Wellington Phoenix maintain they have done nothing wrong and will seek legal advice before paying out former player Leilei Gao.

The Phoenix terminated Gao's contract last season, halfway through a one-year deal, but it was deemed as wrong by the Australian National Dispute Chamber.

The club has been ordered to pay Gao $52,500 in compensation for lost earnings but they will seek advice because they believe they are in the right.

"We're going to have a chat with Football Federation Australia and our lawyer is having a look at the decision handed down over the weekend, and we'll see what our options are, if we have any," Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata said yesterday.

"It's disappointing. We felt we had a strong case."