Football
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Ange Postecoglou reminds FFA: 'Never forget what your prime product is'

Ex-Australia manager Ange Postecoglou has urged the game's bosses to put football first when the A-League resumes.

The two-time A-League championship-winning coach, and reigning J-League winner with Yokohama F. Marinos, believes the COVID-19 crisis is the perfect time to reset a competition which was already struggling before the pandemic.

He is wary, however, of those saying player wages have to be cut post-crisis, arguing only a quality on-field product will deliver the rejuvenation Australian football needs.

"My beef about sport has always been, and I've sat in boardrooms of the most impressive businessmen going around, never forget what your prime product is and your product is the sport," Postecoglou told ABC's Offsiders program.

"If you devalue the sport, you can save as much money as you want, eventually that devaluation is going to cost you."

The A-League is facing an uncertain future with at least seven of the 11 clubs standing down players and staff following the decision to postpone the competition last month.

There's also concern broadcaster Fox Sports is attempting to walk out on its $57-million-a-year deal with the FFA, in a move which would remove a vital revenue stream for clubs.

Postecoglou, however, believes the crisis should be viewed as an opportunity for those in charge.

"Great chance for an opportunity to reset the sport with football as its main core," he said.

"How do you improve the product? If you improve the product then the value of that is always going to match up.

"Hearing administrators talk about cutting costs, inevitably they go to the football or they go to the sport first, has never made sense to me and the sports that came out of this understanding that will be the ones to prosper the most."

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