Former NRL boss David Gallop has been announced as the new chief executive of Football Federation Australia (FFA).
Gallop resigned from the new Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in June after more than 10 years as the head of rugby league. He will be taking over from current FFA chief executive Ben Buckley in two months.
Buckley’s resignation comes with the end of the FFA’s broadcast rights negotiations. He said it had been the focus of his work at NRL for the past 18 months.
“The broadcast deal is at the heart of the future of football in this country,” Mr Buckley said in a statement.
“I told the Chairman some time ago I was determined to negotiate the best possible deal to underpin the future growth of the game but that once done I would like to work with the board to identify a successor.”
FFA Chairman Frank Lowy said both he and Buckley had discussed Gallop as a replacement. Lowy has long been impressed by Gallop’s achievements, and the way he has built a reputation as a straight shooter and forthright under pressure demonstrated when Gallop dealt with NRL controversies including the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal in 2010.
The past six years at FFA have been particularly taxing for Buckley, who was generally seen as the fall guy for Australia’s failed $50 million bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Despite this many believe Buckley can secure a favourable legacy if the former AFL chief operating officer leaves the round ball game with a profitable broadcast rights deal.
The future of the A-League in particular is hanging on the outcome of a broadcast agreement, which centres on current holders Fox Sports, reportedly aiming to be double the existing $40 million per year deal.
Confirmation of Gallop’s FFA appointment comes on the same day the ARLC announced its new $1 billion broadcast rights deal with Fox Sports and Channel Nine over the next five years.