Leon Grice: businessman linked to Auckland City FC on the side's draw with Boca Juniors

There's hope among Kiwi football fans after Auckland City FC bounces back from some disappointing matches. 

After conceding a whopping 16 goals in their first two matches, the Oceania representative managed to draw 1-1 with South America's Boca Juniors in Nashville.

Leon Grice, a businessman linked to Auckland City FC, says this feels like a step forward.

"They play all over the world, they have the ability to rise and play."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Auckland City FC have managed something historic. They've knocked
one of Argentina's best football teams out of the FIFA
Club World Cup, having drawn one one with Bocker Juniors,
which is quite a turnaround because they got thumped ten
ten zip the other day. Wellington businessman Leon Grice helps
Auckland City FC fundraising is with us now.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Haile on, Hey, Heather, I think I have a red
wine to celebrate.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
I think you might need to. Is that all You're
going to have? Just one little red wine?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well? I think I might have a few more of it.
It was just it feels like a victory.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
I have to say, yeah, now did you see this
coming in any of your possibilities did this feature as
one of them?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
Well, I traveled with the team for the second of
June until the buy in game and had to come
home and kicking myself that I had to. But but
you know, this is a team, you know. And Paul Poser,
he's the coach, the team manager, and he once said
when we came third in a in a smaller Club
World Cup edition that just because you're doesn't mean you

(01:00):
can't play like professionals. And the biggest challenge for these
for this team, these boys is as amateurs, they needed
to adjust to the pace and the physicality of the game.
And yeah, we got absolutely you know, smashed by buying
Munich and we're actually did okay against ben Fika fifty
minutes not all. And then you know, then there was

(01:21):
a two hour break and our boys came back with
you know, sow legs. You know, they stiffened up and
they looked like that and we lost six nil to
ben Fica. But against Boca Juniors, you know, it doesn't
surprise me. I've seen them do this against top teams.
They are a team that plays forty eight games. They
play all over the world. They are the most traveled
New Zealand football team. You know, if you know Morocco,

(01:43):
the Fiend to the SA, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Solomon Island, Tahiti,
they played, you know, they play all over the world.
So they have the ability to rise and play. They're
not nearly as good man for man, but as a
team they can rise and they can compete.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
And is it true that they get paid one hundred
and fifty dollars a.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Week, that's all they're allowed to be paid as amateurs.
One hundred and fifty dollars a week, and then you know,
up against against Bayern Munich, we're up a team worth
two billion. Wow.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Yeah, it's pretty remarkable. A It just goes to show
what could be, what could happen if we sunk some
serious coin into it. Leon, thank you, appreciate it and
enjoy your celebration in your red wine. Leon Grice, Wellington
Businessmen volunteer at Auckland City FC. For more from Heather
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be
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