Tony Popovic is a Wanderers, and A-League, legend, the poor timing of his exit doesn’t change that

WHEN the history books are written, the manner of Tony Popovic’s exit from the Wanderers should not tarnish his legacy at the club, writes Tom Smithies.

Tony Popovic led the Western Sydney Wanderers to three Grand Finals and made them champions of Asia.

WHEN the history books are written, the manner of Tony Popovic’s exit from the Wanderers should not tarnish his legacy at the club.

Western Sydney may have been left reeling by the timing of his exit, from the boardroom and players to the supporters, but when the dust settles Popovic will surely be seen as one of the defining figures of the A-League, let alone the Wanderers.

Tony Popovic led the Western Sydney Wanderers to three Grand Finals and made them champions of Asia.

An Asian Champions League title, a minor premiership and three grand finals would be a laudable haul in its own right. But to have achieved that at a club which didn’t exist five and a half years ago is proof, as Popovic himself put it, that his “heart and soul” have gone into building a club that is now a powerhouse of Australian football.

All the groundwork, the community engagement, the new stadium, the new training base and the huge numbers of members would not have happened so quickly, if at all, without the vertiginous accrual of success that the club has enjoyed.

Popovic leaves a squad in good health and ready to challenge for the title.

“We always knew Tony Popovic would leave this club one day,” said CEO John Tsatsimas, though he also admitted he’s “had better Sundays”. But if the club really is bigger than the personification of one man, no matter how influential Popovic was, then the transition to a new era should be manageable.

It’s true that his relationship with the media was at times prickly, and some sections of the club’s support were freely demanding his exit last season. Now they will find out very quickly how replaceable he truly is.

After all, Popovic himself took a leap, albeit a well-paid one, when he quit a relatively secure job at Crystal Palace as assistant coach to become the head coach of a club with no players, no ground, not even a training ground. Other figures have played a major role too, not least Tsatsimas and the owner Paul Lederer.

Between the three of them, a squad has been assembled that many felt would challenge for the title this season, with new signings already bedded in and the early signs from them promising indeed. It’s not Popovic’s responsibility anymore, but the A-League will benefit if whoever replaces him is able to ensure that title challenge is a strong one.