The Chairman of Football Federation Australia (FFA), Mr Frank Lowy AC, said today he had never spoken to Jack Warner about the CONCACAF Centre of Excellence.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sky News Australia conducted in New York, Lowy said FFA had paid A$500,000 into a CONCACAF bank account in good faith and expected it to be spent on the project.
He said the decision to forward the funds followed several months of engagement between FFA, an independent Australian-based sports facility company and CONCACAF officials.
“I have never spoken to Warner about this subject,” Lowy said. “It was always done at the level of the executives in both areas.”
Other key points made in the interview include:
- Australia was competing against bids in which nation states negotiated over diplomatic and national commercial interests and in hindsight it was clear that Australia could never have won under those circumstances. “I should have known better,” said Lowy.
- Lowy rejected claims the FFA Board had not been consulted about the bid. At all 12 board meetings held in 2009 and 2010 the bid was on the agenda and included detailed information on strategy, budget and marketing.
- Immediately after failing to secure the 2010 World Cup Bid, Lowy rejected attempts to sheet home blame for the failed bid to the then-CEO Ben Buckley and accepted full responsibility for the bid and its outcome.
- FFA kept Government informed about its bid and submitted a total of seven formal reports during the bidding process and held regular meetings and briefings. The reporting included a final report audited by Ernst & Young on expenditure of the $43m government funding.
- FFA examined dozens of opportunities to conduct football and humanitarian projects, but pursued only a small number in CONCACAF, the Asian Football Confederation, Confederation of African Football and the Oceania Football Confederation.
- The culture of FIFA required change “as quickly as possible” and the adoption of term limits for senior positions with FIFA was one example of the many changes required.
- After FIFA appointed investigator Michael Garcia, Lowy initiated contact and arranged to meet Garcia in New York to share what he knew about Australia and the World Cup bid process. This was followed by a further meeting in Australia as well as the provision by FFA of all requested material relating to the Australian bid.
- Lowy remained hopeful that one day in the future under a reformed FIFA Australia would host a World Cup “but without my involvement”.
- Lowy stressed he was playing no direct role in the selection of his successor as Chairman of FFA. He said a Nominations Committee was managing the process and comprises three FFA Directors and the Chairman of Football Federation South Australia, His Honour Judge Rauf Soulio of the District Court of South Australia. An independent executive search firm Egon Zehnder had been appointed to advise. Ultimately the decision on election of directors would be made by FFA's stakeholders - the nine State and Territory Member Federations and Hyundai A-League clubs. The new chairman is elected by the new board.
Lowy also said FFA would willingly co-operate with any further inquiries into any FIFA-related issues.
“We are co-operating with AFP, we have co-operated with Garcia, we have co-operated with Government, we have co-operated with the CONCACAF inquiry.
“If the Australian Senate wants to make another inquiry of course we would co-operate with it.
“All the files are available, but we would be giving all the same material that we have already been requested to and provided to the other inquiries.
