FFA CEO Ben Buckley has conceded that Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer's explosive comments about the league, its administrators and the sport of football in general could jeopardise Gold Coast United's position in the Hyundai A-League.
FFA CEO Ben Buckley has conceded that Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer's explosive comments about the league, its administrators and the sport of football in general could jeopardise Gold Coast United's position in the Hyundai A-League.
Palmer, one of Australia's richest men, lobbed a substantial hand grenade at FFA on Sunday when he described the game of football as 'hopeless' and dared the controlling body to take him to court over his ownership.
He continued his tirade on Monday, questioning Buckley's role in charge of the game and even questioning why the Socceroos had appointed a foreign coach.
Clearly aware that Palmer is trying to hit a hot button with his scattergun approach on football's key issues, Buckley refused to buy into the war, saying only that Palmer's comments were 'insensitive and somewhat disrespectful' and that they would be used to inform FFA on any future discussions about the viability of the Gold Coast team.
"We will continue to talk to Clive about his role in the game. He certainly made a substantive investment. There would be no Gold Coast United without his commitment to the team," Buckley said.
"But I guess some of his comments over the weekend mean that we have to evaluate the future of the Gold Coast United team."
Palmer had said on Sunday he would refuse to speak to Buckley, but the FFA CEO said he believed discussions with the billionaire mining magnate will continue and any decision on the future of the club would not be made quickly.
"No doubt we will have some conversations with Clive over the next few weeks as the season comes to a conclusion about the future of the Gold Coast franchise and Gold Coast United but first and foremost our priority is to make sure that the remainder of the season and the integrity of competition remains in place," he said.
"We will take our time. We will evaluate the future of Gold Coast United over the course of the next four to six weeks and the remainder of the season. We will take a sensible and rational approach to look at the future of Gold Coast United."
It has been an extraordinary week for Palmer and his club, with the owner installing 17-year-old Mitch Cooper as captain in his A-League debut against Melbourne Heart on Friday night.
Comments by foundation coach Miron Bleiberg about that decision were seen as dissenting by the club's management, who suspended the coach, who then resigned on Sunday.
On field, GCU are bottom of the table and look destined to collect their first wooden spoon.