When Auckland FC will know if they can register star ex-Phoenix goalkeeper

By Will Toogood

It was the move set to lay a pile of kindling under New Zealand’s latest sporting rivalry, douse it with diesel and drop a lit box of matches on top.

But just over a week after former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen was announced as new A-League club Auckland FC’s most significant signing to date, no declaration of registration or eligibility to play competition matches has been made by either Auckland FC, the A-Leagues or Football Australia.

Paulsen’s participation in the A-League is subject to approval of amendments to the A-League Player Contract Regulations by Football Australia (FA), namely the Caceres Clause, which was installed to prevent financial imbalance in the league by multi-club systems.

It is so named for the rule brought in in 2016 after Manchester City and Melbourne City exploited the multi-club system in order for Melbourne to acquire midfielder Anthony Caceres.

As parent club, Manchester City paid the transfer fee for Caceres and then loaned him directly to Melbourne City without him having played a match for Manchester City.

The rule was therefore installed to prevent a parent club buying players and then loaning back to another A-League club in their system within two transfer windows, as the Manchester and Melbourne clubs did with Caceres.

On the day of Paulsen’s announcement as an Auckland FC player on a season-long loan deal, three months after the reigning A-League Men goalkeeper of the year’s reported $4 million move to English Premier League club AFC Bournemouth, the A-League announced the Caceres Clause would be reviewed before the 2024-25 men’s season.

Bournemouth are owned by American billionaire Bill Foley, who also owns Auckland FC, so the transfer of Paulsen under existing A-League rules would not be able to be registered.

The Herald understands all 13 A-League clubs agreed on a review of the clause, the rule change has been sent to FA for approval, and that a decision was expected next month.

As things stand, Paulsen is able to play friendly matches against Australian clubs or elsewhere with a New Zealand Football registration - Paulsen started as Auckland FC suffered their first defeat of pre-season against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday.

If and when the rule change is approved by FA, Paulsen can then be registered as an A-League player.

Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker said following the announcement of Paulsen’s loan deal that the A-League clubs collectively agreed the league had outgrown the need for a rule like the Caceres Clause.

“We’ve been talking about it collectively as a league for months now, ever since the end of last season. Every single club agreed that it’s not the right rule for us where we are now and it’s going to be taken out.”

Wellington were quick to respond to the announcement and Phoenix general manager David Dome told media on that same day they would be seeking clarification on the move, posing the question as to how Auckland FC could announce the signing of Paulsen before that clause was changed.

“I’m not actually against him playing for Auckland – that’s not the issue for us. It’s the fact that the regulations haven’t been finished in time before the announcement was made, and let’s just be clear he actually at the moment cannot play for Auckland.”

Auckland FC will await the decision from FA on the rule review before their inaugural season’s first match, October 19 at Go Media Stadium Mount Smart against Brisbane Roar.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission