The semi-professional club secured a historic draw against Boca and pocketed one million dollars for its historic tie against the Xeneize
Despite having arrived at the match against Boca after conceding 16 goals in two games and not scoring a single goal against Bayern Munich and Benfica, Paul Posa's team withstood Russo's team's attacks and achieved a historic draw, which meant not only sporting dignity but also an economic lifeline.
The 1-1 draw between Auckland City and Boca, which left Xeneize eliminated from the Club World Cup, was not only a historic blow in sports, but also represented an unprecedented financial reward for the modest New Zealand club. For drawing the match, FIFA awarded them a one-million-dollar bonus, which adds to the 2.5 million earned for participating in the tournament.
This fact is significant, since that amount far exceeds any income Auckland City receives competing in Oceania, where it is a regular champion, but in a distinctly amateur context. According to what Sebastián Ciganda, the backup goalkeeper for the Oceanic team, confirmed in a conversation with DSports, the money from the draw will be distributed among the squad and the coaching staff, a true reward for their effort.
"Everyone thought Boca was going to score six against us," said the Uruguayan, who did not play in the tournament but was part of the delegation. He revealed that he had to request unpaid leave to participate: "If they hadn't given it to me, I would have quit. I didn't get paid for these days. When I return to New Zealand, I'll go back to my job cleaning pools and jacuzzis," he said with a laugh.
Now, with immense happiness, Auckland City returns to New Zealand, where its players will resume their jobs as employees, teachers, and self-employed workers, with the pride of having achieved something unthinkable. With one million dollars more in the club's coffers.
The scorer of the equalizing goal, Christian Gray, also has another job: he is a physical education teacher at two schools in Auckland. With humor, he joked about returning to his routine: "I have some assignments piled up from the last month."
However, he was also very clear about his emotion: "We regained some respect. This is very important for the club. We depend on volunteers, we don't have many resources, and I'm happy for the boys. We deserve it."
