There would not be a sports fan in the country who is not aware what a disaster Australia’s bid was to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
It was a campaign that showed just how naive those running the game were when it came to the politics of an International sport. David Downs, the chief executive of the US bid, told Bonita Mersiades author of “Whatever it Takes” about Australia’s failed bid in 2010: “There’s no consistency of message. They’ve managed their relationships so poorly. It’s hard to find someone who likes the Australian bid team. Frank (Lowy), Ben (Buckley), the consultants. We hear reports all the time about how they’ve put people off everywhere.”
It was a campaign that saw money blown. The final report submitted by the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) showed that Andreas Abold had been paid AUD$10million. This was broken down to reveal that he was paid AUD$4.89M for the bid book, which allegedly few on the Executive committee who were voting read, AUD$3.82M for the final presentation, which included the painful video of the cartoon kangaroo, and AUD$1.36M for work done when FIFA delegates came to Australia to carry out a site inspection.
Fedor Radman, who had been the Vice President on the Germany 2006 organising committee was not we were told directly employed by the FFA, but was a sub-contractor for Abold, was paid AUD$3.63M. Peter Hargitay was paid AUD$1.43M.
As everybody now knows all of that expenditure on consultants resulted in Australia gaining just one vote. The consultants had been paid AUD$15million of the $46million of tax payers money committed by the Government to try and bring the World Cup to Australia.
In Mersiades book former President of FIFA Sept Blatter is quoted as saying in relation to Australia’s bid, “You never had a chance because you were never going to be competitive for the broadcasters. Not the time zone, not the money. It is obvious. We have to make enough money at the World Cup for the next four years and Australia wouldn’t be able to do it.”
The book then reveals that Qatar facing a similar problem managed to overcome that issue with Al Jazeera offering FIFA a payment of US$100 million if Qatar won the right to host the World Cup. Which of course they did.
Australia’s failed bid was funded entirely by the Australian Tax payer. Frank Lowy who was the Chairman of the FFA, and who said it was his dream to bring the World Cup to Australia, is currently Australia’s fourth wealthiest person, his wealth in 2019 valued at $6.5billion, was by all accounts not prepared to back his own dream.
In October 2018 it was announced that Australia was now going to bid for the right to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The announcement came on the back of Australia’s successful hosting of the Men’s AFC Asia Cup in 2015. However more importantly it came at a time when the Australian women’s team, the Matildas, were at an all time high.
Their cruel defeat to Brazil, eventual winners of the Gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games captivated a nation. They bowed out in the quarter finals after having the better of a 0-0 draw and eventually lost 7-6 on penalties, after both teams had taken eight penalties.
The Matildas, – sponsored by Lowy’s Westfield company for an undisclosed sum, despite family representation on the boarding a perceived conflict of interest – then beat the USA for the first time in their history, and went on to claim the inaugural 2017 Tournament of Nations. Following on from that success Australia then hosted friendly matches against Brazil and China in late 2017. These four matches were a huge success as the Matildas finally received the recognition that they deserved. Close to 50,000 fans showed their support for the team over those four matches. The year 2017 also saw The Matildas voted by the public as the “Team of the Year” at the Australian Institute of Sport Awards.
Was it therefore any wonder that Australia should decide to bid to host the 2023 World Cup? After all their Women’s side had a genuine chance of getting to the semi finals of the 2019 Tournament. If they could make the final there, then the marketing opportunities would be endless.
Was it therefore any wonder that the Government, who should have been very wary after seeing in excess of $46million evaporate on the men’s bid opted to come on board again? Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledged $1million for a feasibility study into the odds of the bid being successful. Cautious, but once again a very costly exercise which one can only assume reported back positively.
As following that feasibility study in February 2018 a further $4million was pledged in support by the Federal Government. The bid was then officially launched in October last year.
Since then the FFA has systematically undone all the good work that was done by Tom Sermanni and his coaching staff, and carried on by Alen Stajcic and his team. As fans of the game will be well aware Stajcic suffered a very public and humiliating sacking in January, five months out from the World Cup. It was a public relations disaster from the FFA, and no doubt FIFA and those with votes would have been watching on as it unfolded.
