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Damien de Bohun has resigned from his position as Head of the Australian A-League. De Bohun informed FFA staff on Tuesday he would be stepping down, with family reasons reportedly behind his departure after four years at the helm of the domestic competition. "What is most important is that the Hyundai A-League has become a part of the mainstream of Australian sport over the last four seasons," said De Bohun in an A-League statement. "From the outset this role has been exhilarating, with some of the early highlights being the Wanderers taking the A-League by storm and winning the AFC Champions League, and the marquee players like [Alessandro] Del Piero, [Emile] Heskey, [Shinji] Ono, [Harry] Kewell and [David] Villa giving the competition genuine star quality. "The real focus, though, has been to work closely with the ten clubs and the vast array of other key stakeholders including broadcasters, A-League players and coaches, sponsors, stadiums, media and most importantly fans to create a stable and sustainable competition. "We have achieved that today and I am very pleased that the Hyundai A-League is in a solid position heading into a new period of opportunity and growth." De Bohun returned to the A-League in 2012, brought back on board by former chief executive Ben Buckley after previously holding the position of operations manager from 2004 until 2005. In between, he spent seven years in charge of game and market development at Cricket Australia. De Bohun enjoyed some of the A-League's most positive moments, including a spike in crowd numbers that followed the arrival of high-profile marquees such as Alessandro Del Piero. However he's also been through several challenges including turbulent financial times at Newcastle and Brisbane, and was criticised for his handling of last year's fan boycotts mess. FFA CEO David Gallop praised his counterpart for a job well done in fostering a close relationship between A-League stakeholders and clubs. "Damien brought incredible energy and dedication to the task, which spans a huge range of sporting, business and regulatory issues," said Gallop. "Running the A-League is a seven day a week undertaking. Damien did that while travelling across the nation and New Zealand to be on the ground with clubs to better understand their key issues and environment. "I totally understand his decision to return to Melbourne and wish him all the best." De Bohun joined FFA from Cricket Australia and was Head of the A-League during a period of sustained growth. It's not known whether the governing body will search for an immediate replacement, one day after announcing a shift in strategy for the next four years.
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