New Football Federation Australia CEO James Johnson spoke to the assembled media for the first time on Wednesday, 15 January.
Watch his introductory press conference and Q and A session with journalists, as James talked about subjects such as unbundling the Hyundai A-League, bidding for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and a range of other challenges awaiting him in his new role.
James discussed a wide range of topics in the 30 minute plus conference.
Here are the key talking points:
Opening remarks
2:26 – Where James sees the FFA’s position in football landscape
5:30 – His plans to establish a clear vision for the organisation
7:30 – The complex football issues that need to be addressed
11:20 – Acknowledging the FFA’s role in transformational change
Q&A
12:30 – Why having a football person at this particular time is the right decision
13:20 – The three immediate priorities for James to work on
14:15 – James’ plans on interacting with clubs and stakeholders
15:10 – The importance of a vision and a strategy for everyone to work towards
16:20 – Opportunities with sponsors and commercial partners
17:14 – James’ role in FIFA’s reform and building trust with stakeholders
19:28 – Why communication and transparency will be a key part of building trust
20:47 – The new Leagues model and the FFA’s role in global football
22:31 – The learning process for James and the structure around him
23:35 – Addressing the cost of player registrations
24:48 – Chairman Chris Nikou discusses venues in Leagues football
26:05 – James discusses his time at City Football Group and his new responsibilities
27:23 – What we are trying to achieve with our Leagues
28:36 – Looking at pathways and the competition structures
29:30 – Opinions on the optimum amount of teams in the Leagues
31:10 – The importance of football being fun
