- Matildas players reportedly won’t miss coach Tony Gustavsson
- Some sections of the gaming group described his mandate as “four years of hell”
- Gustavsson and Football Australia part ways
A number of Matildas players have turned on Tony Gustavsson, brutally branding his tenure “four years of hell”.
This comes after the Swede failed to lead the Matildas beyond the group stage at the Paris Olympics, their worst result since the 2000 Games.
And following a 2-1 loss to the USWNT on Thursday, Gustavsson and Football Australia parted ways hours later.
“It has been a great honour and privilege to be the head coach of the Matildas for the past four years,” he said in a statement.
‘This journey with the team has had many incredible moments and memories that I will cherish forever.
“Thank you to the incredible players, to Football Australia for backing our vision, to the Australian football family for embracing me and to the Australian public for their tremendous support.”
But Gustavsson reportedly lost the support of the playing group some time ago, and many of the stars will not miss him.
His tactics were often seen as baffling, with one player describing the Swede’s approach on the pitch as “disorganised chaos”.
Angry Matildas players have turned on Tony Gustavsson, labelling his tenure “four years of hell”
This comes after the Matildas failed to progress beyond the group stage at 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 opening group game (pictured)
Others felt they had to endure “four years of hell” with Gustavsson in charge.
According News CorporationThe players ignored Gustavsson’s instructions during the World Cup in their own country last year, and instead relied on Sam Kerr’s leadership from the bench.
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.
Now that Football Australia has confirmed it will conduct a thorough review of what went wrong at the Games, more changes could be on the way.
The review will undoubtedly focus on the team’s high-performance system, especially the physical condition and conditioning of the players.
Football Australia spared no expense in its quest for gold in Paris, with the team provided with a private jet to get to France, luxury accommodation and more than 20 staff.
But after conceding 10 goals in three games, the players must also shoulder some responsibility ahead of the Asian Cup on home soil in 2026.
Meanwhile, current Sydney FC ALW coach Ante Juric and former San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney are the first rumoured candidates to replace Gustavsson.
