While Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop "is under no illusions that football would receive a 'rocket boost' from qualifying for the World Cup, he won't budge from his stance that the A-League is now the defining yardstick for the code's success," according to Sebastian Hassett of the BRISBANE TIMES.
The Socceroos' aspirations for next year "will be decided over the next fortnight." Gallop "knows making it to Brazil would provide a big boost" toward football's momentum, but he is confident that the game is popular enough to continue thriving no matter what happens in coming days. Gallop said, "We really want to qualify for Brazil, and it would provide a rocket boost in the game's trajectory, but I am firmly of the view that it's no longer boom or bust for the game." Tantalizing for head office "would be the guaranteed financial windfall qualification brings," though Gallop does not want football depending on handouts from above. He said, "There's no doubt it would be good for the game from a financial perspective if we made it to Brazil, but it's not something we can afford to be dependent upon" (BRISBANE TIMES, 6/10).
