By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
DANDENONG Thunder associate Aldrin De Zilva had been embroiled in boardroom conflict with fellow Federation Football Victoria directors prior to being charged with misconduct at an underage soccer match last month.
Mr De Zilva, team manager of the Thunder Under-13s, was charged with two counts of using offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour against a match official after the game.
A tribunal hearing, scheduled late last month, has been adjourned to a “to be advised” date; the club has vowed to fight the charges.
On 23 May, a week after the charge was reported in the media, Mr De Zilva and another director ex-Socceroo Kimon Taliadoros resigned from the FFV board.
In a joint statement they said they did not believe the federation’s financial statements were “true and fair”.
Mr De Zilva, an accountant and lead partner of an international law firm, said the two directors had declared their concerns at the federation’s annual general meeting on 19 March.
They had reported the issue to Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.
“Since September 2013, I have had – and continue to have – significant concerns in respect of the disclosures of the financial position by the FFV,” Mr De Zilva said.
He said he had continually shared those concerns with board members and former chief executive Mitchell Murphy, who resigned on 16 May.
“Being heavily involved with football at the grassroots, I see at first-hand the underprivileged child who struggles to pay his or her registration fees.
“It is important that the football community clearly understands what the governing body and those tasked with the responsibility of managing it are doing with their membership monies.”
Dandenong Thunder spokesman Cezar Jacupi told the Journal last month there had been a “trial by media” against Mr De Zilva.
“From our point of view we consider the leaks to the media prior to the hearing highly inappropriate.
“It calls into question the impartiality of the tribunal process and the motivations behind the leaks.”
