Newly re-elected Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy has hinted he feels Qatar could yet be stripped of hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, saying the last word has not been spoken on the controversial awarding of the event.
The process of awarding the gulf country the event over the likes of Australia and the US, and the awarding of the 2018 tournament to Russia, has been widely criticised in the past year amid ongoing allegations of corruption within world football’s governing body.
Lowy, 81, was formally re-elected for another four years on Monday and laid out his ambitions to continue pushing Australia to becoming a “world class” football nation.
But asked about Australia’s failed bid to host the 2022 event – in which FFA earned only a single vote from the executive committee – Lowy hinted strongly his belief that FIFA could have to cave to pressure from around the world over the bidding process.
“I don’t know whether you recall when I came back from that fateful day (after losing the bid) and I said ‘this is not the last word about awarding the World Cup’,” Lowy said on Monday.
“Well it wasn’t the last word and the last word hasn’t been heard yet.
“Don’t ask me to elaborate because I don’t have a crystal ball … but the media all over the world talking is about that, the awarding particularly of ’22, the state of the FIFA executive committee – all that stuff.
“It’s not over. I don’t exactly know where it will bounce. The only thing I know is it’s not over yet.”
While anger lingers over Australia’s failed $45 million bid, Lowy said FFA’s focus in the coming years would be on strengthening the game domestically and successfully hosting the 2015 Asian Cup.
FFA has also set out ambitious targets for the national team and they are relying on the Socceroos qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to ensure a set of financial targets.
Despite predicting a surplus in February, the federation posted a loss of $891,000 for the 2010-2011 financial year due to having to rescue several struggling A-League clubs including the now defunct North Queensland Fury.
Among the on-field targets for the Socceroos are to reach the knockout rounds of the 2014 World Cup and challenge for a position inside the top 10 of the FIFA rankings by 2015.
Lowy said among FFA’s other biggest challenges was to convert more of the 1.7 million participants in all forms of the sport into supporters, agreeing interest in the national team had softened in recent times.
“I am concerned that Australia’s expectations are a little bit too high and that they want us to win all the time and they don’t come and follow it as much as they used to,” Lowy said.
“The competition is hard. Asia has improved a lot, but we have a coach and a good team and I expect to be there (in 2014) but I expect to get a bit more enthusiasm from the country.”
Lowy insisted he had been fully cleared of health problems suffered earlier this year and declared his biggest personal goal to “make the game sustainable.”
mahony
Guest
(1) 'New' market. (2) Topped the 'technicle analysis' component of the bid process. (3) Hosting credentials of the nation are second to none. (4) Strongest economy in the developed world. (5) I am Australian and support my nation hosting it.
jamesb
Guest
Personally I'm over the world cup bid i have completely forgotten all about it, until what Lowy said yesterday. I don't know if i want the 2022 bid anyway if Qatar was stripped. Its like ( i could imagine) walking over a dead body. Anyway FWIW, if Australia did bid for it again, this time it would be a joint bid with either Indonesia or New Zealand. Wasn't a fan of the stadiums in Australias bid, particularly in Geelong, Adelaide or Gold Coast. Gee there were some shockers there. People have mentioned Indonesia. As for New Zealands case, it would be nice if they contributed 3 or 4 stadiums. Also there part of Oceania, and a different time zone as well. If Australia bids next time, it has to be something different. A joint bid, would not only be something different, but it would lessen the costs of stadiums as well.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Ali----please read this my good friend.. This will concern you as I know you put player safety first before selfish Middle Eastern monetary gains. For heaven's sake if this goes on there will be player's risking their lives in 50 degree heat (what does a few lives matter). Of course the Middle Eastern countries have no fear of it because they will not survive the first round group stage ie they won't have to play in such searing heat temperatures. Wake up mate! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2059873/Qatar-World-Cup-Plan-air-conditioned-stadiums-dismissed.html
Ali
Guest
Qantas, exactly how did Qatar cheat? yes its sour grapes from the FFA and you Peter Hargitay said that the entire fifa exec committe do not even look at the bid book or technical report, the spanish fifa executive member said that a vote for the USA would be a vote for England, so dont you think that a vote for Australia would also be a vote for England? for this guy? Qatar may be spending all for the world cup but if you read all the facts all the infastructure projects would have gone ahead with or without the world cup. and yes i have seen the world, and we live in a great country that doesnt need a world cup to build bridges.
Midfielder
Guest
Tc If a 5 / 5 spilt ... then their is no need for any AFL grounds and only maybe three NRL grounds ... In Australia ... assume Suncorp, Homebush, Blacktown, ACT, + one only Suncorp & Homebush are affected and both can be moved to nearby stadiums in Aussie in Sydney and the Gold Coast stadium for Suncorp... This would take all the pressure off FFA ....
Futbanous
Guest
Yes relaxed indeed. Should be able to make a fortune selling sweat towels& anti perspirant for fans. Oh yes also a new sports drink that puts on the 10 kgs players lose per match. Shadow football anyone.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That's pretty damning - what a shamozzle. I like this quote: ‘Fan expectation needs to be a little more relaxed.’
