Australia s talent should exploit A League woes Popovic

MELBOURNE – The A-League’s financial woes may be tough on clubs but the situation provides a huge opportunity for Australia’s young talent to push for international selection, according to Socceroos coach Tony Popovic.

The Australian top flight’s 20th season has been hit by cost-cutting, as administrators move to rein in recent years’ losses by slashing annual distributions to clubs from A$2 million (S$1.7 million) to A$530,000.

Popovic said the financial squeeze was challenging on the clubs and could affect whether they can run academies to develop players. But strict salary cap rules would also offer more local players a chance to make their mark as more costly international players would be shut out of the league.

Administrators will introduce a hard salary cap of A$3 million for players’ wages in the 2026-27 season, with an exemption for one marquee player outside the cap.

“If you’re a good young player in Australia at the moment, you should be really happy,” Popovic told reporters.

“The bosses of the clubs and people putting money into the game, they’re doing it very hard. (But) from a playing side, the young players are really flourishing at the moment. With the cuts for the salary cap you can only envisage that getting even stronger.

“From a playing point of view and Socceroos coach, I’m delighted to see all the youngsters playing. That obviously helps us and helps the Under-20s, Under-23s.”

A-League players made up more than a third of Popovic’s Socceroos squad in the last World Cup qualifying window, and he is likely to include another big local contingent for the upcoming matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Australia are second in Asia’s Group C behind already-qualified Japan, the world No. 15 regional heavyweights they face in Perth on June 5.

The top two teams secure