The future of Australian football rests in the hands of FIFA after accusations FFA chairman Steven Lowy twice derailed political consensus over an extraordinary 24 hours.
A joint FIFA/AFC delegation will return to Zurich on Thursday night to report back on what one A-League club chairman described as an “embarrassing” show of the domestic game’s governance.
FIFA spent two days in Sydney seeking to broker a compromise on its mandate that FFA broaden its congress to allow more stakeholders a say in how the game is run.
Given the drawn-out and toxic nature of the impasse, such a task was always going to go down to the wire.
In the end, two capitulations by wavering state federations under pressure from Lowy left furious A-League clubs calling for the chairman’s head, and believing the only way forward is if FIFA execute threats to sack the FFA board and appoint a normalisation committee to temporarily run the sport.
“We are bitterly disappointed at not having reached consensus with our fellow stakeholders,” said Greg Griffin, chairman of the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association.
“We are equally disappointed at the obstruction of the process by the FFA board.”
Incessant drama descended into farce at FFA headquarters on Thursday afternoon when Lowy hauled the state federations into a private meeting lasting two hours, leaving FIFA representatives and some 15 stakeholders waiting idle as valuable negotiation time ticked away.
It’s understood Lowy, despite being deployed as a facilitator in this process, had already stymied Wednesday’s first breakthrough between the clubs, players’ union and states by calling a snap meeting with the states late on Wednesday night to reassert his influence.
Hopes for an end to the imbroglio appeared all but lost during Thursday morning’s acrimonious all-in session comprising about 40 representatives from the various parties.
Yet over a long lunch, the clubs and Professional Footballers Australia again reached resolution with the states, only for that work to come undone in the subsequent behind-closed-doors conference.
It’s believed the scuppered deal centred on an interim 15-member congress comprising nine votes for the state federations, five for the clubs and one for the players.
That temporary 9-5-1 model would remain until an independent A-League is created, at which point the clubs would cede one vote.
Previously, all state federations except the largest, Football NSW, supported FFA’s proposal for a 9-3-1 model which gives the clubs less influence and has since been rejected by FIFA as undemocratic.
The clubs have long been united with PFA in their campaign for a 9-6-2 framework.
“A wide range of options has been robustly discussed over the past 48 hours,” Lowy said in a statement.
“Everyone, including the FFA board, A-League club owners, member federations and the PFA have shown willingness to move from their original positions and this has been noted by the FIFA/AFC delegation.”
AR
Guest
Agreed. We just need the government and FIFA and the billionaire owners and the millions of participants to help us and *finally* we can shove that pesky AFL about of the way and become No.1!
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Well, it's predominantly a Melbourne game.
AR
Guest
Interesting question. First, the massive potential shortfall I referred to was in reference to *all* Westfield sponsorship, both men's and women's. You need to read more carefully. Second, it is quite possible that my knowledge about FFA sponsors is on par with your knowledge about FFA sponsors. See: alcohol. In other words, eff all. Third, however, the ALeague page *does* list Westfield as an official partner. So you're again wrong on that front. The Socceroos pages lists Westfield as a "shared sponsor from FFA" (which is curious) but then, the official FFA page says: "Westfield Official Partner of FFA, the Hyundai A-League, the Caltex Socceroos..." So either the FFA website is wrong, or the Socceroos website is wrong. Either way, it's semantics really - which I know is one of your favourite things. Fourth, how much cash does Westfield give the men's part of the game? I can confirm I have no idea. But based on industry norms there is likely to be a small figure (unless the FFA accept all contra and no cash for the men's part). I don't know how much cash the women get, but I would assume that is significant as naming sponsor. Hence: for both, massive potential shortfall. Let's just hope the FFA got the $100m p.a in broadcast rights that you promised, so it can easily cover this potential shortfall.
punter
Guest
If FIFA care about football they would, but they don't they just car about; 1. One those that can keep them in power. 2. Those elite few, If FIFA cared AFL would be a Melbourne game.
Nemesis
Guest
"Not to mention the cash that Westfied gives the ALeague and the Caltex Socceroos. It’s a massive potential shortfall)." I'd be keen for you to actually mention it. I'm really interested to know what you know about the "cash Westfield gives the Aleague & National Men's team". I've looked at the Financial Reports but there's no line item, so let's know what you've found out. As a starting point: a) the ALeague home page lists "official partners" and Westfield is not listed b) the Socceroos home page lists "official partners" and Westfield is not listed But, maybe, Westfield is shy & doesn't want to take credit for "the massive" cash it's sinking into the ALeague and Socceroos. So, please give us the figure you've found that tells you "It’s a massive potential shortfall" that will result if Westfield pulls out.
