FIFA-backed congress group dismisses FFA's reform concerns

The FIFA-backed group tasked with fixing Australian football’s governance crisis has rejected concerns from Football Federation Australia’s board about their proposals.

The Congress Review Working Group (CRWG) has today released a statement, defending the report they have submitted to the governing body of world football and dismissing each of the six criticisms aired by the Football Federation Australia (FFA) last week.

FIFA’s member associations committee is expected to approve the CRWG’s report next week and ask for it to be passed at an FFA extraordinary general meeting in September.

FFA Chairman Steven Lowy and his board are strongly apposed to its key recommendations, which they as reducing their control over the sport.

Four of the Australia’s smallest state federations are also prepared to vote against it, which could force FIFA to intervene or even suspend Australia from international competition.

The statement was released on behalf of seven of the CRWG’s eight members – the heads of of the Victorian, NSW, South Australian and Western Australian federations, Professional Footballers Australia Chief Executive John Didulica, and two A-League club representatives.

The other CRWG member, FFA Director Chris Nikou, signed off on the report but has been reported as having changed his view to align with the rest of the FFA board in fierce opposition to it.

Much of the CRWG’s response referred back to ‘fine print’ in their report which they believe quells most of FFA’s concerns and corresponds with the global statutes FIFA says the country must abhere to.

The CRWG said FFA’s claim that their proposed congress restructure gave too much weight to professional football over the grassroots was “without merit and without substance”.

Lowy had asserted that the proposed new voting structure would allow the A-League clubs to veto changes to the FFA constitution or “dictate” the election of board members on their own.

However, the CRWG said the report specifically legislated against this and put forward a “healthy and robust” system to elect FFA directors.

The CRWG also defended other aspects of the report which FFA had criticised - notably its proposed ‘women’s council’, the pathway for special interest groups to join the Congress, and planned transition for the A-League to become independent.

FFA insists its board and management should retain ultimate control when the A-League’s operating model is redesigned, but the CRWG believes the process should involve “all stakeholders” in the Congress.

Image: Western Sydney Wanderers fans. Courtesy of Damian Briggs Photography.