Of all teams suffering right now, Kiwi sports fans have got to feel sorry for the Phoenix.
The Wellington A-League club just can't buy a break between lockdowns on either side of the Tasman, and with the new season fast approaching there's no let-up in sight.
Coach Ufuk Talay told 1 NEWS the team has had every possible challenge to deal with recently having relocated to Australia the last two seasons to deal with pandemic restrictions.
“I think every challenge possible has been thrown at this club and this team, so we'll just take it as it comes,” Talay said.
“Did the quarantine, got out of quarantine, had one day of freedom, then went straight back into lockdown.”
New Zealand returning to Alert Level 4 has put a stop to the Phoenix’s pre-season before it even begun.
This while all the other A-League sides train through their respective lockdowns - something the Phoenix can't do until we're back in Alert Level 2.
Talay admitted it was a “disadvantage” but one they’re well used to with this their third-straight season facing the prospect of basing themselves in Australia, at least for part of the season.
But one thing's for sure, at least for Talay - last year's setup in Wollongong is a no-go.
“I'll never say it's unlikely, because things change very quickly, but at the end of the day there're other places the club and the competition is looking at,” he told 1 NEWS.
The more pressing issue for the club, like most Kiwis outside New Zealand, is trying to bring people - specifically overseas players - into the country.
“We don't get any special conditions, we're just like the general public,” Talay said.
“Go in, try to book a spot, and if we get in, we get in.”
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