FFA appoint Deloitte as lead advisor for Hyundai A-League expansion process

Global professional services firm Deloitte has been engaged by Football Federation Australia (FFA) as lead advisers to assist with the process to expand the Hyundai A-League.

Ten parties have already responded to an invitation from by FFA to lodge Expressions of Interest (EOI) in two new licences for A-League clubs. More are likely over coming weeks. The intention is to introduce the new clubs from the 2019/20 season.

FFA chief executive officer David Gallop said the Deloitte team would promote the A-League expansion opportunity to investors around the world, and particularly to investors in Europe, North America and Asia already involved in the sport.

He said Deloitte would also play a key role in the process through providing information to bidders, managing questions, facilitating meetings and conducting due diligence on proposals received.

“Deloitte have considerable expertise in this area and specific expertise through their Manchester office in football investment which is why we have engaged them,” Gallop said. “We will ensure that all potential investors are aware of the process.”

“We can already see that there is genuine interest in the market, encouraged by the recent sale of Adelaide United which demonstrated that A-League club licences have grown significantly in value over time.”

Deloitte partner Aaron Black said: “Deloitte has a long standing history and a global pedigree advising local and international sports on their most strategic opportunities.

“With Asia Pacific the fastest growing economy in the world we’re delighted to be assisting FFA with this process to expand the league and continue to grow “the World Game” Down Under.”

The call for EOI is the first step in the process and requires interested parties to address the following:

• Vision and strategy for the expansion A-League Club, including:
  • Unique selling point(s);
  • Approach to fan engagement, media engagement; stadia, government and player development and youth pathways;
• Proposed location(s), including connection to the area and an understanding of the local football community and its history;
• Financial capacity, including:
  • Evidence of available resources, including capital, revenue and/or membership;
  • Details as to how they intend to finance the acquisition of the licence;
  • Details as to how they intend to fund the ongoing operations of the club.
• Details about persons involved in the prospective bid, including relevant experience across sport/football, business management, marketing and media experience.

More information and links to respond to the Expression of Interest invitation can be found at www.a-league.com.au/expansion

At the conclusion of the EOI stage of the process, FFA intends to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to shortlisted parties inviting the submission of detailed proposals. Additional information will be provided to shortlisted parties during the RFP phase to assist with their formal detailed proposal. A final decision on the expansion of the Hyundai A-League is envisaged to be made by the FFA Board in October 2018.

An indicative timeline for the Hyundai A-League expansion process is as follows: