Football Federation Australia Wednesday joined the Asian Football Confederation in rejecting a controversial proposal to play English Premier League matches abroad, with Australia mooted as a possible destination.
The EPL has suggested adding one more round of fixtures to their schedule, with 10 games to be played at five different venues outside England from 2011. But the plans have met with stiff resistance within England and throughout the world and Australia's FFA has now joined the growing list of countries opposed to the expansion.
"We said when this issue first arose last week that FFA's overwhelming priority is to promote the A-League and to continue to invest in, and grow, the game in Australia. That remains our view," FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement here Wednesday.
AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam on Tuesday called for the proposals to take Premier League matches overseas to be rejected. Bin Hammam said he feared the popularity of English football was already acting as a barrier to the development of Asia's own leagues and said he would recommend his executive committee throw out the plans. Australian cities Melbourne and Sydney were mooted as possible venues for EPL matches.
"The bottom line is, FFA rejects the notion of another country playing a round of their domestic competition in Australia and intruding on the development of the A-League and the game in Australia," Lowy said. FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said despite his organisation's opposition to the proposals, it does not rule out exhibition games involving an A-League club with overseas club sides in the future.