FIFA has "threatened to overthrow" the Football Federation Australia board if the "infighting" afflicting football is not resolved by November, according to Matt Windley of the HERALD SUN. FFA is currently involved in a "bitter dispute" with the A-League clubs, state federations and Professional Footballers Australia in regards to the make-up of the congress which elects the FFA board. In a "dramatic" turn of events, it was announced that a joint FIFA and Asian Football Confederation delegation will come to Australia later this month to "help break the deadlock that exists between the warring parties." The FIFA-led committee would "take over the running of the game" in Australia until new board elections are organized (HERALD SUN, 7/6). In Sydney, Michael Lynch reported FIFA dealt FFA Chair Steven Lowy and his "embattled" board an "embarrassing blow" by rejecting its plan for a new local policy-making body, slamming FFA's proposals as "unrepresentative" and threatening to take charge of the local game. FIFA execs offered FFA a "face-saving route out of this impasse" by revealing they are prepared to send their own team to Australia to broker "some kind of settlement that would satisfy them." Meanwhile, the final -- and "potentially critical" -- Socceroos World Cup qualifier, against Thailand, will be played at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Sept. 5. FIFA published a schedule of matches in which the inner city ground was designated to host the match, which Australia "may have to win to secure a spot in Russia next year" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/6).