AR
Guest
I didn't say it was. But I'm looking at the naming rights sponsor of the Westfield Matilda's and the Westfield W-League and wondering if there's another company willing to throw that much cash at it. (Not to mention the cash that Westfied gives the ALeague and the Caltex Socceroos. It's a massive potential shortfall).
Evan Askew
Guest
That is what I fear as well.
europop
Guest
Come on FIFA. Bring out the sword and sack these unworldly bogans now.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
We have to get out of the mindset that the game is dependent on one family. It's not.
Brisvegas
Guest
If the world economy collapses they may get there again. I can't see it happening before then.
Nemesis
Guest
"I doubt whether fans of ManU, Barcelona or PSG will ever experience relegation on any level other than the philosophical one." When I was first introduced to English football, Man United were in the 2nd Division.
Brisvegas
Guest
Pro-rel is a necessary thing, no question about that. Philosophically speaking it is a great and I think necessary thing. I wouldn't have it any other way and look forward to it being introduced in Australia. Just saying, getting relegated is not much fun on a personal level. It's not something I've celebrated in the past. I doubt whether fans of ManU, Barcelona or PSG will ever experience relegation on any level other than the philosophical one.
Nemesis
Guest
We currently have 10 ALeague clubs. Relegation will not commence before we have, at the very least 14 ALeague clubs; maybe, even 16. So, if you are one of the current 10 ALeague clubs & you cannot be better than 4-6 new clubs that enter the competition, then you don't deserve to stay in the Top Competition. Move down & let someone more deserving take your place. The clubs that will fear relegation in the first 10 years are the 4-6 Expansion clubs. Thereafter, it's more than likely, the clubs that get promoted will be fighting to avoid relegation the following year.
Brisvegas
Guest
Coping with relegation is very different to celebrating it.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
A-League club boss calls for 'toxic' Lowy to go A-League club chiefs have vented their fury at Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy, with one indignant owner describing his continued presence at the helm of Australian football as 'toxic'. As FIFA prepare to oust the FFA board after Lowy twice in the space of 48 hours torpedoed an agreement between the clubs, the state federations and the PFA over the make up of a democratized new congress, club bosses are on the warpath over what they perceive as an act of treachery. They claim that FFA over-reached the terms of their remit as an administrator by scuppering a deal which would have seen the clubs gain five seats on a 15-strong congress, with state bodies retaining nine and the PFA owning one. Those numbers would have given the clubs a powerful voice in electing future FFA boards, effectively leaving Lowy as a lame duck leader stripped of his power base. One owner, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Lowy should now be forced out by FIFA 'the sooner the better', as the world ruling body's three-person delegation arrived back in Zurich on Friday minus a consensus from their crisis intervention mission to Australia. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/08/11/league-club-boss-calls-toxic-lowy-go?cid=inbody:state-chief-vows-footballs-civil-war-will-solved
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Article in the Australian by Ray Gatt Australia soccer broken as FIFA prepares to take over Australian soccer is broken and divided after an extraordinary and at times shameful 48 hours in which every ugly element that has been synonymous with the sport for so many years crawled out from under its rock. It was there for all to see, the self-interest, the deceit, the egos, the backstabbers. It was all part of a disgraceful charade that was supposed to be a meeting that would help facilitate a resolution to an impasse that has dogged the code for the past 12 months. With a delegation from world governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation in town for two days to try and find consensus in the mess that is FFA’s voting congress, here was the chance for the stakeholders to show they were true leaders. It was a time to show everyone in the game that they could work together, that they are the right people to take us forward, that they love the game enough to put aside jealousies and fears. Instead, they chose to send us into further turmoil and make soccer a mockery yet again. No 1 sport in Australia one day? Not likely.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
That's life as a real football fan, one enjoyed by billions of people around the globe. Are we somehow unique in Australia that we can't cope with our club getting relegated? Is our DNA different to the rest of the world? Real football fans follow their club through thick or thin (but maybe they don't follow franchises as closely?)
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
As I said, if Blacktown got promoted, then they too would be an A-League team, one whose stature would be on par with the Mariners, and they would immediately achieve average A-League ratings.
Brisvegas
Guest
Lol. Spoken like a fan of a team that is born to rule, ie clubs with little or no chance of being relegated. There is plenty to fear, believe me. And nothing to celebrate if you go down.
AR
Guest
What happens with all the Westfield sponsorship that currently pours into the game? Particularly for the Matildas.