynch
wrote in the Age newspaper.
"Helping the game grow would be nice. Providing a marketing
and sponsorship boost would be a handy bonus. Drawing a whole
new crowd of theatregoers fixated on big names? Well that would
be an added bonus," he said.
"But it turns out everything was incidental. Cash is king.
Harry, Bernie, why didn't you just say so in the first place? We
would all have respected you even more in the morning."
Internet users ridiculed the footballer's contractual
negotiations, compiling a list of "demands" on social networking
website Twitter.
"A-League to be renamed the H-League, club he signs for to
be renamed "Kewell +10," tweeted one user.
Australia's youngest international debutant at the age of 17
and a member of the nation's 2006 and 2010 World Cup squads, the
injury-prone Kewell has endured a sometimes fraught relationship
with local media.
The subject of a media circus over his fitness during the
World Cup finals in South Africa last year, Kewell engaged in a
slanging match with a local journalist who suggested he had
contributed more to fashion magazines than Australian football in
the lead-up to the tournament.
Australia were eliminated in the first round group stage
with Kewell missing the 4-0 defeat to Germany before getting
sent off after 24 minutes of the side's 1-1 draw with Ghana. He
was suspended for the team's final match against Serbia.