When a new Football Federation Australia board was installed in November, CEO David Gallop reportedly told Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, "It's good for me -- but it's not so good for you," according to Andrew Webster of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Months before that, an FFA board member warned Stajcic that "powerful forces within the game wanted him sacked and replaced with a female coach." He was told, "They’re out to get you." Last Friday, the predictions "came true, at least in part," when Stajcic -- one of the "most successful coaches in the team’s history" -- had his contract torn up five months out from the World Cup following two surveys allegedly painting a "toxic culture" within the national women’s team. According to numerous sources, Stajcic’s "messy departure" has exposed the "tangled web" that exists around one of Australian sport’s most loved sides. They talk of a "divided team environment, riddled with cliques, made even more complex by the fact that some players have been in relationships with each other." They talk of some players "thriving" under Stajcic’s demanding coaching style while others have complained about a "bullying" culture in which they were "scared to make a mistake." They also talk about the coach being undermined by a "witchhunt" that has been underway for many months to "push him out of his job." One of the key figures in the saga is FFA Dir Heather Reid, who was part of the new board installed in November "at the insistence of FIFA." She "angrily denied" that she is one of the people behind the plot to oust Stajcic. She said, "It's absolutely not correct. It's so far from the truth. I have no grudge against Alen Stajcic" (SMH, 1/22).
TOXIC CULTURE?: In Sydney, Dominic Bossi reported FFA had "already been tipped off" by FIFA about the Matildas' "declining technical standards" before the sacking of Stajcic, suggesting his position overseeing a "toxic" team culture may not have been the "sole reason for his dismissal." Players, staff members and "even player union officials" on Tuesday were "still uneasy" over the manner in which Stajcic was stood down. However, FFA was reportedly "already on the path" toward reviewing Stajcic's position in the months before Saturday's sacking for performance and tactical reasons. Sources suggest members of FIFA's Technical Study Group had raised concerns with FFA and its directors over the declining standard of play of the Matildas during '18 (SMH, 1/22).
STAYING FOCUSED: In Sydney, Ray Gatt reported the Matildas "attempted to put the dramas" surrounding the sacking behind them. Gagged from speaking individually to the media, the players "spoke out for the first time" on Tuesday as a group, issuing a statement. The statement said, "We would like to thank Staj for his dedication to the Matildas and more broadly for being a strong advocate for women's football in Australia. As a playing group we are committed to continuing to build on the success we have achieved under his guidance. It's important for us now to stay focused on our common goal, which remains winning the World Cup 2019." Almost half the Matildas have "shown their unwavering support" for Stajcic through social media posts, with a number saying that they are "devastated by what has happened." While FFA refuses to divulge any specific incidents, there have been "suggestions of bullying, homophobic comments, mental disintegration and body shaming" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/23).
FILLING THE POST: Bossi also reported a panel of experts and player representatives are set to be involved in the process of finding a new coach of the Matildas within the next month. It is understood the organization will "adhere to a similar process" to that undertaken to appoint the short-term Socceroos coach for the 2018 World Cup, Bert van Marwijk, which included former national team players advising the FFA board on the criteria for a new coach. FFA has already received a number of applications to replace Stajcic as coach, including "a number of female candidates" (SMH, 1/22).
