Football Australia confirms record $8.5 million loss while former Chief Executive James Johnson to lead Canadian Premier League

Football Australia has confirmed a record $8.5 million loss with FA Chair Anter Isaac, stating he was “not satisfied” with FA’s financial results, which come despite record revenues of $124 million, and following the departure of James Johnson as Chief Executive after five-and-a-half years in the role.

Canadian Soccer Business (CSB), the commercial arm of governing body Canada Soccer and the top-tier Canadian Premier League (CPL), recently announced Johnson as its new group Chief Executive.

Football Australia’s annual general meeting was held last Friday, with Isaac retaining not only his place on the board but his position as chair.

Isaac revealed FA has invested in “enhanced financial strategy, management and governance systems” to address the financial challenges.

He described 2024 as “a year of strategic investment and structural reset to lay a stronger foundation for our game” but promised that despite the financial situation, there would be no cuts to football programs noting “we’re still going to continue serving and supporting all of our national teams in the football community.”

Isaac attributed the loss to heavier investments in national youth teams and associated travel costs, FA’s new digital registration platform PlayFootball v2.0, and an “expected credit loss” of $4.1 million, the vast majority of which is money owed by the Australian Professional Leagues, the operators of the A-Leagues.

Isaac added “we have zero concerns about the commercial relationships we have with APL. Our relationship with APL is probably characterised in two ways. There’s the commercial relationship and then there’s the strategic relationship. On both counts, it’s very strong. It’s positive and improving all the time.”

Former Matildas player, Heather Garriock, is now working as interim Football Australia Chief Executive following Johnson's resignation earlier this month.

Taking the position required her to resign as director. Her departure, alongside Jackie Lee-Joe, has left Football Australia with just two women on its six-person board, below its target of 40%.

Isaac stated “we take inclusivity and diversity very seriously” and added that he expects to address this over the coming weeks.

Garriock has mentioned “right-sizing the business” as a way that FA could recover its finances, with the federation’s head count having grown significantly during Johnson’s tenure.

Meanwhile, Isaac said the search for a long-term replacement for Johnson was already under way, although he declined to give a specific timeframe for the appointment, nor did Garriock confirm or deny her interest in retaining the role on a permanent basis.

On his new position with Canadian Soccer Business, Johnson shared “I am honoured to join CSB and feel a real sense of excitement from the momentum building behind Canadian soccer.

“I look forward to working with all stakeholders to support growth for all. We will build on CSB’s unique assets to foster a thriving and inclusive soccer community, putting innovation, collaboration, and strategic partnerships at the heart of all we do.”

Scott Mitchell, chair of CSB’s board of directors added “James brings a rare combination of global insight, strategic leadership, and a deep passion for developing the sport at every level.

“His appointment is a testament both to his track record shaping and delivering large-scale, sustainable initiatives across multiple jurisdictions, and his recognition of the tremendous potential CSB has in the years ahead.”