Matildas gig looms for Montemurro after Lyon departure
Joe Montemurro will finally be appointed as the next Matildas coach, bringing an end to a 10-month limbo period.
Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock will hold a press conference for a Matildas major announcement at 10am AEST on Monday, with Montemurro expected to join her.
Experienced women's football coach Montemurro on Sunday departed French powerhouse Lyon with a year left on his contract, paving the way for the Melburnian to officially take the Matildas job.
Sunday was exactly 10 months since Tony Gustavsson departed on August 1, 2024, after a miserable Paris Olympics.
The Matildas, currently ranked world No.16, have been without a permanent head coach since then, amid a protracted recruiting process that frustrated players, though Montemurro's appointment has been expected for months.
Tom Sermanni will finish up his eight-and-a-half-month stint as interim coach in Monday night's clash with Argentina in Canberra, with Montemurro set to be in place against Slovenia at HBF Park on June 26.
Montemurro, 55, has won trophies at Lyon, Juventus, Arsenal and Melbourne City and is now poised to take the Matildas to the Asian Cup along with qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
He previously was among those to miss out to Gustavsson in 2020 and has never hidden his interest in coaching the Matildas.
"The club would like to thank Joe for his commitment throughout the season," Lyon said in a statement on its website.
"Under his leadership, the team won its 18th French championship title, further cementing its exceptional record.
"OL Lyonnes wishes him all the best in his future career."
Monday will be Sermanni's 151st and last game at the helm.
In his final game, Sermanni is keen to build momentum while he has also tested more young players to add to Australia's depth ahead of the Asian Cup.
"Since coming into the job it's just really been important to try and keep everything stable, everything ticking along so that hopefully the new coach comes in and can then really start to take the program forward in the direction that he or she wants to take it in," Sermanni said.
"For me it would just be business as normal, and I think we're in the situation with a squad where a lot of players are looking forward towards the Asian Cup, and there's a lot of competition for places in that final 23-player squad."
Sermanni used his final pre-match press conference to go in to bat for Canberra United, whose A-League Women future remains constantly under threat.
On Sunday, he said of the sold-out Matildas game at GIO : "It's a great indication that we need to keep Canberra United in the A-League Women's competition.
Joe Montemurro will finally be appointed as the next Matildas coach, bringing an end to a 10-month limbo period.
Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock will hold a press conference for a Matildas major announcement at 10am AEST on Monday, with Montemurro expected to join her.
Experienced women's football coach Montemurro on Sunday departed French powerhouse Lyon with a year left on his contract, paving the way for the Melburnian to officially take the Matildas job.
Sunday was exactly 10 months since Tony Gustavsson departed on August 1, 2024, after a miserable Paris Olympics.
The Matildas, currently ranked world No.16, have been without a permanent head coach since then, amid a protracted recruiting process that frustrated players, though Montemurro's appointment has been expected for months.
Tom Sermanni will finish up his eight-and-a-half-month stint as interim coach in Monday night's clash with Argentina in Canberra, with Montemurro set to be in place against Slovenia at HBF Park on June 26.
Montemurro, 55, has won trophies at Lyon, Juventus, Arsenal and Melbourne City and is now poised to take the Matildas to the Asian Cup along with qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
He previously was among those to miss out to Gustavsson in 2020 and has never hidden his interest in coaching the Matildas.
"The club would like to thank Joe for his commitment throughout the season," Lyon said in a statement on its website.
"Under his leadership, the team won its 18th French championship title, further cementing its exceptional record.
"OL Lyonnes wishes him all the best in his future career."
Monday will be Sermanni's 151st and last game at the helm.
In his final game, Sermanni is keen to build momentum while he has also tested more young players to add to Australia's depth ahead of the Asian Cup.
"Since coming into the job it's just really been important to try and keep everything stable, everything ticking along so that hopefully the new coach comes in and can then really start to take the program forward in the direction that he or she wants to take it in," Sermanni said.
"For me it would just be business as normal, and I think we're in the situation with a squad where a lot of players are looking forward towards the Asian Cup, and there's a lot of competition for places in that final 23-player squad."
Sermanni used his final pre-match press conference to go in to bat for Canberra United, whose A-League Women future remains constantly under threat.
On Sunday, he said of the sold-out Matildas game at GIO : "It's a great indication that we need to keep Canberra United in the A-League Women's competition.
Joe Montemurro will finally be appointed as the next Matildas coach, bringing an end to a 10-month limbo period.
Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock will hold a press conference for a Matildas major announcement at 10am AEST on Monday, with Montemurro expected to join her.
Experienced women's football coach Montemurro on Sunday departed French powerhouse Lyon with a year left on his contract, paving the way for the Melburnian to officially take the Matildas job.
Sunday was exactly 10 months since Tony Gustavsson departed on August 1, 2024, after a miserable Paris Olympics.
The Matildas, currently ranked world No.16, have been without a permanent head coach since then, amid a protracted recruiting process that frustrated players, though Montemurro's appointment has been expected for months.
