Bad News for Nix & A-League

THE structure of the A-League has been called into question after Football Federation Australia was effectively ordered to jettison Wellington Phoenix by 2012 or face the prospect of Australian clubs being banned from the lucrative Asian Champions League.

Despite months of lobbying by the FFA, officials at the Asian Football Confederation on Thursday issued an edict maintaining the hard line that Australia's league having a club from another country - and confederation - breaks Asian Champions League rules.

Wellington can continue to play in the A-League only if their number of foreign players - i.e. non-Australian - is limited to the five that the other A-League clubs are permitted.

That will rip the local heart out of a club that has provided the bulk of New Zealand's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa squad, and defeat the point of having a Kiwi side in the A-League.

The A-League will expand to 11 clubs in 2010-2011, and Sydney Rovers are scheduled to become the 12th team in 2011, but any decision to offload the Wellington franchise - probably switching it to Canberra - will deliver a blow to the FFA.

FFA chairman Frank Lowy has lobbied hard since the Asian Football Confederation first raised objections to the A-League having a New Zealand corner, and FFA officials had felt progress was being made.

Wellington officials could not be reached for comment on Thursday night, but an FFA spokeswoman said: "We're very encouraged by indications from the AFC regarding Wellington Phoenix's eligibility for the ACL. But there are some issues we need to follow up with them for clarification."