Gustavsson: Matildas can be one of the best teams in the world

Gustavsson will remain in his current role with Swedish club Hammarby until the end of the year and take charge of Australia in January next year.

Swedish coach Tony Gustavsson. - GETTY IMAGES

The Australian women's national team has the potential to be among the best teams in the world, the team's new coach Tony Gustavsson has said.

“I am extremely proud and happy to have been appointed head coach of the Westfield Matildas,” Gustavsson, who will lead Australia in two Olympic campaigns, the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2022 and the Women's World Cup in 2023, said in a statement.

“I feel that my 21 years of coaching have put me in the position to be ready for this. I have always said the Matildas have the potential to be one of the best teams in the world and that is one of the reasons that I wanted to get on board with this job.”

“We believe that in Tony, we have appointed a coach who will not only surpass the benchmarks and criteria we set as an organisation, but the standards that are expected by our players, football community and fans,” FFA chief James Johnson said.

We take a look at Tony Gustavsson's coaching history. #WelcomeTonypic.twitter.com/k020qLqX4u

— Westfield Matildas (@TheMatildas) September 29, 2020

 

The former coach of the Australian women's team Ante Milicic stepped down in July because of the delay of the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Milicic, seventh-ranked Australia disappointed at the Women's World Cup, bowing out at the round of 16 with defeat on penalties to Norway.