Unmoved FFA hits back at sacked Matildas coach Alen Stajcic

FFA has hit back at sacked Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, claiming the team was “dysfunctional” under his reign

Sacked Matildas coach Alen Stajcic fronts the media yesterday. Picture: Brett Costello

Football Federation Australia has hit back at sacked Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, claiming the team environment was “dysfunctional” under his reign and it had to act to get the Women’s World Cup campaign back on track.

As the fallout from his sacking enters its fourth week, Stajcic broke his silence yesterday in The Australian, claiming he was dismissed without a proper explanation and saying he was considering legal action.

But FFA chairman Chris Nikou responded in a statement yesterday saying the FFA board “disagree with many of (Stajcic’s) assertions and were surprised by a number of his comments”.

“Indeed, Mr Stajcic, by his own admission and in the presence of an FFA lawyer and the FFA CEO David Gallop, said that the team environment was ‘dysfunctional’ and was ‘always going to be this way’,” Nikou said. “In those circumstances we decided to act in time to put the team’s Women’s World Cup campaign back on track. It’s the board’s duty to make these decisions.

“Nothing Mr Stajcic said today changes the facts, that built up over time, that informed the FFA’s decision to legally terminate his employment as coach of the Matildas. The FFA reached a unanimous view that Mr Stajcic was no longer the right person to enable the Matildas to perform at their best — on and off the pitch.”

Gallop said he would not get into “a point-by-point debate that further distracts the team”.

“Mr Stajcic knows that the team environment, contrary to today’s comments, was not satisfactory. A change was needed. We are also mindful that the people who participated in the review processes, including the surveys and other information gathered, did so on a confidential basis. We will not breach those commitments to players and staff.”

Stajcic yesterday emerged to make his first public comments in a 40-minute media conference and admitted he is “not in the right head space” to think about his future.

He called for an independent inquiry into the process around his sacking and has foreshadowed legal action “on potential defamation and the breach of contractual obligations by the FFA”.

“I look forward to the search for truth, honour and integrity in this awful saga and I concur with others who are demanding a full and independent investigation,” he said.

On the verge of breaking down several times, Stajcic, 45, somehow managed to hold it together yesterday as he read through a lengthy statement before answering a multitude of questions.

Asked if he wanted his job back, he said it had not crossed his mind.

“I’m here today to clear my name and restore my reputation. It’s not really a question for today,” Stajcic said. “I believe it’s (his reputation) been damaged unjustifiably. I’m here to repair what I can of my reputation after having spent 20 years coaching the game.”

Pressed on if he will coach again or if he wants to do so again, he replied: “I am not here to talk about that.

“By coming here and presenting my facts and the chain of events that led to my termination, I’m hoping it will restore my reputation because the speculation and innuendo that I’ve heard, that ‘he must’ve done something’, is the part that’s really ruined my reputation.”

Stajcic, who was in charge of the Matildas for five years and took them to fourth in the world rankings, refused to be drawn into whether he believes there has been a conspiracy against him.

The Australian revealed recently that Stajcic had been in the sights of some powerful people not long after he took over the job with the Matildas in 2014.

“I’m not here to talk about that, I’m here to talk about my future, my reputation and to clear my name. The speculation and innuendo that’s run rife over the last three weeks, I can’t explain how damaging it’s been to me personally,” he said. “Whether there’s been a conspiracy or how I got fired I think that’s for other people.

“For me, the clarity and transparency is a big issue, otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here. There’s certainly been a lack of due process.”

Just minutes before Stajcic fronted the media, Professional Footballers Australia issued a statement declaring they were “incredibly disappointed that a wellbeing audit, which is the cornerstone of our responsibility to players, has been used for a purpose for which it simply wasn’t intended (Stajcic’s sacking).

“The preamble to the survey makes it clear that the objective of the audit was to ‘monitor longitudinally the mental health of members, improving support services and enhancing the environment’.”

Stajcic appeared to be at the point of breaking down whenever he mentioned the Matildas or his family.

“It’s extremely hard as you can imagine. Both my kids have had to go to school, read the speculation and innuendo, the firestorm that’s erupted due to the lack of clarity and transparency that was offered, due to the nature of the comments both public and private that were offered by the board directors, more than one,” he said. “That’s just added to the speculation that’s been around over the last couple of weeks. As a father and person who’s highly engaged in my community that’s certainly been the toughest part to take.”

Stajcic would not buy into the question of whether Gallop should resign. “It’s not for me to talk about David Gallop. I’m here to clear my name and my reputation. I’m not here to talk about any executive members or board directors, that’s their own issues within FFA.”