Change is coming to Football Federation Australia, with pro-reform forces claiming victory at the end of a two-year struggle for power of the sport.
Steven Lowy’s tenure as chairman — and his family’s 15-year hold on the Australian football — is set to end with the acceptance of constitutional changes at Tuesday’s extraordinary general meeting in Sydney.
The decision hung on a knife-edge, with state federations and a sole A-League representative voting 8-2 to grow the FFA Congress.
One vote fewer, and it would have failed.
Crucially, the decision is likely to stave off the threat of FIFA intervention in Australian football.
The world governing body has instructed FFA to grow its Congress — one of the smallest in world football — and issued a final, blunt reminder on the eve of the key vote.
FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura wrote to Lowy to say that FIFA “clearly anticipates that the proposed changes to the FFA Constitutions will be adopted at tomorrow’s EGM.”
It means that the Socceroos and Matildas can progress to their upcoming tournaments free of the fear of suspension.
But the changes do bring question marks.
A new Congress should convene next month for the first time to elect new directors.
The A-League could break away from FFA control as soon as next season, with an independent body formed to run the flagship competition.
It remains to be seen what will come of the A-League expansion process, which was supposed to select two new teams to enter the competition later this month.
Those decisions could now be delayed.