Australian football’s ‘golden era’ a chance to kick on

In a wide-ranging interview, Football Australia chief executive James Johnson discusses the Socceroos’ success, how the World Cup prize packet will be used, Graham Arnold’s future and more.

Australian soccer has hit its “golden era”, says Football Australia chief executive James Johnson, with the Socceroos into the World Cup round of 16, the women’s World Cup to be held on home soil next year and the round-ball code expected to have more kids embracing the sport than ever before.

The Sydney Opera House sails are to be lit up in anticipation of the Socceroos taking on Argentina at 6am (AEDT) on Sunday and more live sites across the country to watch the Australian underdogs try to topple one of the pre-tournament favourites.

“I would say it is the golden era and it’s an era that the sport really needs to take advantage of,” Mr Johnson said in an interview with The Weekend Australian.

Although the Socceroos’ 2006 World Cup campaign – the first time they reached the round of 16 with a team headlined by stars including Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell – was also heralded as a golden era, Mr Johnson said this time, with the women’s World Cup on our shores in eight months, is an opportunity like no other.

With the Socceroos winning and women’s soccer growing, not only does he expect more children to be playing and watching the game, but for the overall popularity of the code in Australia to be boosted to new heights.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson says the overall popularity of the code in Australia is set to be boosted to new heights. Pictured: defender Milos Degenek. Picture: Getty Images

“We are going to see higher attendance and viewership for national teams as well as the A Leagues,” Mr Johnson said. “Then I think globally we’ll see some of our players that will move into top clubs and leagues in the EU and that’s really great for the sport.”

But there’s much improvement needed in one of the most crucial areas of the game: its grassroots.

This week in Qatar, Socceroos coach Graham Arnold lamented Australia’s junior pathways, saying this was a “massive” concern. He called for an in-depth review and said he would implore the game to employ “150” staff to improve the way the game was run at its grassroots.

Graphic: The Australian

Mr Johnson said he and the coach were on the same page.

“Graham and I have a very similar mindset around this point,” he said. “We need to implement mechanisms and invest heavily in youth development. We have invested very heavily in the high performance … We’ve done everything we can to make sure this team can compete on the day, but now it’s about making sure that player development is at the heart of our strategy, which it is with this new administration, (it) needs to be top of the agenda.

“The decisions we take today will have an impact in 10 years’ time. And of course, we’re hosting the 2032 Olympics and we need both our Olyroos and our Matildas out firing for that tournament.”

The Socceroos’ success in Qatar has delivered a silver lining to what had initially been a World Cup disappointment, given Australia’s $46m failed bid to host the tournament in a process dogged by bribery and corruption allegations, and later claims that the Qatar bid team attempted to ­sabotage rival bids from Australia and the US. The Socceroos will now definitely collect a $19m prize packet – with 40 per cent going to its players. Mr Johnson said the rest would be carefully reinvested.

“It’s crucial,” Mr Johnson said.

“[Forty per cent] will go to the players as it should because they deserve more money as a result of their outstanding performances. But there will be some investment that will go into continuing the high-performance program … we’ve got to invest in our next campaign for the Socceroos, which will be the Asian Cup in January 2024.”

Contract negotiations with Graham Arnold will occur after the World Cup. Picture: Facebook / Socceroos

He said some funds would be used to bring world-renowned teams to Australia in the March and June windows in 2023 “so that we can play top global opposition in front of a screaming crowds on our shores”.

Funding would also be used to ensure the Matildas were “in the best shape they can be going into the World Cup”.

The remainder would be focused on the community level “and of course growing the base”.

Part of FA’s strategy was to have more competitions, including a second-tier competition for men and an Australia Cup for women, Mr Johnson said.

“The reason for investing in such competitions is it means there’s more opportunities, more match minutes for young Australian players to play more,” he said.

There would also be investment in a transfer system to change the way the player-contracting system works.

While Arnold’s contract runs out at the end of this World Cup cycle, Mr Johnson had only praise for a man who had come under immense pressure at times.

“Graham’s done an outstanding job,” Mr Johnson said. “We wanted Graham to get us to the World Cup … and whatever the result in the World Cup, it was always going to be the case that we sit down with Graham after the tournament, we’ll do a review.

“That’s something that we do systematically now … I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves at the moment, but what I can say is Graham has done an outstanding job. I’m very proud of him.”