INTERNATIONAL officials have finished top level talks with Australian football stakeholders but the absence of Steven Lowy at a final all-in meeting has thrown up further questions about the FFA chairman’s future.

Having heard from all vested parties over the course of three days, the three-man FIFA delegation wrapped up Thursday’s joint meeting more than three hours early.

They will return to Zurich before stipulating a timeline, composition and mandate for a working group to finally resolve the Australian game’s long- standing impasse on governance reform decreed two years ago.

media_camera FFA chairman Steven Lowy was a no-show for the final talks with FIFA delegates.

Representatives from the A-League clubs, state federations and players’ union, along with two FFA board members, were present at FFA headquarters on Thursday to reiterate their positions on who should get a voice on an expanded congress - the body which elects the FFA board.

The association representing the National Premier League was also there, though special interest groups including coaches, referees, women and fans were not. Greg Griffin, chairman of the A-League clubs’ umbrella body the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association, described the exchanges as “refreshingly cordial”, a stark contrast to past acrimony.

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While it’s understood FIFA gave little away, parties left the meeting with the impression the world governing body would act swiftly to set up the congress review working group - its softer alternative to sacking Lowy and his board. That said, there’s no indication whether it will heed the clubs’ collective warning that Australia’s “declining” professional game faces collapse unless a June 1 deadline is met.

Some fear the protracted saga could yet stretch out as far as November’s annual general meeting.

Should that be the case, FFA has pledged to push ahead with expansion plans and take preliminary steps towards a “new corporate framework” for the A-League and W-League - yet another contentious issue.

What did become clear this week is that FFA is not in control of the reform process, not least because of FIFA’s believed willingness to have an independent chairperson run the working group.

Furthermore, it’s understood Lowy wasn’t actually present at Thursday’s gathering.

One of FIFA’s two representatives, Nodar Akhalkatsi, apologised on behalf of the under-pressure FFA chairman, who had a ‘diary clash’.

While FFA confirmed Lowy had already met with the delegation this week, his voluntary absence is unusual given his insistence on heavy involvement in every aspect of the process amid the struggle to maintain power.

It follows his non-attendance at last season’s Dolan Warren Awards night and A-League grand final while abroad on business.