At the meeting announcing his appointment, Lowy was overseas making more deals for his AuD30bn multi-national retail property empire, but had a video presence as his new reformist board took over after several years of internal disputes and on-field reverses.

The Czech-born 70-year-old, who arrived in Australia 50 years ago as a penniless migrant, is a soccer lover and possibly the world’s richest fan. He will need all his international contacts and negotiating skills to lift Australia from its current soccer crisis.

FIFA, the game’s global authority, last month reversed a promise it made in 2002 to clear the way for Australia to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Australia plays in the Oceania sector preliminaries of the Cup and FIFA originally said the regional winner should be guaranteed a future place in the 32-team finals. Australia welcomed this as a good opportunity to qualify for the first time since 1974 and was shocked when FIFA changed its mind. The main reason was the disorder among Australia’s soccer directors. Some Australian officials, inured to their own soccer politics, believe there was pressure from South American interests on FIFA.

Compromises and alternatives are now being examined by FIFA to help Australia – rich in soccer talent but, until now, lacking credible leadership – towards the World Cup finals in Germany.

One proposed qualifier is a four-team, six-game play-off at a neutral European venue in which Australia could face three contenders from Asia and the Americas in October 2005. European venue managers would compete for the games, but Australian soccer would earn much less from them than from play-offs at home.

The hard choice may be between a place in the World Cup and up-front cash. Lowy has the expertise to apply to such questions.

Source: Stadia.tv