Tony Popovic Becomes New Coach Of Australia

The Australia men’s football team made headlines by announcing Tony Popovic as their latest addition to the coaching staff, entrusting him with the crucial role of leading the team’s revival in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign. 

With his wealth of experience and tactical acumen, Popovic is set to inject fresh strategies and motivation to propel the team towards their goal of securing a spot in the prestigious tournament.

Australia will need to finish top two in Group C

Graham Arnold, the head coach of the Socceroos, resigned on Friday due to the team’s subpar performance in the third round of qualifying. Australia was held to a goalless draw away to Indonesia after losing 0-1 at home to Bahrain. 

In Group C, which also includes Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, and Australia, Australia must place in the top two to earn a straight ticket to the World Cup in the Americas.

Now, Popovic will be expected to turn things around, first at home against China in October of next year, then on a demanding tour to Japan.

Popovic, a former center back with 58 caps for the national team, played in the 2006 World Cup but was short due to an injury. With a two-decade career in top division leagues in Australia, Japan, England, and Qatar, Popovic played in the Premier League with Crystal Palace in 2004-05.

The 51-year-old has been a coach for more than ten years, having worked for Western Sydney Wanderers, Perth Glory, and Melbourne Victory in the A-League. In addition, he was fired from his positions as coach of Greece’s Xanthi and Turkey’s Karabukspor after less than six months in each position.

He guided Perth and the Wanderers to the A-League Premiers championship, but he hasn’t taken home the trophy since 2019. The Wanderers, an Australian team, became the first to win the AFC Champions League when he famously led them to victory in 2014. 

In 2021, after winning the Australia Cup with Victory, he was chosen for the third time in his career as the A-League Coach of the Year. After leaving his position at Victory following the A-League Grand Final defeat, he became a free agent in May and was connected to Croatia’s Hajduk Split.

“We should be aiming for top spot”

At his introduction on Monday at Football Australia’s headquarters, Popovic said “This campaign hasn’t started the best, but I know there’s enough time, there’s enough games, You know, we should be aiming for top spot to go through automatically.”

On the lackluster performance of Australia in the third round, he said “Results can sometimes mask when something is good … look at the history of what’s been done, a group of players that did remarkable things over there (in Qatar). I understand the responsibility that’s required and the expectation of everyone.”

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