New FFA CEO James Johnson outlines busy schedule as he prepares to take over from David Gallop
New Australian football chief James Johnson knows he has plenty to ponder as he slips his feet under the desk vacated by David Gallop, and it all starts and ends with unifying the game.
Football
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News.
New Australian football chief James Johnson said unifying the sport was his No.1 priority, which included creating the much anticipated national second division.
The former FIFA and current City Football Group executive narrowly pipped world players union chief Brendan Schwab, who didn’t pull out of the race as was rumoured, after tense boardroom negotiations to decide on David Gallop’s replacement.
After almost a decade overseas in leadership roles at the AFC, FIFA and the City Group, the former youth international will relocate back to Australia next month after beating world athletes union head Brendan Schwab to the role.
Stream every game of The 2019/20 Hyundai A-League season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Asked to sketch out his priorities, Johnson declared his desire to “unify the sport” and reeled off a list of strategic areas to tackle, and which illustrate the breadth of the challenge facing him.
“I believe we need to be relevant to our players and our fans,” he said.
“We need to get our elite pathways right, we need to engage governments.
“We need to perceptively structure our relationship with the A-League, the W-League and the NYL. We need to set up the second-tier national league, and optimise the structure of the FFA Cup.
“We need to find revenue streams, and obviously we have an opportunity to leave a legacy for future generations if we are successful in winning the right to host the 2023 World Cup.
“I wholeheartedly believe in bringing people together. I think my experience and the results speak for themselves both at FIFA and AFC.
“What you’ll see is a very strong emphasis on unifying the game, really bringing the different stakeholders to the table – trying to bring the stakeholders along with us for a transformational ride.
“The reality is our market is growing and it’s clearly time for the A-League to separate. What’s important though is we have to work out the nitty gritty and find a way for the league to grow.
“If the league grows, the whole of the game grows and we at the FFA are going to have to really design the environment, a healthy environment, for that to happen.”
Johnson, a former Australian Joeys representative who played for NSL club Brisbane Strikers, said Australia had to keep pace with the rest of the world.
“There are 211 national associations around the world, 175 have second-tier competitions,” he said.
MORE NEWS
Superstar at centre of explosive tug of war
Goal-den era of A-League strikers
Johnson rejected claims in some quarters that his lack of experience of being a CEO was a handicap as he moves into the most senior paid football administration role in the country.
“I’ve worked in leadership roles in some of the biggest football institutions in the world,” he said.
“I think I bring a lot of international and best-practice experience back to Australia.
“That has given me a global perspective on the game, but at the same time I don’t think I’ve lost touch with what’s going on in Australia. I can understand the issues, and I feel I can connect with the fans and the players.
“I’m ready for this job, and I can assure you I will throw everything at it to ensure Australian football succeeds.”