The Uefa chief urged his members to vote against Jersey’s bid for inclusion on Monday but was approached by Austin after the conclusion of the 42nd ordinary congress.
‘Clearly we are disappointed not to have earned sufficient support for Uefa membership today,’ said Austin.
‘However, I had the opportunity to speak to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin following congress and asked him how Uefa can support Jersey football, if not through membership on this occasion.
‘The president has invited us to meet him and some of his team to discuss this which gives us encouragement that the door is not closed. We thank him for this invitation and will be setting up this meeting in due course.
‘I’d like to thank everyone who supported our application in the run-up to congress and also those who were open minded about our application and took part in a conversation with us in Bratislava.
‘We were consistent in presenting our case based on the strength of Jersey’s outstanding footballing credentials and potential and we hope that ongoing and meaningful dialogue with Uefa can find a solution to help the future development of Jersey football.’
Ceferin also offered a glimmer of hope for Jersey in his post-congress media conference when asked about whether Uefa’s statues could be altered.
‘Every statute can be changed, but it needs a two-thirds majority to change it,’ said Ceferin.
‘If you want my personal view … I don’t have it on this one yet.’
