Football Australia CEO James Johnson has ruled out taking back control of the struggling A-Leagues competition dubbing that possibility as a step “backwards”. It comes as speculation grows that Australian Professional Leagues boss Danny Townsend is on the cusp of signing a lucrative new contract in the Middle East. Johnson, talking to Code Sports, said he believed the A-Leagues was in a better position than it was before Football Australia relinquished ownership to the APL in 2020.