On Tuesday, Football Australia appointed previous Matilda’s head coach, Tom Sermanni, as the team’s interim head coach.
The organisation continues to search for a full-time replacement for Tony Gustavsson.
Now 70 years old, Sermanni is a Football Australia Hall of Fame inductee and the longest-serving head coach of the Matildas.
He had previously managed the team from 1994-1997 and 2005-2012.
“We are delighted to welcome Tom (Sermanni) back to the CommBank Matildas program,” Football Australia CEO, James Johnson said in a statement.
“With over three decades of football experience in Australia and internationally, his extensive knowledge of the global women’s football landscape, the local Australian game and his previous success with the team make him the ideal candidate to guide the CommBank Matildas through this transitional period.”
Under Sermanni’s second reign as head coach, he guided the Matildas to two Women’s World Cup quarter-finals in 2007 and 2011 and led the team to their only ever title in Asia, the 2010 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Sermanni’s international resume includes having previously coached the United States and New Zealand’s women’s national teams, winning the 2013 Algarve Cup with the US.
Additionally, he was an assistant for the Canadian women’s national team and has been involved in six Women’s World Cups across different roles.
“It's an honour to return to the CommBank Matildas, even in this interim capacity,” Sermanni said.
“I'm looking forward to working with this talented group of players and helping to ensure a smooth transition as Football Australia continues its search for a permanent head coach.
“My immediate priority is to prepare the team for the upcoming International Window."
Currently, he is the Head of Women’s Football at the Western Sydney Wanderers but announced he would take a temporary leave of absence to focus on his new role.
Sermanni will lead the Matildas in two upcoming October international matches against Olympic bronze medallists Germany and another nation yet to be announced.
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