Football Federation Australia (FFA) have released a statement regarding the situation involving Newcastle Jets marquee player Jason Culina.
The Australian international midfielder is currently sidelined with a serious knee injury which has brought forward plenty of hassle from an insurance point of view.
It has been reported that both the Jets and Culina were to launch legal action against FFA, claiming the game's governing body was negligent in allowing Culina to play for his former club, Gold Coast, without appropriate insurance.
But the FFA have hit back, saying Newcastle were aware they needed insurance for the 31-year old but contracted him without doing so.
"The Jets' decision to proceed to contract Jason without insurance, knowing he was injured at the time, was their decision. These circumstances don't relieve them of their obligations to him under the playing contract they signed at that time.
"It seems the club is now trying to pass this responsibility back to FFA. The idea that FFA, the administrator of the competition, should effectively take the risk for the salary payments of a marquee player that any club chooses to sign is untenable.""The Newcastle Jets knew it had the obligation to take out insurance for Jason Culina, as evidenced by the fact they tried to do so," said FFA Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Kyle Patterson.
