Football Federation Australia "failed to pass a vote to secure reforms demanded by FIFA" at an annual general meeting on Thursday, "paving the way" for the global body to take over the governance of football in the country, according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. FFA said that it fell short of the votes required to pass a resolution to expand its congress, which elects members to the exec board, by a Nov. 30 deadline set by FIFA. FFA called the AGM three weeks ago to "try to ram through its preferred model for the Congress and end a long-running deadlock with club owners." FIFA said that it would install a "normalisation committee" if FFA failed to agree to a "more democratic model" for its congress. That would "effectively mean sacking the FFA board" and installing its own exec to take over administration of the game. The dispute centers on the membership of the congress. The clubs, which said that they generate 80% of the sport's revenues in Australia, want "at least five seats" but FFA offered "only four." FFA’s proposal was defeated by a single vote at the AGM, with seven of the 10 current congress members voting in favor, "falling short" of the 75% approval required. The clubs' representative Greg Griffin said that FFA Chair Steven Lowy, son of former FFA chair and billionaire shopping center tycoon Frank Lowy, had “lost the locker room.” Griffin said, "I think it has to go to FIFA. It's regrettable but that's what it is" (REUTERS, 11/30). In Sydney, Dominic Bossi reported Steven Lowy will not "rule out taking FIFA to court" in the event the governing body disbands the FFA board and takes control of the Australian game. The game is "braced for intervention from FIFA." A-League clubs, Football NSW and Football Federation Victoria rejected the congress model, "ensuring the state of Australia football will be determined by FIFA next week." Lowy said that he will "urge Zurich to pursue other alternatives to resolve the bitter impasse in Australian football" but added that he will "not rule out taking legal action" against a potential removal at the hands of FIFA. Lowy launched a "stinging attack" on those he suggested have put Australia "on the path to uncertainty" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/30).
'NUCLEAR OPTION': Also in Sydney, Michael Lynch wrote legal action by Lowy could have "catastrophic consequences for Australia" and even the nation's place at the World Cup in Russia next year. Would the Socceroos be "thrown out of the World Cup?" It is "highly unlikely and there is no precedent for such an event," although technically FIFA could use that as a "nuclear option" if it wanted to punish Australia. For years, Steven and Frank Lowy were warned that FFA "needed to be more transparent." Now, Steven and his supporters are "paying the price with this humiliating defeat" (SMH, 11/30).
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS: The AAP reported A-League clubs made a decisive move before Thursday's meeting, "detailing a list of 13 potential conflicts of interests" involving FFA board members. The Australia Professional Football Clubs Association, the lobby group formed by the 10 clubs, wrote to Lowy on Thursday to outline its "concerns about the independence of his board." The letter was another "clear attempt" by the clubs to persuade FIFA to opt for the "nuclear option" of dumping the current FFA board and installing a normalization committee to run the sport on a temporary basis (AAP, 11/30).
