FRANK Lowy is to face a revolt against his leadership of soccer when former Soccer Australia director Dominic Galati intends to stand against him at Football Federation Australia's annual general meeting.

In what is certain to become an acrimonious conflict, Galati will make a pitch to the broad "old soccer" constituency that he will claim has been isolated by the Lowy regime.

Though Galati declined to comment on his candidacy, his supporters believe he has widespread backing already and can muster the numbers to defeat Lowy in the first public opposition to the billionaire's eight-year stewardship of the game.

Indelibly linked with the "old soccer" administrations that preceded Lowy's government-sponsored takeover, Galati's candidacy will be viewed as a pivotal moment for the sport.

Galati's supporters believe a host of negative headlines surrounding the game in the past 18 months will crystallise into votes against Lowy, who despite being 81 is determined to continue for another four-year term.

But Galati's first hurdle will be to find three of the FFA's 10 voting members the nine state federations and a representative of all the A-League clubs to formally back his candidacy in order to have his name added to the ballot at the FFA's AGM in early October.

Lowy, property developer Phil Wolanksi and deputy chairman Brian Schwarz are all up for re-election and at this stage it is not thought that any other rival candidates will be put forward.

It's believed Galati has sought the backing of a majority of the A-League clubs, putting forward a platform of offering them greater commercial freedom, to secure their combined vote.

The chairman of FFA is elected by the directors once the board is itself in place, but if Galati was successful it would cause turmoil in the FFA boardroom, where the six directors other than Lowy are closely aligned to the Westfield billionaire. Some of them could be expected to resign if Lowy was defeated.

Galati was elected to the board of Soccer Australia in October 2002, months before it was wound up by the Crawford Report.

His supporters will point to his track record as a promoter, bringing Manchester United and France here, and he previously spent a decade as head of sport at SBS.

FFA corporate affairs head Kyle Patterson said: "In May, Frank Lowy met with all the leaders of the state and territory member federations as part of a regular national consultation.

At the meeting, Mr Lowy reaffirmed his intention to seek a fresh, four-year mandate as chairman.

"However, this is a democracy. The process for nomination for the FFA Board elections is open and transparent for those who believe they have a positive contribution to make."

Originally published as Lowy facing challenge for FFA top job