FFA Board avoids dismissal as FIFA agrees to lead stakeholder negotiations

Football Federation Australia Chairman Steven Lowy has avoided dismissal and a takeover of the local game after world governing body FIFA agreed to lead bitterly divided stakeholders through more negotiations.

Australian football’s warring factions had been waiting after last week’s deadline-day failure to achieve consensus on an expanded congress left the future of the game in FIFA’s hands.

FIFA discussed the matter at its member associations committee meeting in Zurich on Monday night and was expected to recommend Lowy and his board be removed and a normalisation committee be installed to clean up its governance.

But FFA received a letter from Fifa stating it had decided to allow for a “congress review working group” to be established.

FIFA and Asian Football Confederations officials will return to Australia in the new year to work with FFA and other stakeholders on the working group’s objectives, composition, mandate and timeline.

The move is a win for the under-fire Lowy, who has done everything in his extensive power to maintain his grip at the top of the game, one long considered by FIFA to be lacking in democratic governance.

It is likely to be met with anger from those opposed to Lowy’s proposed congress structure; the A-League clubs, players’ union and the NSW and Victoria federations.

Welcoming FIFA’s move, Lowy advised in a statement “FIFA’s ruling gives all of us a chance to take a fresh look at how the congress can best represent the Australian football community, with the direct involvement of FIFA and AFC officials in that process.

“In a wider sense, this process will enable all Australian stakeholders to work together on a shared vision for our game at every level.

“In the meantime, FFA will be working with the clubs to promote our summer of football, engage with stakeholders on a new league operating model and expansion of the Hyundai A-League as soon as possible, continue its work with federal and state governments on Australia’s bid for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, appoint a new head coach for the Caltex Socceroos and continue our preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.”

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