Australia players face pay cuts

Sydney - Australia's top football players face a pay cut next year with a plan for remuneration to be based on how profitable the national team's games are.

Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop said the Socceroos were not attracting the same crowds as in their heyday from 2006-10 and pay should more accurately reflect this.

"It's a product of where we were at that time," he said on Tuesday of the current pay scale, in which players reportedly earn Aus$6 500 (US$6 040) a match regardless of the opponent.

"But the next four-year cycle, I think we can come up with a more reasonable system. We need to look at the tiers of games we're involved in.

"When we're playing top-class opposition and there's a big opportunity to make gate receipts, then the pay can be at one level.

"But when the Socceroos play in lesser games in the next four-year cycle... we need to be looking at appropriate remuneration for those games."

The current agreement expires in June 2015.

Despite being among the lowest-ranked sides an the World Cup in Brazil, the Socceroos will be among the highest earners, according to Australian Associated Press.