Postecoglou resigns as Australia boss
SYDNEY: Ange Postecoglou resigned as Australia coach yesterday, a week after leading the Socceroos to qualification for next year’s World Cup finals in Russia.
The 52-year-old spoke emotionally about the toll his job had taken on his family life but did not elaborate fully on the reasons behind his decision.
Postecoglou had come under fire after Australia failed to qualify automatically for Russia, requiring them to beat Syria and Honduras in play-offs.
“After a great deal of thought and soulsearching, I’ve decided that the journey for me ends as Socceroos coach,” he told a news conference at Sydney Cricket Ground.
“As I’ve said many times, it’s been the biggest privilege of my life and probably not the ending I had envisaged when we started, but at the same time, I know it’s the right time for me and the right decision.”
Postecoglou, who will be looking for a return to club coaching, said he had been talked out of quitting immediately after last week’s 3-1 play-off victory over Honduras in Sydney by Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop.
Gallop said he was still a little confused as to why Postecoglou had decided to end his reign before the end of his five-year contract next July and would be in no hurry to appoint a replacement.
“I’m disappointed and I guess still a bit puzzled, but I’m supportive of the notion that sometimes you reach a point where you just know that you need to do something new,” he said.
“It’s my privilege, on behalf of everyone in Australian football, to thank Ange for the past four years. Of course, Ange’s record speaks for itself.”
There had been speculation about Postecoglou’s future after a report in local media following the victory over Syria in October said he would be standing down after the Honduras tie, win or lose. He passed up several opportunities to refute this.
He had taken over the national team eight months before the last World Cup in Brazil, where a young team lost all their matches but acquitted themselves well, and in 2015 led them to their maiden Asian Cup triumph.
Gallop said there was no need to rush the process of finding a replacement as the Socceroos would not play again until March.
“It’s important that we get the right person to fill the big shoes,” Gallop said. “That standard has now been set.”