The players union that represents Australian soccer stars has spoken out about the uncertainty facing A-League Women club Canberra United, warning the team's demise would be "a step backwards" for the sport.
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In a statement, Professional Footballers Australia co-chief executive Kathryn Gill expressed her concern about the situation after Capital Football declared on Tuesday that the game's governing body in Canberra would only continue to operate United if it can source "improved investment".
"Canberra United is a foundation A-League Women's club with a storied history, deeply engaged supporter base and exceptional talent that has contributed to our national team's success," Gill said.
"The A-League Women without Canberra United would be a step backwards for women's professional football, limiting opportunities for elite players and turning fans away from the game.
"The uncertainty surrounding the club's future in the A-Leagues is eroding the positive progress made by generations of players, while leaving the current players unsure about their immediate futures."
It's understood the association met with the Australian Professional Leagues this week where the issues at United were among the topics discussed.
The team's future in the top domestic competition is uncertain amid a stalled A-League Men expansion bid and Capital Football citing significant financial hurdles to continue running United beyond this season.
United's captain and league-leading goal-scorer Michelle Heyman said a fortnight ago that if there were no updates on the club's future soon, star players including herself would walk.
Several players are already being circled by rival clubs as contract talks with United are held off, and on Wednesday, international star Maria "Cote" Rojas announced her departure to join Chilean club, Santiago Morning.
Capital Football has promised to "step up its discussions with key stakeholders" of the stalled A-League Men bid, which has unintentionally impacted United.
Two more matches remain for United this season, with their final home game on Wednesday afternoon at McKellar Park - a rescheduled round 17 fixture that was cancelled in February due to hail and lightning storms. Their final game for the season is in Brisbane on Saturday.
There remains no clear indication of when the new Canberra men's team's $20 million backers - that are expected to also take on the women's side - will be announced, though the bid group and the Australian Professional Leagues remain confident of getting the deal finalised soon.
The Canberra A-League Men bid was met with plenty of excitement when it was first announced in March last year but a new licence holder is still yet to be locked in, despite the APL initially planning to announce a backer by June.
Delays have been blamed on a slow but vigilant process given the size of the investment, with the Foreign Investment Review Board and AUSTRAC - the Australian Transaction Report and Analysis Centre - becoming involved.
To try and assist Capital Football's financial concerns about United going forward, ACT Sport Minister Yvette Berry announced an advance of next year's $250,000 in government funding.
In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, Capital Football chief executive Samantha Farrow hit back at claims her organisation did not support women's soccer as "unfair and unwarranted", following a fan petition to "save Canberra United".
Farrow also warned that continuing to operate Canberra United will start to impact soccer's community players, after revealing it had spent $1.25 million per year on the team in the past two seasons.
"Capital Football has over 15,000 participants, across all areas of our game. Continuing to run at a loss will affect each individual and the ongoing viability of our competitions making additional sources of revenue vital to our success," Farrow said.
"I can assure all involved, our intention is to see Canberra United on the pitch for season 17, subject to improved investment.
"Capital Football continues to explore all avenues to ensure that Canberra United take the field for season 17, seeking new sources of investment having exhausted traditional revenue and funding streams."
AT A GLANCE
A-League Women Round 17 (earlier postponed)
Wednesday: Canberra United v Sydney FC, 4pm, McKellar Park