Gold Coast midfielder Zenon Caravella believes the Hyundai A-League has the depth to cope with an expansion to ten teams in 2009-10.
Few people will be in a better position to judge the development of the Hyundai A-League than Caravella, having spent three years away from the national league since being a part of the New Zealand Knights team in season one.
After two years with FC Omniworld in Holland, he returns to the national league as a wiser 26-year-old, who believes the A-League is making a significant impression of the world of football.
“I think it’s going to be a lot better. Just because coaches and technical directors are recruiting a lot better, with their choices of players, and things like that. Every team is getting stronger and stronger and they are getting a few more standouts and things like that. I think it can only get stronger,” he said.
The addition of two teams, Gold Coast and Townsville this season and the probable addition of another two teams in 2010-11 has had some people fearing that the standard of the league will suffer due to a lack of depth.
But Caravella believes that the A-League now has the reputation to attract more quality players from overseas, both Australians returning home and international players.
“Because it was such a small league, I think going too big too quick would dilute it. What they’ve down now with two teams and with four overseas players you can bring back will work well,” he said.
“With the press that the A-League is getting now, especially with the World Cup coming up, looks like we’ll qualify again, the A-League is starting to become a serious force. People will come back to play. People want to be a part of it. If you put another five teams in straight away, then obviously it’s going to have that affect, but two teams are sufficient to find players,” he said.
