Why the Matildas' next coach won't be the person taking the job full-time from Tony Gustavsson

The next coach for the Matildas could be appointed as an interim manager to take charge for the clash against Germany in October as the search for Tony Gustavsson's replacement is officially underway. Gustavsson paid the price for a poor Olympics campaign as coach of the Matildas after Australia failed to progress out of the group stage.

One of the defeats came to Germany as the Matildas were rolled 3-0 in the opening game. Unfortunately, Australia were not able to capitalise on their recent success at the home World Cup and finished their Paris Games in a whimper. Not only were results poor, but the absence of Sam Kerr in the squad highlighted some of the Matildas' flaws and lack of tactics without her goal scoring feats.

Mary Fowler was not able to find her rhythm during the Olympics and Gustavsson came under criticism for not getting the best out of the talented 21-year-old prodigy. The disappointing campaign at the Olympics saw Australia fall to 15th in the FIFA world rankings. And the next coach has been urged to build the team around Fowler going forward.

And Football Australia chief executive James Johnson has reiterated the Matildas will not rush their search for a new coach and will happily employ an interim manager for the clash against Germany. This is to make sure the team have the right direction for the Asian Cup in 2026, the 2027 Women's World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.

"We're still in the process. We're monitoring the markets. We're talking to a number of coaches at the moment," Johnson said to the media on Wednesday. "And the focus right now is heading into the next window for the Matildas.

"If we don't have a coach by that point, we, of course, need to appoint an interim coach, but time is on our side. Our next competitive match isn't until Women's Asian Cup in 2026 so when it comes to Matildas coach, it's about getting the right coach, as opposed to trying to rush a decision."

Johnson said the search for a new coach is underway and the organisation has put the players first when looking for a candidate that fits the team ethos. This comes after Johnson shut down claims the Matildas were 'pampered' heading into the Olympics. "We are a player-centric organisation and we want to make sure that we've got different touch points with the players," he said.

"That's important for us. It's a culture that we want. But ultimately when it comes to decisions of FA they sit with the federation, but those decisions are taken knowing how the players feel about certain issues."

Football Australia boss coy on Matildas coach shortlist

While it appears the Matildas are not close to naming a full-time coach, there are a number of names that top the list. Casey Stoney is favourite to take over as interim manager, while Ante Juric and Ross Aloisi are names thrown around for the full-time role. And Johnson has claimed their has not been a shortage of interest in the position.

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"Yes, (I've been fielding interest from) calls, emails, LinkedIn, it's a very popular position in world football, I would say so," he said. "Yes, there's a lot of interest in this role. And we've just got to sift through the people that are available and make sure that that person can deliver on what we want."

Matildas seek fixtures ahead of Asian Cup

Johnson announced the Matildas would be playing against Germany in Europe as a warm-up for next year's Asian Cup. “With many of our Matildas now based in the Northern Hemisphere and having only just commenced their new domestic seasons, we were keen to play this window away, with Germany fitting the bill and providing a great opportunity to commence the next four-year cycle,” Johnson added.

The Matildas and the search for a new coach will coincide with preparations for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Johnson said the matches against European competition are aimed to 'prepare' for the future tournaments.