Matildas coach hits Aussie stars with a savage four-word put-down after they slammed Tony Gustavsson for putting them through ‘hell’ following Olympics debacle
- FFormer Matildas coach Tom Sermanni did not mince his words
- Urged the current generation of stars to ‘just do their job’ as footballers
- Matildas failed to progress beyond the group stage at the Paris Olympics
Former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has criticised the current squad of players and urged them to ‘just do their job’ after they were knocked out of the Paris Olympics.
It comes in response to recent fierce criticism of Tony Gustavsson, with some disgruntled stars describing his tenure as “disorganised chaos”.
Others felt that they had endured ‘four years of hell’ with the Swede in power.
βI don’t want to comment on the players, but just go out there and do your job,β Sermanni said. News Corp.
It is disappointing that they [Matildas] did not get through the group [at the Olympics]Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the team sometimes overshadows the reality of what the team can achieve.
‘I think [Gustavsson] gets an unfair reputation because – if you have a squad of 20 players… some will always be angry because they are not playing offensively enough or not playing in the right position.
‘You easily come across players who are angry or dissatisfied.’
Sermanni also stressed the importance of the next coach having the best management skills when it comes to developing real Matildas superstars such as captain Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler.
Former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has criticised the current squad of players, calling on them to ‘just do their job’ (pictured Mary Fowler at the Paris Olympics)
It follows recent heavy criticism of Tony Gustavsson, with some disgruntled stars describing his four-year tenure as ‘disorganised chaos’
Defender Alanna Kennedy had a poor Olympics, by her own high standards (pictured after a 2-1 loss to the US national team)
Tom Sermanni coached the Matildas for two periods: from 1994 to 1997 and then from 2005 to 2012 (pictured, as coach of the New Zealand team at the Tokyo Olympics)
βThese players are some of the most recognisable athletes in Australia and managing athletes at that level presents a challenge β they need the confidence, personality and management skills to do that,β he said.
‘The selection also needs some regeneration [leading into the 2026 Asian Cup].
Before the Olympic Games in July, the Matildas took part in a gruelling training camp in Spain, which lasted almost four weeks.
In their first match against Germany in Marseille, the Matildas were slow and paid the price by losing 3-0.
They then defeated Zambia 6-5 in a thrilling match that lasted 90 minutes, before losing 2-1 to the USA to exit the tournament.
The early exit was also the Matildas’ worst result since the 2000 Games.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson confirmed last week that the next coach is likely to focus on development, unlike Gustavsson who focused on separate major tournaments such as the World Cup and the Olympics.
He also didn’t live in Australia.
Sydney FC ALW coach Ante Juric and former San Diego Wave manager Casey Stoney have been mentioned as possible successors to Gustavsson.