FFA CEO David Gallop is standing by the board's decision to not review the sacking of Alen Stajcic. GETTY IMAGES
Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop "ruled out any inquiry into the controversial sacking of former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic," according to Ed Jackson of the AAP. The sacked coach, and others, have called for an inquiry into January's axing, with Stajcic claiming "he was terminated without cause" just five months before the women's World Cup in France. The FFA "dumped" Stajcic following an internal review that it claimed revealed a "toxic" team culture and "issues with fat-shaming and homophobic remarks." Sitting alongside Stajcic's replacement, Ante Milicic, in a press conference on Thursday, Gallop said that the FFA board was "happy with the decision it had taken." Gallop: "The board has said they have made a decision. There won't be a review of the decision." While the decision itself will not be reviewed, the handling of the matter by FFA execs including Gallop and Head of National Performance Luke Casserly "will be looked at" (AAP, 2/21). In Sydney, Ray Gatt reported Gallop "yet again failed to provide any specific reasons" for the dismissal, citing a desire "not to betray the trust of those who provided information for the process." FFA has "come under pressure to explain the controversial decision that has left a majority of the Matildas bewildered," caused consternation among fans and the media, "attracted the attention of politicians and left the sport with a black eye." Gallop was handed a new two-year contract last year but has "come under increasing pressure over the past four weeks." Gallop: "I'm fully committed to the role. Week in and week out you are in a position where what you do is reviewed. ... You don't take decisions to change coaches unless you've got good reasons and hard decisions are difficult. This was particularly difficult and I acknowledge that" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/22).
