“I would like to think that people judge me on what I’ve done, not what people might suspect,” new FFA chairman Chris Nikou told journalists last November.
None of us can pretend to know why former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic was sacked on Saturday morning.
Clearly whatever issues existed were serious enough to wield the axe barely five months out from the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
Perhaps Football Federation Australia deserves to be applauded for acting decisively and protecting the best interests of the players.
Who knows? That’s often half the problem with the FFA.
“Despite calls for greater transparency or ‘show cause’ re-WNT (women’s national team) coach decision, we hope ppl (sic) understand that for confidentiality and legal reasons it’s difficult for Directors to make any further comment,” tweeted FFA board member Heather Reid AM on Saturday.
Fair enough. But here’s the problem.
The football-watching public no longer trusts the FFA.
And very few people involved in the game feel like the FFA are capable of making the right decisions.
Why would they? This is the same organisation that saw the Socceroos coach quit before the last World Cup, garnered a single vote from its Quixotic bid to host one of two World Cups, twiddles its thumbs while interest in the A-League falls off a cliff and yet still found time to volunteer for Video Assistant Referees.
Less than two years ago, they handed Stajcic a four-year contract extension – supposedly as a reward for reaching the quarter-finals at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
“They’re genuine medal contenders and apart from playing well, there’s an environment of professionalism and development that is setting us up for the future,” Gallop told the Sydney Morning Herald’s Dom Bossi on the eve of the Rio Olympics.
He was singing a decidedly different tune in Saturday’s press conference.
“We no longer feel confident that Alen is the right person to lead the team and the staff,” Gallop said.
“It relates to workplace culture, workplace environment, the general set-up of the Matildas and our confidence in where they’re at just months out from the World Cup.”
David Gallop. (Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Nikou, seated next to Gallop in the press conference, nodded along in agreement.
When he was elected FFA chairman, Nikou said he wanted to get away from people talking about administration.
“My own personal view is the less we talk about the administrators the better,” Nikou said. “Let’s get back to football.”
A noble sentiment. But when the governing body sacks a national team coach less than six months out from a World Cup, it’s only natural for questions to be asked.
Like who, for instance, is judging David Gallop and Chris Nikou on their performances?
And what has changed between Stajcic being awarded a contract extension in May 2016 and being sacked on Saturday?
And in the specific case of Our Watch conducting a review into the Matildas’ culture – an organisation whose stated aim is to “to drive nationwide change in the culture, behaviours and power imbalances that lead to violence against women and their children” – what, exactly, prompted their involvement?
How many different consultants does it take to make a decision in Australian football anyway?
It should be stressed that if there were instances of workplace bullying – as has been confidentially alleged – then the FFA may have handled this situation as well as they could have.
The whole imbroglio certainly makes selling tickets to next month’s four-team Cup Of Nations tournament all the more difficult.
But as with so many elements of Australian football, FFA expects fans to put hands in their pockets without those fans knowing the full story.
And there’s a bigger issue at play here than just the sacking of one individual.
With all that’s gone on in the Australian game over the past couple of years, how can we trust the FFA to do the right thing?
brian drian
Guest
what an astonishingly ignorant thing to say. you should do some research and learn about the hundreds of women killed by their spouses annually or the tens of thousands of cases of spousal abuse. domestic violence in australia and the indifference and inaction of our governments is a national disgrace.
Fadida
Guest
Agian, where is the evidence of Mike "getting it right"?
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Ben How are our watch presentating domestic violence? From what experience are you saying it’s not been a problem in Australia. I come from a welfare background. So I am keen to here your information.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
In response to thst punter Ben Wilson the boss of the refs has stated that O’Neill was seen to stamp on Hoffman but it didn’t warrant action , and Hoffman violent act was worthy of a suspension The violent act that according to O’Neill and every body else on the planet seemed to be an entanglement of legs . So there you go , stamping has been identified as not violent behaviour Also they forgot to report on why the ref put his card away for Zullo on a second yellow. As identified by Robbie slater ( big Sydney fan during the commentary ). 3 days later with no major media bothered to follow up because its only the A league They did admit error for Adelaide offside goal and said the var should have intervened . So another var fail ., They said it was no penalty against Daniel Bowles from Brisbane, for the handball despite this being almost identical to a few others this season including Vargas only 2 weeks ago .
