FFA CEO David Gallop says there are no immediate plans for a Canberra club in the A-league, despite the impressive crowd for Australia's recent World Cup qualifier in the nation's capital.
"Taking World Cup qualification matches outside the main metro cities has been a deliberate strategy following the Socceroos' AFC Asian Cup success," Gallop said after 20,000 fans turned out to watch the Socceroos last week.
However, fans who admitted the match should not hold their breath for their own A-League club.
"My football friends in Canberra are always very polite, but insistent about pushing for a bigger place on the national stage," The FFA CEO said in a recent article for the theroar.com.au.
"The near 20,000 crowd showed the football community will get behind our national teams. The wonderful community support of Canberra United in the Westfield W-League is another example.
"Talk of a A-League club is never far from the top of the list, but I think everyone understands FFA's current position. In the first instance, our strategy is all about the stability and sustainability of the current 10-club competition.
"We firmly believe that any new clubs should be located in markets where there are millions, not just a few hundred thousand in population.
"Putting nostalgia aside, the fact is that Canberra City struggled against bigger clubs for 10 years before getting relegated to the local competition in 1987," Gallop said.
"That's nothing against the city, the coaches, the players or the passionate fans. It's a product of simple economics and the size of the market."
Canberra's current population is 381, 488.
