SYDNEY: Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy on Saturday said he was disappointed at Sepp Blatter's re-election as president of FIFA but hoped he would work to restore the body's reputation.
Blatter withstood calls for him to resign from world football's governing body amid a corruption scandal and won a fifth term as FIFA president on Friday after his challenger Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan withdrew.
An FFA statement said Lowy "was disappointed at the outcome of the FIFA presidential vote and hoped that re-elected president Sepp Blatter would follow through with his promise to begin work immediately to restore FIFA's standing".
"It is a democracy and Mr. Blatter was duly elected," Lowy said in the statement.
"He was very clear in acknowledging that FIFA faced a real challenge to restore its standing and Australia will play its role along with other associations to try to achieve this."
FIFA was rocked on Wednesday with the arrest of several of its officials on corruption charges, but it was adamant that its congress and leadership vote went ahead as planned.
FFA had said ahead of the vote in Zurich that it would seek a fresh start and vote for Prince Ali, saying the organisation needed "profound change" as soon as possible to address issues of governance and transparency.
Australia's switch of allegiance away from Blatter, to whom Lowy had been a long-time ally, has raised concerns about the FFA's standing within the Asian Football Confederation, of which it is a member, and which supports Blatter.
But the FFA's decision received widespread support and approval in Australian football circles and Lowy said Saturday that moves for change were apparent.
"The vote secured by Prince Ali was not insignificant and reflects a belief within FIFA and the world football community that governance and other reforms need to be implemented as soon as possible," he said.
Australia bid for the 2022 World Cup but received just one vote of support.
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