FFA to meet with Louis van Gaal and Bert van Marwijk for Socceroos coach talks
FORMER Manchester United and Holland manager Louis van Gaal is making a pitch for the Socceroos job this week, as formal interviews to replace Ange Postecoglou commence.
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FORMER Manchester United and Holland manager Louis van Gaal is making a pitch for the Socceroos job this week, as formal interviews to replace Ange Postecoglou commence in Europe.
Both van Gaal and his predecessor in the Dutch role, Bert van Marwijk, are meeting football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop and head of national teams Luke Casserly in separate interviews in Amsterdam, after the Australian pair flew to Holland on Sunday night.
Gallop and Casserly will also seek talks with Roberto Mancini, though the former Manchester City boss’s situation is more complicated by his position under contract at Zenit St Petersburg.
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Both van Gaal and van Marwijk are very interested in the Socceroos job, and both are understood to have made extensive inquiries about the current Australian squad ahead of their interviews with the Australian delegation.
Despite Mancini becoming the bookmakers’ favourite for the role, van Marwijk remains a key contender, not least as his salary demands are expected to be more commensurate with the role.
FFA has signalled it can offer some $1.5m for the man appointed to lead the Socceroos through to the World Cup, hopeful that the opportunity to lead a side in Russia will compensate for the relatively meagre salary on offer.
Mancini’s current salary at Zenit of some $10.5 million net — not to mention the fact he is a contracted coach at the Russian club — may create an insurmountable burden, though it’s believed that Gallop wants to explore all options.
All those interviewed are expected to outline why they want to coach Australia at the World Cup, and what aspirations they see for the team at the tournament.
There will also be discussions about the support set-up each man would want, with current Socceroos assistant Ante Milicic holding a contract until 2020. It’s expected the new coach will appoint his own assistant too, while keeping Milicic as a source of local knowledge, particularly as the appointed coach will have less than a month to name a squad for the friendlies with Norway and Colombia in late March.
Once preferred candidates are identified further interviews will take place, including with FFA technical director Eric Abrams and chairman Steven Lowy.
Graham Arnold remains the overwhelming favourite to succeed the man appointed for the World Cup, though Sydney FC are trying hard to keep him at the club with discussions over an improved contract that would in effect put golden handcuffs on the A-League coach of the year.
Though the bulk of the Sydney first XI has re-signed for next season, or in most cases indicated they want to stay, Sydney may seek clarity sooner rather later as they have still not been advised on FFA’s timeline for appointing a coach for the long term, taking in the Asian Cup in January and the World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign beyond that.