Football Australia is the governing body for football, futsal, and beach soccer in Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the sport’s first governing body was founded in 1911, Football Australia in its current form was only established in 1961 as the Australian Soccer Federation. Australia Football History.
It was later re-formed as the Australian Soccer Association in 2003 before adopting the name Football Federation Australia in 2005. In the contemporary identity, a corporate decision was made to establish the name to provide “a more unified football” in consultation with the current CEO. , James Johnson. The name was changed to Football Australia in December 2020.
Australia National Football Team
Football Australia oversees the men’s, women’s, youth, Paralympic, beach, and futsal national teams, national coaching programs, and state sport governing bodies in Australia. It bans professional, semi-professional and amateur football in Australia. Football Australia decided to leave the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), of which it was a founding member, and join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on 1 January 2006 and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on 27 August 2013.
Football Australia originated in 1911 with the formation of the “Commonwealth Football Association”. This body was later supposed by the Australian Soccer Football Association, which was form in 1921 and was headquarter in Sydney. The Australian Soccer Football Association operated for forty years, being grant provisional membership by FIFA in November 1954 and confirm in June 1956, however, in 1960, due to the poaching of players from overseas, it was withdraw from FIFA.
The association was dissolve after being suspend In 1961 the Australian Soccer Federation was form as a potential successor to the sport’s former governing body. However, the association was refuse re-admission to FIFA until outstanding fines were pay, which later saw the entry of the new national body into FIFA in 1963.
Oceania Football Federation
Australia eventually joined with New Zealand to form the Oceania Football Federation (now the Oceania Football Confederation) in 1966. Australia resigned as a member of the OFC in 1972 to pursue membership with the AFC but rejoined in 1978.
In 1995, the Australian Soccer Federation officially changed its name to Soccer Australia.
In 2003, following Australia’s failure to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Soccer Australia was accuse of fraud and maladministration by elements within the Australian press, including the ABC. Soccer Australia launched an independent inquiry known as the Crawford Report which resulted in the Australian Government threatening to withdraw funding for the sport.
Australian Government
The Australian government cannot interfere because any political interference would be in breach of FIFA rules. The findings of the report were critically analyze by the Soccer Australia board, which believed that the recommendations contained in it were not actionable.
The report recommended, among other things, a restructuring of the governing body with an interim board headed by prominent businessman Frank Lowy. About three months after Lowe’s appointment Soccer Australia was place into liquidation and without incorporating the recommendations of the Crawford Report and effectively disenfranchising all parties with an interest in Soccer Australia, the Australian Soccer Association ( ASA) was form. The Australian Government has provided approximately $15 million to the ASA.
2005 FFA
On 1 January 2005, the ASA changed its name to Football Federation Australia (FFA), in line with common international usage of the word “soccer”, preferring “soccer”, and rebranding itself as the failings of the old Soccer Australia. Also kept away He coined the phrase “old football, new football” to emphasize this.
2006 FFA
On 1 January 2006, Football Federation Australia moved from the OFC to the AFC. The move was unanimously endorse by the AFC Executive Committee on 23 March 2005 and approved by the OFC on 17 April. FIFA’s Executive Committee approved the move on 29 June, noting that “since all parties had agreed to the move, there was no need for the FIFA Congress to discuss the matter”, and the A.F.
On 10 September Football Australia expressed hope that the move would give Australia a better chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. And give A-League clubs the opportunity to compete in the AFC Champions League. The quality of Australian football at both international and club levels will improve.
World Cup
In February 2008, Football Federation Australia officially announced its intention to bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In 2010, Football Australia decided to withdraw its World Cup bid for 2018. Instead of focusing on a bid for the 2022 tournament. FFA failed in its $45.6 million bid for the 2022 World Cup. After receiving just one vote from the FIFA executive.
In 2013, Australia was admitte as a full member of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), has formally joined the regional body as an invitational association in 2006.
AFC Asian Cup
On 29 January 2015, following the defeat of Iraq and the United Arab Emirates during the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. Members of the West Asian Football Confederation reportedly attempted to expel Australia from the AFC because “replacing Australia I had greatly benefited from the Asian inclusion without giving much away.” Australia Football History.
At the end of his 3-year term with several board positions in November 2018. The bulk of the board of directors was change to an annual general meeting. And Steven Lowe stepped down as chairman of the board. What they did was protest against major changes to the governance. And voting structure at the Football Australia Congress, which elects the board. His position was fill by Chris Nico. Other board members elected included Heather Reed, Joseph Carozzi, and Remo Nogarto.
On 25 June 2020, Australia won the rights to co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with New Zealand. Australia Football History.
Australia Football Best Team
On November 25, 2020, the FFA Annual General Meeting (AGM) held. The FFA voted to change its name to Football Australia. Football Australia’s chief executive, James Johnson, told the media that the rebranding would not cost the organization any money. As they already own the domain and company names. The name change was see as a way to unify the branding with the state member federations. Australia Football History.
On 31 December 2020, it was announce that the A-League, W-League, and Y-League would no longer be under. The jurisdiction of Football Australia is in a process of ‘bundling’. Newly formed Australian professional leagues will take over the running of top-level football. As part of this bundling, the Australian professional leagues will also acquire. The exclusive right to use the intellectual property rights associated with the A-League brand. For more details click here