States chasing clarity
PRESSURE is growing for a full inquiry into the sacking of ex-Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, with key stakeholders still demanding answers over the events leading up to it – and since.
Amid widespread dismay at the storm of negative headlines over Stajcic’s sacking on January 19, FFA chiefs have promised to respond this week.
But the Bulletin understands the state federations have reserved the right to formalise their calls for more transparency if they are not satisfied with the detail of how the saga has so damaged the sport.
The furore shows no sign of abating, with board members insisting on a review of senior management’s performance to ascertain how events could have led to the sacking of a national coach five months before a World Cup.
In a letter sent last month, the state federations wrote to the FFA board seeking an “understanding” of events leading to the decision to sack Stajcic over an alleged “unacceptable team environment”, and how the fallout has been managed since.
Depending on the response from FFA – promised this week – it has been made clear that the state federations are aware of their ability to escalate their concerns as the new FFA board tries to gain control of the agenda. Under the terms of the constitution passed only last October, only 5 per cent of the 100 votes available to members of FFA’s Congress are needed to call an emergency general meeting.
With the nine state federations sharing 55 votes on a prorata basis, any one of them could call an EGM, though it’s understood all are aware of the acute seriousness of taking such a drastic step.
The head of the FFA’s new Women’s Council, Ros Moriarty, has also said she has sought clarity over the decision to axe Stajcic, one on which the Council was not consulted.
“Questions of FFA around governance, due diligence and transparency are going begging,” Moriarty wrote two weeks ago in an online blog.
“(FFA chairman) Chris Nikou has assured me he is asking those questions of his administration.”
Within FFA itself an internal review of the national teams unit has begun, with staff asked to engage with the findings of the Our Watch survey which was used in part as justification for Stajcic’s sacking. Our Watch is a genderequality advocacy group.
Former Matilda Melissa Barbieri joined the list of players posting support for Stajcic, two days after he fronted a press conference in a bid to “clear my name”.