- FFormer Matildas coach Tom Sermanni did not mince his words.
- He urged the current generation of stars to “just do their job” as footballers.
- The Matildas failed to make it past the group stage at the Paris Olympics
Former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has criticised the current crop of players, urging them to “just do their job” after they were eliminated from the Paris Olympics.
This follows recent intense criticism of Tony Gustavsson, with some disgruntled stars labelling his tenure a “disorganised mess”.
Others felt that under the Swede’s command they had gone through “four years of hell.”
“I don’t want to talk about the players, but they should go out and do their job,” Sermanni said. News Corporation.
‘It’s disappointing that they (Matildas) didn’t make it through the pool (at the Olympics), unfortunately the hype around the team sometimes overshadows the reality of what the team can achieve.
‘I think (Gustavsson) gets unfair criticism for that: if you have a squad of 20 players… some will always be upset about not playing attacking enough or playing out of position.
“It’s easy to find players who are upset or dissatisfied.”
Sermanni also stressed the importance of the next coach having elite management skills when it comes to nurturing genuine Matildas superstars such as captain Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler.
Former Matildas coach Tom Sermanni has criticised the current crop of players, urging them to “just do their job” (pictured, Mary Fowler at the Paris Olympics)
This follows recent intense criticism of Tony Gustavsson, with some disgruntled stars labelling his four-year tenure a “disorganised mess”.
Defender Alanna Kennedy had a mediocre Olympics by her own standards (pictured after losing 2-1 to the U.S. women’s team)
Tom Sermanni coached the Matildas in two stints: from 1994 to 1997 and then from 2005 to 2012 (pictured, in charge of the New Zealand team at the Tokyo Olympics)
“These players are some of the most recognisable athletes in Australia and there is a challenge associated with managing athletes at that level – they need confidence, personality and management skills to achieve that,” he said.
“The team also needs some regeneration (ahead of 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 opening match against Germany in Marseille, the Matildas were sluggish and paid the price, losing 3-0.
They then beat Zambia 6-5 in a crazy 90-minute encounter before losing 2-1 to the United States, which eliminated them from the tournament.
The early exit was also the Matildas’ worst result since the 2000 Games.
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson confirmed last week that the next coach would likely focus on development, unlike Gustavsson, who worked for individual major tournaments such as the World Cup and Olympics.
He was not resident in Australia either.
Sydney FC ALW coach Ante Juric and former San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney are rumored to be early candidates to replace Gustavsson.