Tony Popovic’s coaching future remains clouded as he focuses on guiding Melbourne Victory to an A-League title.
Popovic and Victory officials are still at odds over terms of a new deal.
If the 50-year-old former Socceroos defender wants to stay in charge of the Victory, he will have to accept a significant pay cut.
Reportedly earning more than $700,000 per year, Popovic will have to agree to close to a 50 per cent reduction in his annual salary if he is to remain at the Victory, who like other A-League clubs are bracing themselves for a much smaller distribution figure from the financially embattled APL.
As reported last month by News Corp Australia, Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler is among the candidates Victory officials are considering as a replacement for Popovic, with the others being former Melbourne City boss Patrick Kisnorbo, Adelaide United assistant Mark Milligan and Western United assistant Hayden Foxe.
Popovic, who is preparing his side for Sunday’s semi-final first-leg clash against Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park, said on Friday that his contract talks with the Victory had been put on hold.
“That’s something that we decided on a while back,” the former Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory mentor said.
“We’ll just focus on the games now, trying to get through these two important semi-final matches, and we’ll deal with that at the appropriate time.”
The winner of the two-legged Victory-Phoenix battle will meet either the Central Coast Mariners or Sydney FC in the A-League grand final on May 25.
The Victory earnt a shot at the Phoenix – who had last weekend off courtesy of their top-two ladder finish – by ending Melbourne City’s season in last Sunday’s dramatic elimination final that required a penalty shootout to find a winner after scores were locked at 1-1 at the end of normal time and extra time.
“We want to draw on that. We don’t just want to put it away,” Popovic said.
“We want to use the emotion and the strength of that result and performance in this next challenge (against the Phoenix).
“They earnt the week off. We know they’re a very good team. They’ll come here full of confidence, but they’ll also be playing a team that’s also full of confidence and full of belief.”
To reach the grand final, the Victory will have to overcome the loss of star French attacking midfielder Zinedine Machach, who copped a two-game suspension after being sent off last Sunday for violent conduct.
“He’s a fantastic player but we’ve played a lot of minutes without him, and we’ve got some good options to fill his position,” Popovic said.
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