Ante Milicic has been appointed the new head coach of the Matildas following the controversial dismissal of Alen Stajcic.
Football Federation Australia made the announcement today that Milicic lead the Matildas until the end of their FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 campaign.
FFA today confirmed that experienced Australian coach Ante Milicic will lead the Westfield Matildas.
— Westfield Matildas (@TheMatildas) February 18, 2019
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“It is an honour to be appointed Head Coach of the Westfield Matildas and I am determined to make the most of this opportunity together with the squad and staff,” Milicic said.
“As demonstrated throughout the Westfield W-League this season, which culminated in Saturday’s thrilling Grand Final in Sydney, Australia has many fantastic players right now and I know that the squad that is ultimately selected will be eager to seize its chance in France.”
A known quantity
Australia’s search for new head coach was led by a panel of experts comprising of:
- FFA’s Head of National Performance Luke Casserly
- former Matilda Julie Murray,
- current Australian women’s Cricket Head Coach Matthew Mott
- Darlene Harrison, Deputy Director, Performance People and Teams at the Australian Institute of Sport
FFA CEO David Gallop noted that the recruitment process saw a high interest from applicants.
“There was no shortage of exceptional Australian and international applicants interested in this elite role,” said Gallop.
In light of the end of Stajcic’s tenure, the FFA faced significant scrutiny in the process for the new head coach while there were still many unanswered questions about the dismissal of the previous head coach.
Ultimately it appears Milicic’s proximity to the national team gave him the advantage having been a part of the FFA National Teams set up since 2014.
“Ante’s intimate involvement with our National Teams Unit over the past five years ensured that he will commence the position with a clear understanding of the systems in place, and with sound relationships with key technical, backroom, and administrative staff already forged,” – Gallop
The 44 was Assistant Coach to both Ange Postecoglou (2014) and Bert van Marwijk (2018) for the Socceroos 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup campaigns.
He was also at Postecoglou’s side when Australia claimed the 2015 AFC Asian Cup on home soil and led the Young Socceroos.
“FFA is delighted to provide Ante – who has served a long apprenticeship in the game at both club and national team level – with the opportunity to lead the Westfield Matildas in France,” said FFA Chairman Chris Nikou.
World Cup preparations commence
Seated in the top job, Milicic now has just under 4 months to prepare the sixth ranked Matildas for a tilt at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
First up for the team will be the Cup of Nations feature fellow World Cup bound nations Argentina, Korea Republic and New Zealand.
The Matildas are set to be called into camp later this week following the finish of the W-League season.
“With three matches coming up in quick succession at the Cup of Nations, the friendly tournament will provide our group with the opportunity to set its standards both on and off the pitch as we look ahead to the FIFA Women’s World Cup with great belief and optimism,” he said.
It will be Australia’s first matches for 2019 and the first time without Stajcic at the helm.
Australia will face Italy, Brazil, and Jamaica in Group C at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
