Football Australia's chief executive, James Johnson, has made it clear that the abuse of match officials will not be tolerated. The governing body has launched an investigation into the conduct of Western Sydney Wanderers chairman, Paul Lederer, following a recent spate of incidents involving referees that have raised concerns.
One incident involved Football Australia's referee, Alireza Faghani, who experienced a wave of online abuse after officiating the round-of-16 clash between Jordán and Iraq at the Asian Cup. Additionally, Melbourne City midfielder Tolgay Arslan is facing disciplinary action for using 'offensive, insulting or abusive language' towards referee Shane Skinner during an A-League Men match.
These incidents have exacerbated the existing animosity between the Wanderers, Football Australia, and the Australian Professional Leagues, who oversee the administration of the A-Leagues. Wanderers manager, Marko Rudan, has received a show-cause notice for comments made after his team's 4-3 loss to Macarthur FC. Furthermore, Lederer was seen abusing referee Shaun Evans as he left the field following the Wanderers' 3-3 draw with the Newcastle Jets, during which his team played with only nine men.
While Johnson refrained from commenting on specific cases, he emphasized that strict action will be taken against any breaches of the code of conduct. He stated, 'Where there is a breach of our code, we'll be opening an investigation and there'll be consequences for any breaches.' Currently, investigations are underway based on the available footage, including one that was initiated following Marko Rudan's comments a couple of weeks ago. Another investigation will soon follow regarding the incident involving Lederer. Johnson assured that these cases will be examined seriously and objectively.
Johnson expressed concern over the treatment of match officials, highlighting that the A-Leagues serve as the main platform for soccer viewers in Australia. He noted that the behavior witnessed at professional levels has a negative impact on the sport's grassroots, revealing that 40% of match officials walk away from the game each year.
Football Australia remains in close contact with the Australian Professional Leagues and is working together to address this issue. While both parties have different roles, they share the same view that the current situation is unacceptable. Johnson emphasized the importance of putting an end to such behavior and sending the right message to the football community.
The Australian Professional Leagues were notably absent from Johnson's press conference and missed an opportunity to present a united front alongside Football Australia. However, they did release a four-paragraph statement expressing their alignment with Football Australia's stance. It is evident that both organizations are committed to taking decisive action and addressing the issue of abuse against match officials in Australian football.
