But he revealed that ups and downs will eventually be added to the domestic format.

A restructuring of the ACL was announced this week with new guidelines for countries looking to compete.

Countries have been graded with a view to their current ability to meet all the criteria with Australia being handed a grade ‘B’ by ACL assessors.

Only Japan received an ‘A’. In all assessed categories Australia received 56 ‘A’s and seven B’s – impressive but not enough to gain the ultimate gold star.

One of the new rules is that participating countries should have a domestic competition which includes promotion and relegation but the FFA’s chief executive says the organisation has worked hard to earn an exemption.

Ben Buckley told au.fourfourtwo.com: “We’ve been given an exemption from that as a criteria for the foreseeable future.

“Obviously we’re still building the Hyundai A-league and expansion of the competition is our primary goal. Once we feel that’s been achieved to the level we want it to be achieved then we’ll look at promotion and relegation.

"At this time it’s not on our agenda other than it’s something that we’ll consider.

“I think they understood where the A-League is in its evolution and that it isn’t the time now to introduce promotion and relegation.

"And of course the geographical challenges that we have and the costs that go with that mean that it’s just not practical for us at the moment.”

The ACL is just one of several matters on Buckley’s agenda as he prepares for the busiest period since he was appointed the FFA’s CEO.

He said: “June is going to be a month where I don’t think in the history of Australian football there have been so many games in such a short period of time that have counted for so much.

“It’s great the whole country’s behind it. We’ll need that because it’s a challenging series of matches.

“Let’s put it this way, it’s busy on the field and it’s busy off the field but it’s all good for football in Australia and shows the steps forward that we’re making.”

Buckley is now bracing himself for next week’s Fifa Congress in Sydney – another terrific chance to showcase Australian football.

He said: “People within the football world will see Australia, see the progress that the game’s made and the potential it has.

“The ball’s at our feet and we’re running with it. It’s good we’re building a game in all facets, whether grass roots level, bidding for and hopefully winning major events and having success on the pitch.”

:: An FFA spokesman has dismissed speculation that the Australia Iraq game could be cancelled over a row between the AFC and Iraq FA.

The AFC have told the Iraq government to stop meddling in the Iraq FA set-up and refuse to recognise any unelected football officials.

But the FFA say they have not been contacted by the AFC to say the vital World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Brisbane could be in jeopardy.

"It's business as normal until we hear differently," said a spokesman. "As far as we know the Iraq ntaional team are in training for their match against us."