Coach Ante Milicic will continue to be in fee of the Matildas for Australia’s Olympic marketing campaign after Football Federation Australia moved to extend his settlement earlier than the World Cup begins in France.
Milicic, who took over on the helm of the ladies’ countrywide facet in February following the sacking of Alen Stajcic, will oversee the Matildas’ efforts to qualify for Tokyo 2020 early next yr, and if a hit will pass for gold on the tournament in Japan.
The new one-yr deal, which comes after he started his tenure with 3 victories on the Tournament of Nations and a defeat to the sector No 1 USA, puts to bed any speak of him taking over the A-League club after the World Cup.
FFA chief government David Gallop said Milicic’s overall performance because taking the reins and his reception from gamers and workforce in the countrywide set-up has been behind the selection to fasten him down.
“Ante has been operating in our national group’s space for the reason that 2014 and we had been confident when we appointed him to Matilda’s post that he could do a great activity,” Gallop stated.
“However, the remarks that we have obtained from the ones closest to the group over the past three months has been resoundingly fine and helped manual our decision to extend his appointment.”
One of his assistants, Ivan Jolie, has additionally signed a one-yr extension and maybe alongside Milicic while the Matildas contact down in France to kick off their marketing campaign against Italy on 9 June. Games towards Brazil and Jamaica also look forward to in Group C.
Next week, Milicic will return to Australia to announce a 23-sturdy squad before departing on 19 May for Turkey, wherein they’ll sing the first-rate song their World Cup preparations at an elite training facility.
Australia will need then equipment up for his or her opener with a friend towards the Netherlands in Eindhoven on 1 June.
“The continuity this will can provide most effective advantage the perception and preparation main into the Women’s World Cup campaign in France, but greater importantly I suppose it demonstrates the deep perception that I have on this special group of gamers,” Milicic said.
“I realize that I can help them gain something special for themselves now not handiest individually, however for this group and Australian football.”