MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Current and former Australia players have taken legal action against the national footballgoverning body over a festering pay dispute days before the team is to open its qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) said the dispute related to payments dating back to 2010 and slammed the players' union for making it public in the leadup to the June 16 opener against Kyrgyzstan.
"The PFA's decision to make public statements about a confidential and independent dispute resolution process days before a FIFA World Cup qualifier is inappropriate and unnecessarily disruptive," FFA CEO David Gallop said in a statement on Thursday.
"The matters in question relate back to 2010, were first raised in August last year and are not material to the current qualification campaign."
The players' union said it had filed a grievance in accordance with the Socceroos' Collective Bargaining Agreement in relation to "Agreed Payments".
"This is a matter to be determined by an independent arbitrator," Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) said in a statement.
"The players have also exercised their rights under the CBA to have the Socceroos commercial contracts independently audited."
The PFA said an arbitrator had been appointed but no date had been set to commence proceedings.
The team has been at a training camp in United Arab Emirates this week preparing for their first match against the central Asian nation.
The PFA said in a statement late on Thursday that their chief executive Adam Vivian had met with Socceroos players in Dubai.
"During the meeting the players instructed the PFA to categorically reject any suggestion that the their focus for the upcoming qualifier would waiver due to the media speculation," Vivian said.
"In accordance with the players' instructions this matter has been ongoing for the past six months and has never detracted from their performances over this period.
"These are players that are plying their trade at the very highest levels of the game and their commitment to the national team is not in doubt.
"The players also reiterated their full support of the PFA in this matter."
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou also said the dispute would not have an impact on their qualifying preparations.
"All those kind of things have more of an impact externally from what we do here," Australian Associated Press quoted him as saying in Dubai.
"Camp has been going well. I can't fault our preparation, the players' mindsets, the staff mindsets."