FFA chief slams 'disrespectful' English FA chair over snub in World Cup vote

The decision of English Football Association chief Greg Clarke to vote for Colombia in the Women's World Cup bidding process, and reportedly refusing to take calls from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has been slammed as "disrespectful" by FFA chief James Johnson.

Australia and New Zealand won the right to host the 2023 tournament after a FIFA vote but did so without the backing of historical ally England, whose chair allegedly refused to engage with the trans-Tasman bid in the final hours before the vote, according to The Guardian.

'Disrespectful': England FA chair Greg Clarke snubbed Australia and New Zealand.Credit: Getty

FA chair Clarke appeared to follow the directive of UEFA and vote as a bloc in favour of Colombia, despite the bid being evaluated by FIFA as a high commercial risk and significantly weaker than Australia and New Zealand's bid on all major criteria; stadia, finances, facilities, legacy, broadcast and fan engagement.

Clarke is yet to justify the decision for ignoring FIFA's technical report and voting for Colombia, prompting condemnation from Johnson on Friday morning.

"I actually don’t find it very funny. I think that was quite disrespectful to be perfectly honest with you," Johnson told Fox Sports on Friday. "This was a process that was run very well by FIFA, I think we saw that. We scored very highly on a report that was an objective report. We know now what the voting was like and, I must say, we are disappointed with the way the FA voted but we live, we learn and we move on."

I actually don’t find it very funny. I think that was quite disrespectful to be perfectly honest with you.

FFA chief James Johnson

According to sources close to the FIFA Council, Clarke was one of two UEFA delegates pressured into voting for Colombia by fellow European delegates and risked weakening his chances of re-election to the FIFA Council next year if he went against the confederation's wishes. Sources suggest Fernando Gomes of Portugal and Sandor Csanyi of Hungary urged the European delegates to disregarded FIFA's technical report, claiming the Women's World Cup was a "development tournament."

UEFA said in a statement its vote for Colombia was an attempt to try to increase the growth of the women's game in South America.

"Even though the Colombian bid was not the one rated highest technically by FIFA, European members of the FIFA Council felt that it represented a strategic opportunity for the development of women's football in South America thanks to the legacy and increase of attention for the women's game that the tournament would bring to the continent," the statement said.

"It was a choice between two countries - Australia and New Zealand - where women's football is already strongly established, and a continent where it still has to be firmly implanted and has a huge development potential.

"It's important to add that European members of the FIFA Council agreed to vote together on major issues as a matter of solidarity."

The Guardian reported the FA was conscious of maintaining relationships before a likely bid to host the 2030 men’s World Cup.