They then appointed a coach who had never coached a women’s team to take over, Ante Milicic. Like any coach he came in and wanted stamp his mark. He changed the captaincy, making Sam Kerr, arguably the team’s best player, skipper. After a disappointing World Cup one has to ask whether this was a wise decision, as the added responsibility seemed to affect her game. He tried to change the way the team played, which again despite the protestations that it didn’t, appeared to affect the confidence and cohesion of the team. He oversaw three consecutive defeats leading into the world cup and a loss to Italy in their opening game, making it four defeats in succession. The team had not lost four games in a row since prior to 2010.
They bowed out in the quarter finals. Which with the team that they had was an under achievement.
There have been no major retirement announcements since but there are bound to be some after the Olympics in Tokyo, should the team qualify. It does not bear thinking about that they may not qualify, but only the top two teams from Asia’s qualifiers will progress. Japan as hosts have already booked their place. Australia will fight it out with North and South Korea, China and Thailand of the seeded teams. South Korea, Thailand and China were all at the World Cup so it is not a foregone conclusion.
The AFC Olympic qualifying Tournament will finish on 11 March 2020. The voting for the host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is expected to take place in Rome on the 20th of March. Suddenly Australia’s qualification for Tokyo has an even bigger importance, as a failure to make Tokyo could go against them when votes are cast.
So does what seemed a good idea at the time now not look quite so good?
The bid book has to be submitted to FIFA along with the signed hosting agreement and all other hosting documents on 4th October this year. With a decision to be made in March 2020.
Up against Australia’s bid are: South Africa, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, New Zealand, Japan, and a joint bid from North and South Korea.
Worryingly once again Australia has not gained the support of its own confederation and is up against two strong contenders in Japan and the joint bid of North and South Korea. The latter bid would be one that would see FIFA in the role of peacekeeper and could improve its image globally; something it still desperately needs.
Outside of Asia there are some strong football nations in the mix, Colombia having just launched a women’s league will argue that the World Cup would boost the women’s game in their football mad country.
Looking at the world of football, and how Australia is perceived by those outside the country one can’t help thinking that once again we have visions of grandeur. That as a football nation we are trying to run before we can walk.
One has to ask would not Australia be better served bidding for other FIFA events in order to showcase the country, and garner support first before bidding for the big events? Australia hosted the FIFA Congress in 2008 but how much have they used that event to win support? With the Men’s World Cup bid coming two years later in 2010, one would have to say not well enough.
Would Australia not be better off looking to host the FIFA Club World Cup? Asia has hosted the event 12 times out of the 15 times it has been held. Qatar will be host this year and next which means 14 out of 17 times Asia has been host. Why couldn’t Australia host in 2021 and 2022?
The Australian public has shown that they will turn out to watch top European teams play, even in meaningless training matches against A-League opposition, so one can only imagine the clamour for tickets to see the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, River Plate and Boca Juniors vying for a meaningful trophy. Who knows maybe Australia could even host the first Women’s Club World Cup?
This is currently in the proposal stages with FIFA with no date given as to when the first tournament will be. To host the first would certainly bring the spotlight to Australia and on women’s football. It would be cheaper to organise than a World Cup, and the expected return on Television rights would not be as high.
No doubt Australia will have learned from many of the mistakes made when bidding for the Men’s World Cup, but in the past nine years have they managed to increase the level of respect the rest of the World has for football in Australia? Have they networked enough to be able to attract the required votes to host the Women’s World Cup? Many close to this in the corridors of power say that they haven’t.
Australia’s Socceroos were ranked 20th in the World in 2010 when the bidding was done for the hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the men’s game. They now sit at 46th. In December 2018 just after Australia announced that it would bid for the Women’s World Cup the Matildas were ranked 6th. They have now slipped to 8th. They are still in the top ten, but will those with a vote consider whether a similar slide is imminent? Can they risk that being the case in four years time? As every tournament needs the host to progress to the knockout stage.
There is a clearly a lot of work to be done on the bid and on the park. Will it be enough, or once again has Australia simply thrown money at an event it is unlikely to win? Of course come October Australia could withdraw from the race. A tactical withdrawal in return for support to host the FIFA Club World Cup would not be a bad move, and at least there would be some return on investment for the Federal Government.
Another lost bid and one wonders whether they will ever support the bid for another major football tournament in Australia. If that were the case can you honestly blame them?
