Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro has taken aim at Football Federation Australia over FIFA’s looming takeover of the sport in Australia.
The world governing body is all but certain to step in following drawn out talks between stakeholders over governance reform of the sport.
Di Pietro let fly over what he described as “a shadow that hangs heavy over our game”, but vowed A-League clubs would fight for a greater say in an expanded congress model.
“You may have read that the governance of our game in Australia may soon be put into the hands of FIFA,” Di Pietro said at the Victory’s season launch on Wednesday.
“Why? Simply a combination of self-interest, political infighting and, if you listen to some, incompetence.
“The FFA through the member states are refusing to cede their overriding power to be in accordance with world football guidelines.”
The A-League clubs and players union have been united in support of a 9-5-1-1 model where state federations retain nine votes and clubs are increased to five.
The Professional Footballers Australia and women’s football get the other two.
However the FFA is unwilling to stray from a 9-4-1-1 model, with FIFA having given stakeholders a November 30 deadline before taking over.
The impasse over one vote is significant – to keep clubs at four votes would allow state federations to retain 60 per cent of the vote, a prescribed majority giving them power to propose and elect members as a bloc unopposed.
“How embarrassing then that the principal of world football, FIFA, could be called in to sort out our classroom,” De Pietro said.
“The A-League is the elite premier football competition. It provides a competition where the most talented can showcase and perfect their skills to a sporting-mad audience in Australia.
“We generate 70 per cent of football revenue in Australia and yet, collectively, the A-League clubs have only one vote in the congress of 10.
“It’s a token and meaningless vote.
“To be clear in this public forum, Melbourne Victory in line with all the other A-League clubs, want the professional game being both players and clubs, male and female, to have a democratic say in the voting congress of Australia.”
Nemesis
Guest
Where did I say centralised votes, or fewer votes? I have never suggested fewer votes. In fact I wrote a discussion piece on this 6 months ago, where I put forward a model that had 57 votes. The new Argentinian FA Congress that has been approved by FIFA has around 50 votes, which was created after installing a Normalisation Committee in Argentina, England FA has over 100 votes. Centralising the administration is no different to centralising the Federal Parliament in Canberra, but we still have 150 votes in the House of Reps from 150 electorates across Australia. Wouldn't be hard to divide Australia's football geographical map into 20-30 "electorates" that more accurately represent the football community within their location. This would eliminate the gerrymander that gives NT who have minute player numbers the same 1 vote as NSW & Victoria who have massive participation numbers.
Waz
Guest
"My only 1 hope is that the State Feds are abolished and all the assets & resources for football governance is centralized" .... quite the opposite of what FIFA wants? Their plan is to devolve governance to as many representstive bodies and stakeholders as possible. I agree with your stance on the State Feds all the same but we're likely to see more and more votes added not centralised
Mark
Guest
Until he posts a source I wouldn’t take what he says as being true. I think he’s making it up as he goes along. All information I can find suggests the outcome is similar to that of Greece. If people think FIFA’s stooges are going to resolve all of footballs issues in Australia, they’re kidding themselves. Best case scenario is they won’t make the situation worse.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
A-League clubs have threatened legal action to ensure they have a greater say in the governance of Australian football amid a pact between the FFA and the state federations designed to freeze the clubs out of the reform process. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2017/10/05/league-clubs-legal-threat-has-lowy-limbo-fifa-takeover-looms
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
I guess a 50% success rate is pretty good then.
Mark
Guest
Source?
Nemesis
Guest
I've read that the FIFA Normalization Committee stepped in to restructure the Argentinian FA and, whilst it is too early to say whether things have improved or are worse, the general reaction is the structure is more diverse & reflective of Argentinian football.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
I read a story the other day that the Greek FA had been subject to Normalisation Committee for a year now, and the issues within the game in Greece are worse today than when FIFA stepped in.
Nemesis
Guest
Good speech by the MVFC Chairman. Inappropriate occasion to deliver the speech. What's the point of giving such a speech at a Season Launch, which should be upbeat & positive? The only people to blame for the stand off are the 9 Chairmen of the State Feds - or, more possibly, 2-3 Chairman from the insignificant Member Feds: ACT, NT, TAS. The State Fed - & only the State Feds - could solve all the Congress issues within the next 5 minutes, if they were willing to give up their power. But, like all power-hungry politicians the State Fed Chairman are clinging on to power, even though the Gates to their Empire are about to be blown open & their power is going to evaporate. I can't wait for FIFA to restructure the governance of football in Australia. My only 1 hope is that the State Feds are abolished and all the assets & resources for football governance is centralized.
Buddy
Guest
This subject has turned into more of a soap opera plot than a governance issue, long and drawn out , with a few twists and turns that doesn’t leave a good taste in the mouth, or just seems really trivial. It seems that each code in Australia is lining up to make the headlines as to how poorly run it is. The last twelve months has not been a good advert for Australian governing bodies and sports administration but it does seem ironic that the body that has failed us the most over numerous decades might have to step in and help get the house in order.
Waz
Guest
It's a great speach but really unfortunate that it's necessary. The one saving grace of Lowy Jnr being elected was said to be he was more collaborative than his father, that unfortunately turned out not to be the case.