Matildas stars slam Tony Gustavsson for putting them through ‘four years of hell’ after the coach was sacked over Olympics disaster
- Matildas players reportedly won’t miss coach Tony Gustavsson
- Parts of the player group called his period ‘four years of hell’
- Gustavsson and Football Australia have parted ways
A number of Matildas players have turned against Tony Gustavsson, calling his time as manager ‘four years of hell’.
This comes after the Swede failed to guide the Matildas past the group stage of the Paris Olympics, their worst result since the 2000 Games.
And after the 2-1 loss to the US national team on Thursday, Gustavsson and Football Australia parted ways a few hours later.
“It has been a great honour and privilege to be head coach of the Matildas for the past four years,” he said in a statement.
‘This journey with the team has created many great moments and memories that I will cherish forever.
“Thank you to the incredible players, Football Australia for supporting our vision, the Australian football family for their support and the Australian public for their tremendous support.”
But Gustavsson is said to have lost the support of the players for some time now, so many stars will not miss him.
His tactics were often regarded as puzzling, with one player even calling the Swede’s approach on the pitch ‘disorganised chaos’.
Angry Matildas players turn on Tony Gustavsson, calling his time as manager ‘four years of hell’
This comes after the Matildas failed to progress beyond the group stage of the Paris Olympics, their worst result since the 2000 Games (pictured right, defender Ellie Carpenter)
Alarm bells began ringing at the Paris Olympics after the Matildas were beaten 3-0 by Germany in their group opener (pictured)
Others felt they had to endure “four years of hell” under Gustavsson’s leadership.
According to News Corpplayers ignored Gustavsson’s instructions during the World Cup on home soil last year, instead relying on Sam Kerr’s leadership from the dugout.
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.
Now that Football Australia has confirmed it will conduct a full investigation into what went wrong at the Games, more changes could be on the way.
The evaluation will undoubtedly focus on the team’s performance, particularly the fitness and condition of the players.
Football Australia spared no effort in the battle for gold in Paris, with the squad provided with a private plane to travel to France, luxury accommodation and more than 20 permanent staff.
But after conceding 10 goals in three games, the players must also take on some responsibilities ahead of the Asian Cup on home soil in 2026.
Meanwhile, current Sydney FC ALW coach Ante Juric and former San Diego Wave boss Casey Stoney have been mentioned as possible successors to Gustavsson.