Matildas group to demand sacked coach Alen Stajcic’s reinstatement

A delegation of Matildas fear the shock sacking of coach Alen Stajcic will cripple their World Cup chances with the furious stars to seek further talks with the FFA.

Former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic will be seeking legal advice over the damage to his reputation from the sacking, Picture: AFP

The Matildas have sought further talks with Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop over the sacking of coach Alen Stajcic, with the team visibly shocked at his exit as they gathered in Sydney today.

Gallop addressed the team Monday morning amid what was described as a tense atmosphere, to detail why FFA had felt the need to dump Stajcic so abruptly in the wake of a review into the team’s culture.

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Several players were said to have wanted more information than Gallop was able to disclose, and he offered to return later on Monday to hold more talks with the players.

Though the squad backed away from demanding that Stajcic be reinstated, players have made clear their disbelief and shock at his removal less than five months before the World Cup.

Players and staff attended a long-planned team culture workshop in Sydney today, with the squad discussing Stajcic’s exit as they assembled in a hotel foyer.

Some fear the ructions will destroy their prospects at the tournament, after Stajcic was sacked on Saturday morning in the wake of a gender-equality survey of some members of the squad whose results sparked alarm among FFA management.

A host of senior players have voiced shock and dismay at the turn of events, with star striker Sam Kerr - whose marquee salary is part funded by FFA - tweeting that “I have not been gagged by the FFA. I have not commented because I wasn’t ready to comment while I am still shocked and upset. My trust was in Staj to lead us to the World Cup final & I believe he was the best coach for that.”

Some senior players have vowed that Stajcic’s exit will not derail the team’s World Cup bid, though FFA chiefs have had to begin an urgent search for a replacement head coach.

The gender survey, conducted by a women’s advocacy group, Our Watch, was voluntary among the players, but issues including bullying and harassment within the team environment were said to have been raised.

A homophobic comment by a Matildas staff member is thought to have been one of the examples cited by a player in the survey, whose results FFA has refused to release citing player confidentiality.

Former Matildas coach Alen Stajcic will be seeking legal advice over the damage to his reputation from the sacking, Picture: AFP

Though FFA bosses referenced a “wellbeing audit” conducted with the players’ association (PFA) as being one of the factors prompting their action against Stajcic, it’s understood the results of that audit were about improving the high-performance environment of the Matildas, rather than questioning the specific behaviours of the coaching staff.

Stajcic himself approved the questions and was shown the responses to the audit, but has not been given the results of the gender-equality survey.

As a number of senior players have flagged their support for their now former coach on social media, Chloe Logarzo spoke of her shock at the decision.

“”We were informed really late and it’s really disheartening to lose a coach that means a lot to me and a lot to the players,” she said. “I’ve had him as a coach for 11 years and for him to be there from the very start — for the last four years especially, in the lead up to the world cup.

“We always thought that he would be the one that’s the captain of the ship leading us through the World Cup but unfortunately things happen in football and that’s just what happens and we need to move onto the bigger and better picture, which is our world cup campaign this year.”

Though Stajcic will be paid out the remainder of his contract, he will be taking legal advice this week over the damage to his reputation from the sacking.

Stajic coached the Matildas from 2014 to 2019. Photo by Matt King/Getty Images.

Questions have continued to be raised over how what Football Federation Australia has called a “toxic environment” was allowed to develop in the two years since the head coach was awarded an upgraded contract, and how effective is the oversight of the national teams within FFA.

In 2016 Stajcic was given an upgraded contract, specifically being praised for changing the culture of the team.

“Alen has done a remarkable job in achieving results with the Matildas, but his work on the team culture and player development has been equally significant,” said FFA CEO David Gallop at the time.

Though it has been stressed that the situation within the team had “deteriorated” in recent months, FFA had not given Stajcic formal warning that alarm bells were ringing.

As head of national teams, former Socceroo Luke Casserly has what FFA terms “administrative oversight” of the Socceroos and Matildas but ultimately the national coaches are answerable to Gallop.

It’s understood that Stajcic and assistant coach Gary van Egmond were summoned to separate meetings with FFA officials late last week to review the results of the gender equality survey, and Stajcic’s responses did not lay out a plan to tackle the perceptions raised in the survey.

A number of senior players have since said they were blindsided by the decision to terminate Stajcic’s contract, while the future of van Egmond remains uncertain.