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Why only 3 stadiums to Indonesia? They'd have at least 4 pretty big stadiums, probably 5. The weak parts of our bid were ovals in Geelong and the Gold Coast, probably Townsville wasn't too flash, could go with one stadium in Sydney. You'd probably have a 5/5 split.
Futbanous
Guest
Whilst I firmly believe the A-League is a priority for the FFA & they dropped the ball badly during the WC bid I was always dubious that Qatar could deliver on enough new air conditioned stadiums. This article further reinforces this view IMO. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2059873/Qatar-World-Cup-Plan-air-conditioned-stadiums-dismissed.html Seems there are now major doubts about air conditioning. This for me(air conditioning for fans inside & outside stadiums) is the biggest issue re the Qatar bid.
Punter
Guest
That way everyone happy, football gets the biggest sporting event in the world in Australia, AFL can still continue to play their season. The NRL gets compensated extremely well for their inconvenience of having to move a few games. Sydney Olympic stadium gets final.
Midfielder
Guest
TC I think an unbeatable bit TBH ... Taking the WC from an islamic nation and giving it to the Great Satan ... HHHHHHHHHHmmmmm ... but with an Indonesian presence ... in our bid.. Also takes the AFL grounds out of the bidding process... i.e. say 7 Australian stadiums and 3 Indonesian Stadiums as the ten required stadiums ... means the AFL stadiums are no longer needed... makes life a lot more easy only the NRL to deal with.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Lucan----well strip Russia of their world cup too. It's not my concern---I'm just discussing the '22 WC. When the FIFA investigation is completed and justice is served one way or the other---we can all get on with our lives. But Ali wants to go on the attack and misrepresent Frank Lowy's comment as just being sour grapes. The bidding process is about fair play and a process free of corruption, which we are yet to find out happened.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Ali---I think I was one of the first to congratulate Qatar for winning the world cup. (check Davidee Coran's article). But it's clear they cheated end of story. So they don't deserve it. In fact far as I'm concern if they are proven to be guilty of corruption charges and thrown out of FIFA I won't even blink. The world Cup will do nothing for Qatar they don't need it or the money you say it will generate---they have enough money. However, the poor folk your talk about could do with the wealth generated from the oil fields, which they pump up. But those oil barons who greedily control the wealth for themselves would rather spend it on a WC then spend the wealth on housing and hospitals in those nations you speak of. I don't get it Ali---you speak of a need for stadia rather then hospitals and housing for the poor of the Middle East---are you sure you did the charity work you speak of in the Middle East?
Lucan
Guest
I think it is widely accepted that Russia did not win on merit either. England, who had clearly the best bid on paper, exited in the first round of voting with only 2 of a possible 22 votes. The 2018 decision is just as tainted as the 2022 decision.
Ali
Guest
Whatever Qantas, im not here to fight with you over this. im just all for a better world and australia is alot better off already than most regions on earth. ive done chairty all over the world and seen it. the middle east needs a world cup, you have no idea, alot more than your gold coast, if only you knew how lucky you were. Russia won on merit???? here you go again. compare Englands technical and site inspections and it floors not only Russia's but every other bidder. all these sarcastic good lucks from you, and my air conditioning, what have i got to do with Qatar. i do however wish them the best, its a chance for them to open up the middle east to the world. australia doesnt need to host a world cup to make the game big here, it can do it by fighting the AFL and NRL, i do it everyday. no doubt you have a split passion for gold coast utd, gold coast suns, and gold coast titans. i know you do sitting here from a keyboard in sydney.
Lucan
Guest
Lowy wields too much power for any sort of challenger to get a look in. When he eventually pulls the pin I'd expect the top job to be hotly contested, but currently everyone knows there's little to no point in competing with him. I know he has been a hero to the game here, but the day he steps down will also be a great day to see football stand on its own two feet.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Ali---yes good luck to Australia and England... nuff said (although I think Russia won on merit). Oh and good luck on the air conditioning even now we know it was an impossible component to make in your presentation. And yes before I forget if there is a remote chance of the allegations of the corruptions as being false? Good luck to the players facing 50 degrees centigrade on the playing field in the middle of the day. But I know that doesn't concern you one iota.
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
C'mon boys he is the head of the FFA, he's expected to make a comment on what FIFA are doing with corruption allegations. In any case he has said, he doesn't have a crystal ball to know which way the cards are going to fall, but if they do fall in our favour he will seize the chance. In any case he owes that, at the very least, to the Australian Tax payers.
Ali
Guest
Are you happy now, your discriminating now, football pedigree or not , size and population, temperature and weather, distance to Europe. why should any of that matter. Qatar will keep all their promises because they have the financial power to do it, the air condition comments where made by an engineer, not the Qatar organising committee, you exagerate your comments. discriminating Qatar over its hot weather well you may aswell count the whole middle east out of ever hosting a world cup. If the bidding process was corrupt, then strip Russia aswell, England seemed to be robbed to. fine and simple. We should learn to Lose with Grace and humility. Good luck to Qatar
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Middie----thanks for the link and as Frank said let's see what happens in the greater scheme of things. If the cards fall our way I for one won't knock back a Football world cup on Australian soil...