Tom Sermanni, who was born in Scotland, has been appointed as the interim head coach of the Australian women’s soccer team. This will be his third stint managing the Matildas.
Soccer Australia chose not to renew the contract of former head coach Tony Gustavsson after the Matildas did not advance past the group stage at the Paris Olympics.
Sermanni’s appointment was announced on Tuesday as Soccer Australia looks for a new permanent head coach.
Australia finished third in their group, behind the U.S. and Germany, and did not reach the knockout stages of the Olympics for the first time since the Sydney 2000 Games.
The 70-year-old Sermanni will coach the team for the upcoming international window next month, which includes a game against Olympic bronze medalists Germany, and potentially through the end of the year.
Sermanni previously coached the U.S. women’s team from 2013 to 2014, served as an assistant for Canada’s women’s team in 2015, and led the New Zealand women’s team from 2018 until the end of the Tokyo Olympics.
Football Australia chief executive 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 scene, the local Australian game, and his previous success with the team make him the ideal candidate to guide the Matildas through this transitional period.”
