The Wellington Phoenix can confirm its plans for the A-League 2020/21 season, which is scheduled to begin on 27 December 2020.
Due of the current COVID-19 travel restrictions, the club has made the difficult decision to base the Phoenix squad out of New South Wales, Australia for the start of the 2020/21 season.
The plan is to have all players assembled in New South Wales in the week commencing 1 November, where they can begin training as a team. This will require players from New Zealand travelling to Australia prior to this date, as well as Australian-based and overseas-based squad members travelling into New South Wales – for the latter, this may require players having to undergo two weeks quarantine; in this situation, the players affected will join the squad, and begin training, after their quarantine ends.
The club has been busy putting together an exciting 2020/21 squad, and will make official announcements in the next two weeks around our playing roster. This will include re-signings and contract extensions, as well as local and international signings.
Should a trans-Tasman bubble eventuate during the season, the club will review the potential to play home games in New Zealand later in the season. This is dependent on changes being made by the New Zealand government around the two week quarantine process upon a person’s return to New Zealand, when it is deemed safe to do so, and the costs incurred of relocation back to New Zealand.
The club would like to recognise the continued sacrifice of its players, coaches and technical staff, who again face the prospect of being separated from their families and loved ones for a long period of time.
