Incoming Socceroos coach promises improvement

SYDNEY — Tony Popovic was named as the new coach of Australia on Monday, three days after the shock resignation of Graham Arnold in the wake of the team's poor start to the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

A member of Australia's 'golden generation', the former center-half won 58 caps for his country during a playing career that included long stints in club soccer in England with Crystal Palace, and Japan with Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Since retirement, the 51-year-old has mainly coached in Australia, with his crowning achievement being the Asian Champions League title he won with Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014, less than two years after the club was established.

"Coaching the Socceroos is probably a dream come true," Popovic, who has signed a deal through the 2026 World Cup finals, told a news conference.

"I look forward to the challenge. I'm excited by it.

"The Socceroos are in a good position. This campaign hasn't started the best, but I know there's enough time, enough games."

Football Australia was keen to make a permanent appointment before the next World Cup qualifier against China on Oct 10, a match the Socceroos must win to get their campaign for a sixth straight appearance at the World Cup finals back on track.

A rare home loss against Bahrain, plus a draw with Indonesia in Jakarta, prompted Arnold to stand down last Friday with Australia in fifth place, five points adrift of Group C leader Japan.

"You know, we should be aiming for top spot and to go through automatically."

Australia has qualified for the last five World Cups, making the round of 16 at Qatar in 2022.

It was on fire earlier this year in the second stage of Asian qualifying, with six straight victories without conceding a goal.

But, it was a shadow of its former self against Bahrain and Indonesia.

"The team maybe looked a little bit flat," Popovic said.

"I don't think it'll take too much to change the way we play ... we do it with the energy, we do it with the desire, and we do it with a speed and dynamic type of play that I think the players will enjoy."

'Aim to be the best'

The top two in Group C will qualify automatically for the 2026 finals in North America, with the third and fourth place finishers advancing to another round of preliminaries.

"Results can sometimes mask when something is good ... look at the history of what's been done, a group of players that did remarkable things over there (in Qatar)," he said.

"I understand the responsibility that's required and the expectation of everyone."

Popovic said his team would still be aiming to finish top of the group.

"Australia needs to be qualifying for World Cups," he said.

"Two times in the last five, we qualified automatically ... it's not easy.

"But, should we not aim for first spot? We should always aim to be the best."

The last two Australian coaches of the Socceroos, Ange Postecoglou and Arnold, have walked away from the job, and Popovic accepted that the run to the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup two years ago had raised expectations further.

"What follows from that is we expect more in managing qualifiers," he said.

"That's not a bad thing. Expect more from me."

Popovic was in charge at Melbourne Victory until the end of the last A-League season, when he opted against renewing his contract and moved to Croatia with his family.

At Victory, Popovic developed a reputation for playing defensive soccer, but he stood by his coaching record on Monday.

"I know what I stand for," he said. "I know my values, what I can do with a group of players. I know I can improve every single player that I work with.

"That will continue, and I know we'll play football that everyone will enjoy."

Football Australia chief James Johnson called Popovic "the best possible candidate".

"Tony's proven leadership and strategic football acumen combined with his deep understanding of Australian football, our players, and what it means to be a Socceroo, makes him the ideal choice to lead our national team moving forward," he said.

"His international experience, particularly across Asia, both as a player and a coach, further strengthens his ability to navigate the global football landscape and drive success for Australia on the world stage."

Agencies