ADELAIDE United was about to take sides in the feud between Clive Palmer and Football Federation Australia - until a late intervention last night.

The Reds were set to tonight infuriate FFA by wearing the logo of maverick billionaire Palmer's unofficial soccer watchdog company "Football of Australia" in their Asian Football Confederation Champions League clash with Pohang Steelers at Hindmarsh Stadium.



The deal was worth an estimated $300,000 for the cash-hungry Reds' three remaining Group E and knockout matches should Adelaide qualify. Palmer's act angered FFA headquarters before the AFC intervened after the body agreed to the sponsorship last week.



An official from Football of Australia confirmed the AFC had ''overturned the sponsorship with Adelaide'' last night.



The mining magnate was also contemplating a major A-League sponsorship for the Reds worth more than $1 million for the next two seasons - a record deal for United.



But that funding could now be jeopardised.



The former Gold Coast United owner who was stripped of his A-League licence in February was set to beam his `Football of Australia' message to a potential 20 million live TV audience across Asia.



Palmer was due to start his soccer crusade with a planned fly-by over Adelaide with the logo `Freedom of Speech' sprawled across the hot autumn sky hours before kick off. The Reds were then expected to walk out onto the pitch bearing the club's first 2012 kit sponsor of the Asian campaign.



Palmer's gesture was set to save Adelaide from huge financial losses incurred during the Asian competition after the club dumped its A-League kit supplier Errea for Legea in Asia. Adelaide was embarrassingly short of any visible sponsors until Palmer's generous gift.



Adelaide is the only club in its group without sponsors which is surprising given the success United has had in the Champions League over its past three campaigns.



Since Adelaide's first Asian campaign in 2007, United has been sponsored by SA philanthropist Pat Scalzi's company Scalzi Produce (2007), Japanese manufacturer Sakai (2008) and the SA government (2010).



Palmer's attempt at the Asian sponsorship is certain to have a groundswell effect when Football of Australia hold a public inquiry into the current state of the game in Adelaide at the Adelaide Hilton next week.