Steven Lowy said that he has not tried to influence decision making on football reform Down Under.GETTY IMAGES
Football Federation Australia Chair Steven Lowy "vehemently refuted suggestions he has tried to interfere with the Congress Review Working Group or put pressure on stakeholders" in an attempt to "sway the decision-making process on the reform of the sport in Australia," according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN. Lowy’s comments came amid accusations from the Australian Association of Football Clubs that FFA is refusing to "accept the referee’s decision" and that the head body "should hang its collective head in shame" because of the "alleged attempt to derail the CRWG." AAFC Chair Rabieh Krayem came out Tuesday "with guns blazing following media reports that a number of member state federations have banded together" in an attempt to derail the work of the CRWG. Krayem said that he was concerned by developments involving "four of the smallest state-based member federations." He said, "It seems to me as if FFA’s board and management do not like the working group’s recommendations and, somewhat ironically, are unable to accept the referee’s decision" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/1). The AAP's Vince Rugari reported FIFA "is expected to approve the recommendations and ask for them to be adopted" at an FFA special general meeting by Sept. 7. But "the likelihood of that happening is low," with the ACT, Northern Territory, Northern NSW and Tasmania state federations "ready to vote to down the changes" (AAP, 8/1).