Punter
Roar Rookie
Mister Football doesn't need evidence, he just makes it up & tries to make it as fact. Unfortunately he's got plenty wrong, he promised to leave this tab if there was expansion next year, because every football pundit he read said 100% no expansion.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
I think that’s your interpretation, but nothing I’ve read has provided any evidence to that theory . Unless you have another news source . But Seriously who for a minute thinks that a player on the edge would just expect it to happen without hard work. Even semi professionals realise how hard you have to work
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Successful in he was the coach of the Socceroos that won a major trophy, their only major trophy. Arguably our best coach then as those older then me would suggest others , but many would agree with me too . Now we only know that he resigned before the World Cup , do we know the background to the resignation, no , Mike seems to know , and I will trust him there is more to this , because of his record of getting it right . No doubt by the end of his time Ange appeared to be defiant and stubborn, a bit obnoxious even ... however it was these characteristics that made him successful at South Melbourne, Brisbane roar and Australia... The same personal traits worked for mourinho for 15 years until his recent demise . You use a word cowardly, I’m a bit astonished that anyone who takes on a national team job , has achieved what he has could be labeled a coward . Who knows the mans personal health or possible political issues in the game that affect a national coach . But to label someone a coward because after 4 years they felt no other choice but to resign , that’s ridiculous. Cowards are a different kind of problem in society, they are the people that exploit the poor and disadvantaged.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The key point is that an elite sporting environment is a little bit different to your standard work place, with athletes required to push themselves beyond what mere mortals are able to do. Then some organisation comes in with zero sporting knowledge, and might get shocked that young women might be pushed that hard. Now clearly, some approaches are going to be more acceptable than others in the modern environment. In the present case, no claim has been made that he personally was involved in anything untoward, rather, it's possible under his watch others on the coaching team may not have had the best approach, and he has taken the fall. But it's pretty clear all the senior players had no issue with Stajcic. You can imagine the senior players thriving on being pushed hard, and those on the fringe expecting it just to happen without the need to work as hard, and likely, they are the ones who complained.
Brian
Roar Rookie
Just saw the Monday "brief" press conference. Unfortunately this line of not explaining anything due to confidentiality as true as it may be only shows the FFA's incompetency in having the press conference in the first place. If you have a conference for any sport at any time but have nothing to say then the whole thing is a waste of everyone's time and totally pointless.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Bollocks Kanga. Where is a) evidence that Ange was the best ever coach? He was rubbish for the 18 months before cowardly jumping ship b) that Mike is "usually spot on about these things"? Evidence please
Nephilim
Roar Rookie
Would you constitute any of those to be unreasonable for a professional nation team?
Ben
Roar Guru
Domestic violence never has been the problem it's presented as by organizations like Our Watch. The government throw money at these organizations because they want votes and they understand that virtue signaling like that pulls at the heart strings of naive, gullible people. Do your research.
chris
Guest
Every code has people posting comments like your one. Every code in this country is near death.
Nephilim
Roar Rookie
Today Gallop admitted there had been no warnings given about his behaviour nor was he offered counselling, insisting the terms of the coach's contract allowed them to act as they had. https://thewomensgame.com/news/ffa-sidestepped-warnings-to-sack-stajcic-518205
Nemesis
Guest
Gallop said nothing about a loophole. He said there was a dismissal clause in the employment contract & that had been triggered. And, associated with the dismissal clause are various other actions that must be followed by each party.
Nephilim
Roar Rookie
Also in Gallop's recent presser he admitted they had to use a loophole in his contract. If it was serious no loophole would have been needed to be used, they could use common workplace laws, or even more drastic action if needed. Very suss.
RandyM
Guest
not true, Gallop was loved by the News Ltd Rugby League community (what a freaking surprise considering he was an ex lawyer for them!!), but of course any fan with a brain knew he was bad news and held the game back. According to The Daily Telegraph though, Gallop never put a foot wrong... even though he sold the NRL TV rights for half the price the AFL got then somehow managed to close the gap to almost equal in the next negotiation...
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
I see what you did there, I think
Punter
Roar Rookie
I've watched the replay 5 times & don't see the stomping you talk about Jimmy? Even Hoffman didn't complain about the stomping, just about the poor decision to send him off.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
Postecoglou the best Australia coach ever V Ffa the most incompetent sporting organisation in Australia Mike is generally spot on about these things