FIFA throws up twist as civil war drags on
AT least hostilities have been suspended in time for the Christmas season.
But the civil war that has disfigured Australian football for months will wend its way well into 2018.
Just at the point when the protagonists in the battle for control of the game thought FIFA would rule for one side or the other, the world governing body has found a third way, with itself in charge.
Now officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation will fly to Australia in the New Year, and after a period of consultation, they will assemble, direct and give a timetable to the “working group” that has to come up with a blueprint for reform of the voting structure at the summit of the game.
That is the most crucial part of the latest developments yesterday, when FIFA’s response to a deadline for reform being missed was issued.
Until then, FIFA had ordered Football Federation Australia to make its annual congress more democratic, but had left FFA to do so.
Despite relations between the A-League clubs, some of the state federations and FFA having become increasingly acrimonious, FIFA will still attempt to engineer a compromise over the division of votes in congress, the body which elects FFA’s directors.
FFA chairman Steven Lowy has fought to limit the number of votes allocated to the clubs, who in turn have accused him of trying to retain control of the game’s future. The threat had been that FIFA would impose a “normalisation committee” to run the game and sack the board led by Lowy.
This is a more subtle, less damaging and more consultative approach, but the message has clearly come across that FIFA will direct where the game goes from here.
Where does it leave the various parties involved?
The clubs are probably disappointed that a normalisation committee hasn’t been appointed, but that is outweighed by the sense that Lowy isn’t in control of the process anymore. The depth of enmity between the clubs and the FFA chairman can’t be over-estimated.
The players’ union, restricted to the role of observer so far, can feel confident it will be an integral part of whatever blueprint emerges, because FIFA has long demanded that.
Ditto the women’s game and to some extent, the Association of Australian Football Clubs, which has been agitating for its own seat at congress.
Every potential member of congress will get a chance to stake a claim.
The FFA, meanwhile, is left in an uncomfortable position.
Yesterday morning it had welcomed the “working group” as something of its own creation, with the sense it would lead discussions.
Within minutes, the emergence of FIFA’s letter spelling out what would happen made it clear Zurich was in charge, reframing the discussion.