Tom Sermanni will finish up his eight-and-a-half-month stint as interim coach in Monday night's clash with Argentina in Canberra, with Montemurro set to be in place against Slovenia at HBF Park on June 26.
Montemurro, 55, has won trophies at Lyon, Juventus, Arsenal and Melbourne City and is now poised to take the Matildas to the Asian Cup along with qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
He previously was among those to miss out to Gustavsson in 2020 and has never hidden his interest in coaching the Matildas.
"The club would like to thank Joe for his commitment throughout the season," Lyon said in a statement on its website.
"Under his leadership, the team won its 18th French championship title, further cementing its exceptional record.
"OL Lyonnes wishes him all the best in his future career."
Monday will be Sermanni's 151st and last game at the helm.
In his final game, Sermanni is keen to build momentum while he has also tested more young players to add to Australia's depth ahead of the Asian Cup.
"Since coming into the job it's just really been important to try and keep everything stable, everything ticking along so that hopefully the new coach comes in and can then really start to take the program forward in the direction that he or she wants to take it in," Sermanni said.
"For me it would just be business as normal, and I think we're in the situation with a squad where a lot of players are looking forward towards the Asian Cup, and there's a lot of competition for places in that final 23-player squad."
Sermanni used his final pre-match press conference to go in to bat for Canberra United, whose A-League Women future remains constantly under threat.
On Sunday, he said of the sold-out Matildas game at GIO : "It's a great indication that we need to keep Canberra United in the A-League Women's competition.
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The Matildas' 7-6 triumph on penalties made them the first Australian football side to reach the final four of a World Cup, capturing the attention of a nation and changing the perceptions of women in sport. Sydney-based artist and filmmaker Angela Tiatia has asked the World Cup squad of 23 Matildas to re-live the tension of the 10-round shootout for the video artwork. Some of the players had never re-watched those nail-biting moments, said Tiatia. "It elicited such emotional reactions, including visible goosebumps from the players, cementing for me what a privilege and inspiration it is to create this portrait," she said. Players Clare Hunt, Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin and Teagan Micah were on hand following a friendly match against Argentina on Monday night as the project was announced at the gallery in Canberra on Tuesday. The Matildas are currently ranked at a 20-year low of 16th in the world and will be hoping they can return to the heights of 2023 with the appointment of coach Joe Montemurro. While Montemurro sets his sights on silverware at a home Asian Cup in 2026, the National Portrait Gallery has artistic aspirations instead. The video portrait is its most ambitious commission yet, according to director Bree Pickering. "Some subjects, like the Matildas, need to be depicted in sound and motion or both," she said. Due to broadcast rights restrictions, the artwork can't actually include footage of the shootout, so Tiatia has decided to take a more artistic approach and hopes the result will be like watching a moving painting. She filmed with 14 members of the 2023 squad at a training camp in Houston in February, and hopes to film with injured striker Sam Kerr in London come July. Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock said watching the 2023 squad capture the hearts of Australians was one of the most powerful moments she has ever experienced. "This portrait is more than a tribute to feats on the pitch, it's a testament to the cultural shift they helped lead, and the legacy they continue to build for women and girls," Garriock said. The artwork will be finished later in 2025 and is slated to show at the gallery in Canberra over summer before embarking on a tour. The Matildas' 2023 World Cup quarter-final triumph against France, which ended with a history-making penalty shootout, will be commemorated with an artwork at the National Portrait Gallery. The Matildas' 7-6 triumph on penalties made them the first Australian football side to reach the final four of a World Cup, capturing the attention of a nation and changing the perceptions of women in sport. Sydney-based artist and filmmaker Angela Tiatia has asked the World Cup squad of 23 Matildas to re-live the tension of the 10-round shootout for the video artwork. Some of the players had never re-watched those nail-biting moments, said Tiatia. "It elicited such emotional reactions, including visible goosebumps from the players, cementing for me what a privilege and inspiration it is to create this portrait," she said. Players Clare Hunt, Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin and Teagan Micah were on hand following a friendly match against Argentina on Monday night as the project was announced at the gallery in Canberra on Tuesday. The Matildas are currently ranked at a 20-year low of 16th in the world and will be hoping they can return to the heights of 2023 with the appointment of coach Joe Montemurro. While Montemurro sets his sights on silverware at a home Asian Cup in 2026, the National Portrait Gallery has artistic aspirations instead. The video portrait is its most ambitious commission yet, according to director Bree Pickering. "Some subjects, like the Matildas, need to be depicted in sound and motion or both," she said. Due to broadcast rights restrictions, the artwork can't actually include footage of the shootout, so Tiatia has decided to take a more artistic approach and hopes the result will be like watching a moving painting. She filmed with 14 members of the 2023 squad at a training camp in Houston in February, and hopes to film with injured striker Sam Kerr in London come July. Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock said watching the 2023 squad capture the hearts of Australians was one of the most powerful moments she has ever experienced. "This portrait is more than a tribute to feats on the pitch, it's a testament to the cultural shift they helped lead, and the legacy they continue to build for women and girls," Garriock said. The artwork will be finished later in 2025 and is slated to show at the gallery in Canberra over summer before embarking on a tour.
