Craig Goodwin unhappy with A-League grand final move video as Perth Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich sits on fence

Socceroos star Craig Goodwin says he refused to champion the controversial move to award A-League grand final hosting rights to Sydney for the next three years in a promotional video.

It comes after the Adelaide Untied player joined the chorus of voices speaking out against the decision earlier in the week, stating in a lengthy online post he was disappointed in the decision.

Goodwin, who scored against France and Argentina in the World Cup, is the highest-profile player to come out against the decision to move the grand finals to Sydney for the next three years.

Monday’s announcement prompted intense backlash against the Australian Professional Leagues, who oversee the men’s and women’s competitions, with supporter groups planning boycotts and protests at this weekend’s games.

Goodwin appeared in a video promoting the three-year deal with Destination NSW in the aftermath of the decision, but said he did did not back the decision.

“When they were doing the filming, there were two questions that I was asked and one of them I refused to answer,” Goodwin told Channel 10.

“The other question was about what grand finals can do for Australian players.

“The question (I refused to answer) was, ‘why do you support this initiative by the APL and the DNSW?’ and I didn’t want to answer that question because I didn’t support it.

“I believe that it’s not in the best interest of the fans.”

Camera Icon Craig Goodwin of Australia looks on during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Australia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Credit: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images for Football Austra

A-League club bosses were in Melbourne on Thursday for their quarterly meeting. It comes as former A-League player and Perth Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich sat on the fence over the decision.

Zadkovich, who played in the inaugural A-League grand final for Sydney FC, felt his opinion mattered little in the scheme of things.

“What I will say, is that fans are really important to the game; their opinions and voice need to be heard,” he said.

“By the same flip of the coin, the people that run the league have business decisions in my mind. My opinion’s not worth too much on this one.

“This is football in Australia; nothing really surprises me anymore. There was an element of surprise, I guess because it’s something new. Change is always hard to face.”

Camera Icon Ruben Zadkovich sat on the fence. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Zadkovich stopped short of asking Glory supporters to not protest the decision, with fan groups around the country preparing to walk at the 20 minute mark of their next home game, but guaranteed his team would not be affected by it.

“Fans are entitled to their opinion; they’re the heartbeat of the game, they always have been and what they do is what they decide to do,” Zadkovich said.

“We need to worry about our job on the pitch and getting results. They’ve been working so hard and focusing on that, so I don’t think it will affect my players at all.”