Expansion Criteria Next Month
16 February 2018
Football Federation
Australia’s Board has put expansion of the Hyundai A-League and a
resolution to the game’s long-running Congress evolution debate at
the top of its agenda for 2018 following a day-long strategy meeting
in Sydney yesterday.
The Board also
focussed on its priorities of football development initiatives, the
Westfield W-League, preparations for the Westfield Matildas’
campaigns in the Algarve Cup and the AFC Asian Cup in April, and on
the Caltex Socceroos preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Russia in
June and the AFC Asian Cup in January next year.
Hyundai A-League
FFA’s directors
have targeted the 2019-20 season as the start date for two new clubs.
More details about
the formal process will be announced next month with the intention to
have a decision later this year.
The Board also
agreed in principle to create a new corporate framework for the
A-League/W-League which could give clubs more input over the running
of the league and potentially provide new investment opportunities
for existing and new clubs.
It is an important
step towards a new operating model, on which FFA management has been
working for more than a year. The existing Hyundai A-League/Westfield
W-League clubs and FFA’s Member Federations will be invited to
participate in discussions regarding the formation of the framework.
In response to a
general trend in sport to lower attendances and television audiences,
which has been reflected in A-League metrics this season, FFA will
collaborate with the A-League clubs and broadcasters FOX SPORTS and
Network Ten on a fresh approach to marketing the league, in
particular around the start of next season.
FFA Congress
The Board
re-affirmed its support for the principle of an expanded Congress to
enable broader representation within the game and significantly
improve gender equality, while balancing the interests of each group.
FFA's initiative in
establishing a Congress Review Working Group with FIFA and the Asian
Football Confederation (AFC), will create a forum for voices across
the whole of the game to be heard in this important step in the
evolution of football in Australia.
Officials from FIFA
and the AFC will join with FFA in Sydney from 20-22 February to meet
with representatives from a range of interest groups within the
football community including Member Federations, Hyundai
A-League/Westfield W-League clubs, Professional Footballers
Australia, the Association of Australian Football Clubs, women’s
football, referees, coaches and fans.
FIFA has defined the
purpose of the Sydney meetings as follows:
1. To meet with the
stakeholders (Member Federations, A-League clubs, PFA) and any other
relevant interlocutors, such as the Association of Australian
Football Clubs (AAFC), that have been established in the meantime.
2. Based on the
feedback received, to define the terms of reference of the Congress
review working group, which include its objective, composition,
mandate and timeline
