Ange in Japan’s sights

JAPANESE giant Yokohama F Marinos looks set to swoop on coach Ange Postecoglou.

The ex-Socceroos boss had his sights set on Europe but Yokohama’s swift approach after he quit the national team are likely to tempt Postecoglou to Asia instead.

Postecoglou could be appointed within a week and despite the J. League season having finished, could take charge of Yokohama’s Emperor’s Cup semi-final clash with Kashiwa Reysol on December 23.

City Football Group, which owns Melbourne City and 20 per cent of Yokohama (Nissan owns the rest), has been central in the pursuit of Postecoglou.

CFG takes charge of football matters under the arrangement and they have stabilised the football department under Brian Marwood’s stewardship.

Manchester-based Marwood, who oversees Melbourne City’s football affairs, is understood to have met Postecoglou in Melbourne last week.

Meanwhile, Australian football’s future was due to be decided at a FIFA Associations Committee meeting in Zurich this morning Australian time.

CFG was among the owners targeted by FFA chairman Steven Lowy in a broadside at last Thursday’s press conference, after they failed to force through their preferred governance structure.

“If we were to allow the game to be controlled by privately owned clubs, football will go back to where it was 13 years ago (the bad old days) and it won’t be this board that will be making that decision,’’ Lowy said.

The FFA political power struggle was believed to be a key reason in Postecoglou’s stunning decision to quit despite qualifying the Socceroos for Russia 2018.

Postecoglou conceded that his agents had been scouring for overseas club opportunities in recent months.