so i came across this in the comment section of a copa90 video...
I don't give much credibility to the AFC conspiracy. That may have been a story some years ago when Bin Hamman was putting pressure on HAL to let Phoenix go, in the same breath as he was expecting to see promotion and relegation to/from A-League.
Sepp Blatter has quashed that talk very early on, saying that it is nothing to do with OFC and AFC to stop - that as long as FFA and NZF are happy with the arrangement then FIFA Executive Committee will continue to rubberstamp it. I tend to believe this version, simply because it makes sense.
We have all agreed by now that the FFA noises about our licence have more to do with the broadcasting deal (and FFA own finances) than with any political affray between the federations.
Yep - and either Dome or Morrison (can't remember which now) was on the radio immediately afterwards and said that the AFC had told them and the FFA that 8-10 years was what they would be happy with for a Phoenix license extension.
People seem fixated on the AFC issue though. The only potential issue is that the A-League only has 9 teams that can qualify for the Champions League and therefore Australia doesn't have as many spots as a competition with 10 qualifying teams would have. But if that is still an issue then there are other ways to fix it, like get new teams.