Steven Lowy will step down as FFA chairman, claiming he is tired of the infighting.
Camera IconSteven Lowy will step down as FFA chairman, claiming he is tired of the infighting.

Lowy wants last-ditch FFA compromise

Vince RugariAAP


Steven Lowy says his board is "ready, willing and able" to nut out a compromise solution to Football Federation Australia's long-running governance crisis despite announcing his intention to step down as chairman.

Lowy said on Friday his decision to not seek re-election when his term expires in November was made in the hope that outcomes - not personalities - would now be thrust into the forefront of the debate over how FFA's congress should be expanded.

The federation has been under pressure from FIFA for more than two years to do so in order to fall in line with global statutes, but there remains no obvious way to break the deadlock that exists between the opposing parties.

FIFA commissioned a report from an eight-member working group to provide a pathway forward.

The global body is widely expected to approve the report next week, then ask for its recommendations to be adopted at a special general meeting (SGM) of FFA in September.

However, FFA is fiercely opposed and four state federations - Tasmania, Northern NSW, the ACT and NT - are in lockstep and ready to block the vote.

Lowy forecast three potential outcomes from here.

The first and most plausible outcome is that the report is voted down and the stalemate resumes.

The second is that the report is passed. That seems highly unlikely given eight out of 10 votes would be required and four state federations have declared they do not support it.

If it did happen, Lowy said he would not be prepared to stay on as chairman.

The third is finding a compromise between now and the SGM. That also seems improbable, given the 10 A-League clubs and the players' union are diametrically opposed.

Lowy admitted the clubs had little incentive to do so - he said they could refuse to budge in an attempt to force the first outcome, which could see FIFA intervene by either sacking the FFA board or suspending Australia's membership.

But Lowy told AAP: "The FFA board is ready, willing and able to work with the members, FIFA and (Asian Football Confederation) to work on a compromise because I believe a compromise will be required to come to a new congress model to get eight members to the table."

"FFA is not an impediment to the expansion and evolution of the FFA congress. In fact, it's a catalyst for it. We just have differences of opinion."

Lowy said FFA was willing to negotiate but warned it would not compromise the "independence" of the FFA board under any circumstances.

He claimed the report in front of FIFA recommended a structure that would allow the clubs, union and two states - Victoria and NSW, who are aligned with their views - to control the election of every future board member of FFA.

"This is not opinion here, this is fact. You cannot argue with maths," Lowy said.

"There are some philosophical debates here that are very big and the reason I am making this decision today (to step down) is so those debates get aired and the mathematical realities get aired."